Something is missing - the miracle of the Resurrection.
921646
I was very happy to get this book and read it to my children as the most important part of Easter isn't the baby chicks and bunnies but about the real reason we celebrate this solemn time - it's about Christ's death upon the cross and His rising from the death to defeat it, not for Him but for us!  Too many books focus on the secular points of this Holy day so when I get a chance to add a solid, Biblical look at Eater in book form I long to add it to my collection.  All three of my children enjoyed the story and it opened up discussion with my 7 year old who, last year, accepted Christ as her Saviour and other ideas about Easter.  The beautiful illustrations done by Anna Luraschi give the book an old time feel and while giving a good picture of what is happening in the story, isn't cluttered or overwhelming for the child who has a hard time focusing.

I will say that while it's a great story to read about Easter, while we do know that a man name Simon from Cyrene was commanded to carry the cross when the Lord dropped it, the brief conversation never actually says why Christ was being crucified and never once does it mention Christ by name.  My oldest and I thought that maybe we skipped a page as something seemed to be missing from the end -  but my younger two were completely fine with the ending - maybe I was expecting a bit more of a finish with the story ending with Christ's resurrection but it mentions only that Simon, the farmer knew that a miracle had happened.

I really did like this book, it is great for the younger set who maybe do not need a graphic detailing of Christ's death and the parents can use the ending to discuss about Christ's coming back to life.  It's not so much for older children who are better able to grasp the graphic and gruesome nature of His death and resurrection, however I'm very happy to have this as part of our Easter readings and of course whenever we need a gentle reminder of what Christ did for us.

ETA:  As I go back and read what I've just written, I must say after thinking over it and the book, I am a bit more upset by the fact that Christ wasn't mentioned by name and just about anyone, as I said above the miracle appears more to be about chicken eggs than about the real miracle.

**I was provided a copy of this book from Kregel Publications in exchange for my honest opinion, no other compensation was given.
3331846
There has been so much written about Jesus, probably nothing other than speculation could be considered really "new."  James Tabor has, however, combined and repackaged his own unique combination of scholarly emphases, creating a fascinating and suspenseful story line.  The book has been published in over 20 languages and in one of his conference appearances he admits to thinking there's a movie in there somewhere.

Jesus and John fulfilled a prophesy that expected not just one messiah, but two - one from the house of Levi and one from the house of David.  They worked together preaching a version of Judaism which emphasized moral treatment of their fellow man, still obeying the law of the Torah.  John's brutal death shocked the followers, but they continued on, hoping to reform the corrupt leadership of the Temple.  Jesus probably went to his crucifixion fully expecting supernatural deliverance and the re-establishment of a just Kingdom of God in Jerusalem for his fellow Jews.

After the tragedy of his death, his family was devastated.  After a brief lull, his brothers, his mother, and about a hundred residual followers re-grouped and continued their ministry in Jerusalem.  Other followers took the message to other cities, but it wasn't yet a theology of Christianity.  It took the ministry of Paul to change the message from a message OF Jesus and John to a message ABOUT Jesus, emphasizing above all else the questionable story of his resurrection.

Picking and choosing scriptural documentation, Tabor weaves a totally different but believable story out of the New Testament.  He is only one of many to have found fault with the neurotic Paul, whose theology eventually achieved orthodoxy.  Thomas Jefferson created his own version of the New Testament in which he attempted to include only the pure message of Jesus - excluding everything written by Paul.

Complete with extensive documentation and some of the latest relevant archeological findings, this is a great book.
3337321
I enjoyed the historical descriptions of Judea. Considering the daily lives of Jesus' followers in the days between His crucifixion and Pentecost was an interesting aspect of the book. But I had some nagging feeling that something was missing.

I had difficulty accepting Leah's attitude to an arranged marriage as that was the normal procedure at that time; it was difficult to reconcile the wavering Alban as the centurion whom Christ commended for the depth of his faith. As others have noted, it's a pity the more plausible wine-based beverages were replaced with inaccurate tea.

But, for me the greatest missing aspect was that of Mary, the mother of Jesus. She got merely a passing mention and was brushed off with a "but you won't see her".

