Vintage Jesus

“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”   John 10:33 (NIV)

“Jesus Christ.  No one is more loved and hated than Jesus Christ.” 

This is the first line of the book VINTAGE JESUS by an influential young pastor in Seattle named Mark Driscoll (of Mars Hill fame or infamy depending on who you talk to).   Dr. Gerry Breshears is noted as the co-author but the voice is unmistakably that of Discoll if you have ever heard him.  He is not shy to speak up and speak out….which he does with biting humor and lots of references to modern (or more appropriately post-modern) American culture.  The odd juxtaposition is that Driscoll’s viewpoint is very conservative, and the book offers and delivers very dense and weighty doses of theology throughout.  The focus is, per the title, presenting Jesus as the Bible and in particular His reformed Protestant followers have understood Him for many, many, many generations.

I suspect you’ll either absolutely love this book, or you’ll hate it.  Frankly, more people will reject it.  And everyone will be a little unsettled.  That’s probably appropriate because Jesus had exactly the same effect on people…….