I was left feeling I had gotten less than expected (and I'd already bought the next two books in the trilogy).
2558706
I identified well with the main character's struggle as a Christian over the prospect of looking a loved one, as I have a fragile child whose health constantly hangs in the balance. Above all, the story telling and attention to even minute details of the period of Nero in Rome was masterful. Only on two things did I find inaccuracy, one was the lack of charge of Cannibalism, which the early Christians endured because the Eucharist was held as a secret(Sacrament comes from the word for mystery in Latin), and even though Crispus was a priest, no mention of the Eucharist at each Christian meeting, though we know in Acts 2 it was already the custom and that St Justin Martyr describes faithfully an Eucharistic celebration as the continued common meeting and he is writing in the first century. Secondly, at times I found the renunciation of earthly goods as a bit puritanical. So, I know that requiring Vinicius to become Christian before he could marry Lygia is beyond what is necessary. If God ordained them for one another, and he truly respects Lygia and her religion, then it is wrong to impose on his free will. He could sing fake it, like Chili, and that's worse! God, who set his feet on the path, will complete the work begun in him. This tendency was also shown in the way St Paul told Petronius to renounce all for Christ. It is rather poverty of spirit that must be practiced, an ability to walk away from all earthly goods when called to do so, either in part(alms) or in all(religious life, martyrdom, etc.). However, for a work of this scope and magnitude, the pros are in abundance, whereas the cons only number two, so I say it is a must read and I look forward to rereading it often in the future(maybe next time I'll look up all the Latin words Idk)!
156882
The first half was more compelling that the second. The second was about his misery in recovery, which could be very inspiring for those who are recovering from a major accident or illness. It is also about his ministry, showing that his life on earth continued to have purpose, even though his ministry changed drastically. The first part, about his time in heaven, was riveting and very convincing. As his movement was diminished his faith was enhanced.
2658716
So this is a good read, I presume . . . and yet others out there cry for Gnostic, mystical alternative gospelalia ad nauseum . . . typical . . .

What makes the most sense is the fact that when one experiences the Christ in a personal salvation, born-again, washed-in-the-blood way -- the individual -- as myself -- will see and know the Spirit of Truth. This very real and mystical entity indwelling the spirit is the Spirit of Christ, the New Man and this blended intelligence freshly given leads the believer into discerning "stink" from "fragrance".

When a born-again person reads the "hidden texts" a certain rotten smell is evident and we know to pass them by but when the word of God, the Word of Christ is evidenced, that ineffable fragrance of Truth and Life is revealed uniquely to each reader. Those outside the fold of being given this discerning spirit are without guidance and without the "nose" for rotten and dead vs. fresh and alive.

We can write tomes of why historical finds attempting to prove what text is God-breathed & what is just olde scribblings of man. Do we really prove anything? No. It is only the spirit that humbly seeks Truth that finds it. It is an individual quest of one-on-one with our Father seeking His children -- and no more.

Are there indeed a plethora of traditional organized religious paradigms and isms full of dead tradition and embellished trappings of malleable cultural icons that have nothing to do with the God of Abraham? Well -- duh . . . of course. Jesus pointed this out millennia ago and not much has changed. Only the unchanging core and embryonic truths of the Word of the Spirit of Christ still stand. Faith, Hope and the greatest ~ Love remain.

Instead of defending time-worn edifices of lofty ideas and seminary-bred viewpoints -- we need to extend our hearts and hands of love in the name of Jesus to the orphans, the widow and the stranger among us. This is God's desire and His Truth made evident -- when we love one another in action. And yes ~ there is no spiffy mystical & hidden-deep mystery in this. True Christianity is Jesus in overalls walking among us unseen.
926704
I want what they had.  The miracles were awesome.  May God bless the Christians with such a might move.  It would bring a lot of lost souls into the family of God.
3555411
The Shroud has been a long obsession of mine. I even flew to Italy for a weekend in 1988 to see it in person.  I know it is the genuine shroud of Jesus. It has much to tell us.  I  throughly enjoyed this novel but I don't have any reason to expect or believe any miracles to be caused by or associated with this article other than the confirmation  of events of the crucifixion.  That in itself is a huge order. Anyway it still is a great read.
822267
This is a book that every Christian should read and interact with, even if you do not agree with it in totality

As a person who went through years of theological training (5 years of Greek, 2 years of Hebrew), culminating in a ThM from Dallas Seminary, I thoroughly get David Bercot's point.  The study of theology was interesting to a point, but ultimately I found it to be quite empty.  In doing careful study and teaching of the book of Acts and now teaching and studying Matthew, I have come to the conclusion that there is precious little common ground between the teachings and practice of Jesus and the teaching and practice of the contemporary church.

Kudos to the author for standing up and making this point.  Is he the only one that sees the problem?  Can everyone be that blind?  Or is it simply much easier for the career theologians and religionists to simply "go along to get along."  Might that be the wide path that leads to destruction?  But I digress . . .

The author's key issue is right on target.  Instead of finding meaning in putting the basic teachings of Jesus into practice, these "scholars" have tried to find meaning and significance in drawing finer and finer lines of theology, as if theology is an end to itself.  Theologians tend to speak without basis and tend to like to stay with the herd.  Conservatives like to decry the lack of free expression in the liberal institutions of learning, but the truth is that political correctness has become an absolute art form within the institutional church and its related organizations and denominations.

It is difficult to be the one who stands up and points out how far the church has strayed from the original teachings of Jesus.  There is a definite price to be paid for not going along with the crowd.

One area where I was not satisfied was the explanation of the relationship between fruit/works and salvation, and truly this is a difficult area to explain.  The author makes it sound as if we are going to be ultimately judged by our works, and there are verses to demonstrate this point, but ultimately we are all unworthy and fall short as the Bible also teaches very clearly.  In the end, we are only saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, his Son.  The evidence of fruit is simply demonstrative of a changed life, and there will be varying levels of fruit.  It is the 'no fruit' life that is condemned.

I am also left with questions of "what now?"  What do we do with this knowledge?  What does a true New Testament church look like?  Where do we go from here?  Maybe one of his other books will delve into this in greater detail.  I hope so.  I am reading the other books now.

God bless you Mr. Bercot for the courage to speak the truth.
1956168
In Surprised by Hope N. T. Wright makes a convincing case on why Easter should be celebrated more than Christmas. While the incarnation gives us great joy, the resurrection, Wright contends, brings us incredible hope.

Wright rightly states, Take Christmas away, and in biblical terms you lose two chapters at the front of Matthew and Luke, nothing else. Take Easter away, and you don't have a New Testament; you don't have a Christianity; as Paul says, you are still in your sins. (256-257).

The book sets out to answer what is the ultimate Christian hope and what hope is there for real change and transformation within the world in the present.

Wright spends a great deal of the book sharing his view that heaven is not some place where our souls will live for eternity in a disembodied state but that Christians will live in a resurrected physical body reigning with Christ on the new heavens and the new earth. In several passages in the book (148,169) Wright refers to the resurrection as life after life after death. He also makes the very provocative claim that, The ultimate destination is (once more) not going to heaven when you die but being bodily raised into the transformed, glorious likeness of Jesus Christ. (168)

The subtitle of the book, Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, is not a call for a new way of looking at these concepts but a plea to look at these themes as the first century church viewed them.

Going to heaven when we die needs to be understood as the first stage of a two-stage process. Wright believes that the second stage is far more important  living in a physical resurrected body in a newly remade world.

The resurrection represents far more than a one-time miracle to Wright. He sees this as the sign of an entirely new beginning  the first of many more saints being raised to newness of life.

Finally Wright believes that with this proper understanding of heaven and the resurrection the true mission of the church can be carried out in our present time  to not just save souls but to help to transform our world to reflect the glory of God.

While Wright gives convincing arguments that help us to see that we need to orient all of our theology around the resurrection of Christ he seems to go off on tangents into areas that I have a hard time agreeing with.

For example it seems like Wright advocates praying for the dead. He shares on page (172), Once we rule out purgatory, I see no reason why we should not pray for and with the dead and every reason why we should-not that they will get out of purgatory but that they will be refreshed and filled with Gods joy and peace. I see no warrant for this in Scripture.

On page (177) Wright states that, Jesus simply didn't say very much about the future life. This statement flies in the face of the many times that Jesus talked about hell in the New Testament. I am not sure how Wright can make this claim.

Wrights theory on hell also seems unscriptural. He says on page (182) that, beings that once were human but now are not. To Wright sinners that don't repent are banished to exist forever in an ex-human state. What this means is totally unclear but it seems to lead one to believe that these lost souls will not have to endure the eternal suffering that the Bible clearly indicates lost sinners will experience in hell.

Finally while Wright makes many thought provoking points surrounding the resurrection and heaven the book is rather redundant at times and is a little too heavy on the social gospel and a little too light on the all-important area of saving souls.
1527656
Done in the colorful, southwestern-simple, beautiful style of the dePaola that we are so familiar with through the years. We read him to our children, and now to our grandchildren. But an Easter book without  mention of Resurrection? Quite disappointing.
284939
This book is a scholarly analysis of the development of the doctrine of the resurrection of the body for Christianity and Judaism. It analyzes the Old and New Testament, the Talmud, the writings of Gnostics, and the Christian Fathers about the resurrection. Though it is written for believers and non-believers, the authors believe God's justice requires the resurrection of the body and the book is a strong apology for faith. For example:

"Tertullian and Irenaeus firmly believed that if the Gnostic notions of the body and resurrection were true, this meant that Christians had not really been saved. The stakes were that high. To suggest that such men were really more interested in securing thier own comfortable existence or power is to misrepresent or misunderstand them woefully, to present them falsely, and to obscure how seriously and conscientiously such thinkers wrestled with the truth of the claim that Christ had been raised and that all of his followers would be raised on the last day."(page 234)
4181518
The purpose of this book is to create a portrait of the man known as Jesus of Nazareth, a difficult task since there are no surviving contemporary accounts. Aslan has succeeded in introducing the reader to a brave, devout and principled Jew who attracted thousands of followers by virtue of his remarkable gifts of healing and oratory. He sidesteps the issue of divinity, because there is no way to credit or discredit the reports by the apostles and others of the reappearance of Jesus in bodily form after his execution, other than to say that unlike the Virgin Birth the reports of the Resurrection appeared immediately at the time and were not a later construct. Aslan claims that during Jesuss lifetime He did not seek converts outside of the Jewish religion but rather fought to free the Jews from the twin yokes of Roman occupation and a corrupt Temple priesthood, and that this attitude was maintained by James and the other apostles who headed the early Christian Church in Jerusalem. Saul of Tarsus, who became Paul, was mainly responsible for seeking gentile converts and for promoting a different version of Christianity based solely upon meeting the resurrected Jesus in a vision and it is mostly his version which became canonized.
The story is beautifully told and a good read. I do not know enough about Christianity to dispute the facts as presented. However, I do know enough about Judaism to be disturbed by at least two major issues. The first is the name Yahweh to describe the god worshiped in the Temple. As far as I know, only those ignorant of Judaism use that term. It is an attempt to render pronounceable the tetragrammaton, the four letter symbol used as G-ds name in the Jewish Bible, by adding vowels. I have no idea who came up with those particular vowels, but I can guarantee you no such name ever existed. The Torah tells us that G-ds name is inherently unpronounceable, because G-d is infinite and beyond our understanding and cannot be confined by any pronounceable term, which is why the o is omitted when Jews write about G-d.
The other problem is that, while Aslan warns us from the very first not to take anything written in the Bible as historical fact, he seems to have missed the boat as far as the Old Testament. There is no scientific evidence for the Exodus or even for David or the First Temple. There is no basis for believing that the Israelites ever slayed the original habitants of their Holy Land. As I understand, most probably the original Canaanites became the Jewish people. Yet he repeats the story multiple times, even using it as the basis for one of his arguments, without ever voicing doubt with regard to its accuracy.
Furthermore, he speaks in general about the Jewish religion with the utmost contempt. I understand that the Temple had become corrupted by greedy priests, but there is a great deal more to the Jewish religion than animal sacrifice, as Jesus himself was trying to teach us.
I therefore recommend this book with reservations. I have no regrets about the time I spent with it because I learned so much about Judea under Roman occupation and so much about this wonderful man and I believe the information to be accurate in general, but why would a man devote so many years to seeking the real Jesus without learning the basics of the religion Jesus dedicated his life to reforming?
4098766
Pink does a good job of explaining the church of Paul's day but I fear he misses what God has poured out on His servants today. To say the gifts are no longer in use is to put God in a box and try to keep Him there. It just won't work.
2441068
Kelly L. Segraves is a director and co-founder of the San Diego-based Creation-Science Research Center, and the author/editor of many books, such as&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Jesus-Christ-Creator/dp/B000HKP7GU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Jesus Christ Creator</a>,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/And-GOD-Created-Volume-1-1/dp/B000K1BCTM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">And GOD Created (Volume 1  1)</a>, and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/And-God-Created-Volume-2/dp/B000JILWN2/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">And God Created (Volume 2)</a>.

Here are some quotations from this 1977 book:

"Evidence in many other place of the world indicates that man and dinosaur lived together... Wall paintings in the caves of Rhodesia are rather interesting. These paintings depict the Brontosaurus." (Pg. 38)
"Let us not forget the fact that fossils are not being formed today. Fossils are formed only by rapid burial from a great cataclysmic event such as a flood. Certainly this fact is consistent with the Biblical record. We should expect the fossil record and the Biblical record to agree." (Pg. 69)
"Quite possibly in the next few years the ark of Noah will be rediscovered. Reportedly it has been seen by almost 200 people since 1856." (Pg. 77)
1972584
In the new testament, the first miracle of Jesus was at a wedding reception where, at the urging of his mother, he turned water in to wine.

In this movie, Jesus was troubled at seeing a dead bird on the beach so he brought it back to life.

His second miracle was to raise to life a young bully who had beaten Jesus - either the devil or a demon had killed the boy, but the blame had been placed on Jesus.  To escape blame and possible physical harm, Jesus heals the bully.

Two miracles within the first few minutes totally out of character for the Jesus of the Bible - raising a dead bird or any animal (not that Jesus lacked empathy, but during his time sacrificial offerings were common) and then raising a dead boy to escape retaliation?

That was enough for me.  New age spiritualism is anti Jesus.
572038
This book was written on an intellectual level and based on logic. However, God is supernatural and we can only reach God by our hearts instead of brains. Look at how the disciples and even Jesus tell the gospel. They didn't have a long debate with nonbelievers. Instead, they use gifts of the Holy Spirit to heal people and love people. Their preaching is simple and they used a lot of parables.