The Jesus I Never Knew

by Philip Yancey

Book Overview

How does the Jesus of the New Testament compare to the Jesus we think we know so well? Join bestselling author Philip Yancey as he conducts an enlightening biblical and historical investigation into... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 031021923X
• Release Date: February 2002
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.4" x 1.1" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Engaging and thought-provoking

This was my first Phillip Yancey book and it surely will not be my last. He has such a way with words and makes you look at something you’ve always known or read about in a different light. The book had plenty of great insights, thought-provoking observations, and stories/quotes to keep the pace lively. It’s a book I would absolutely recommend for Bible Study groups or book clubs. Glad my prayer group ladies and I read this together.

Sooo much highlighting !!!

The book has soooo much highlighting in it. Some pages have more words highlighted than unhighlighted. Messy looking pages.

The Jesus I Never Knew

I received this book and was very disappointed to see if had writings inside of it, please refund.

Thousands Have A Priceless Gift But Will Never Discover It

The renowned Christian book author, Philip Yancey, deserves "five gold stars" for his thought-provoking book, The Jesus I Never Knew. Yancey's training and experience as a journalist is evident in his exploration and historical detailed life analysis of the human being we call "Jesus." His book tells the story of this great Man who changed history, but that's not why he wrote it. As explained in Part One, "Who He Was," Jesus was the dividing point in Yancey's life. Although Jesus lived over 2,000 years ago, Yancey and Jesus have a very personal relationship. He states: "Nothing, not even the murder of God's own Son-can end the relationship between God and human beings." Yancey reminds us "too easily we forget what it cost Jesus to win for us all-ordinary people, not just priests-immediate access to God's presence. How important is that? Yancey states, "According to Jesus, what I think about Him and how I respond will determine my destiny for all eternity." I'd say it's the most important decision you could ever make.As I read his book, I began to wonder, should this be a Wiley Publishing, Jesus For Dummies book? The Jesus we learned about while growing up, the typical Sunday school stereotype is a humble, soft-spoken, longhaired, modest Man. This is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords of all creation? This is the man that battled Satan? This is the man that hung on the cross by nails pounded into his flesh? Through extensive use of biblical references, Yancey explains how our preconceived ideas about Jesus' personality and looks may be misconceptions. Yancey also explains that Jesus purposefully walked through life and was comfortable meeting folks from every walk of life. Would you be comfortable associating with prostitutes, leprosy victims, and thieves? Jesus was, and still is. Yancey reminds us: "In God's kingdom there are no undesirables." Yancey's work opens our eyes to the circumstances encompassing the birth of Jesus. He asks, "If Jesus came to reveal God to us, then what do I learn about God from that first Christmas?" How about a God that is a humble, approachable, courageous underdog? Yancey's questions regarding the birth cause us to ponder why God would send His Son to earth as a tiny infant human being. God could have sent Jesus to earth in a fire engulfed chariot surrounded by legions of angels, but He didn't. Yancey further explores the Jewish connection and how "Jesus failed to meet the expectations of Messiah the Jews were awaiting." Reading the book helps you to discover why God chose the Virgin Mary, and the challenging circumstances surrounding the birth of the Messiah. Although, it wasn't clear to me why God chose that time and place for the birth of Jesus. Does Yancey create a paradigm shift in thinking? Yes. In the chapter, Mission: A Revolution of Grace, he asks: "Why do so few of the millions of prayers for physical healing get answered?" Humans afflicted with mental and physical woes daily ask, "Why me God?" When trag

El Jesús que nunca conocí

Pienso que es un libro que toca los temas con los pies en el suelo. Me ha hecho reflexionar sobre algunos aspectos de cómo se desenvolvió Jesús entre sus contemporáneos. Me ayuda a acercarme al corazón de Dios, viendo sus actuaciones desde perspectivas diferentes.

Everyone serious about who Jesus is should read this book

Philip Yancey has always been my favorite writer. His works have some peculiar candid which are hardly found elsewhere. He is serious about his Christianity belief, and never hesitate to ask tough questions normal believers would rather skip till they get to heaven. It is in this process of seeking answers to these tough questions that Yancey painfully but yet firmly grows his faith. I am always amazed by the courage and sincerity that Yancey put into each of his books exposing the troughs and peaks of his spiritual pilgrimage. Only by doing so is he so powerfully able to demonstrate to the world that Christianity is not a religion merely for the biased people who are raised in churches but rather universal truth that can be grasped by any serious seeker. You got questions about your belief that you dare not ask? You ever wonder why those crazy Christians around you are talking Jesus and God all the time? Read this book and other books by Yancey. You will be plentifully rewarded if you do so. Highly recommended.

A good book - but not Yancey's best

But I still rate it at 5 stars.I see a progression of thought in Yancey's works from "The Jesus I never Knew" to his later work "What's so amazing about Grace." If you only have time to read one Yancey book, I'd recommend "What's so amazing about Grace" high above this book."The Jeus I never knew" is full of anecdotes and great quotes and interesting stories. It's also filled with thoughtful insights that make you go "Wow, I never thought of that Bible verse in that light before."For that reason, I give it five stars. Any book that gives you a deeper love of God (as this book does) is surely worth five stars.But his more recent book "What's So Amazing About Grace" seems like it plumbs the depth of spirituality a bit more. Kind of like the comparison of Mark's Gospel and John's Gospel. Mark's writings are strong and clear, but John's message is so deeply metaphysical you fear you may never glean all the spiritual nuggets contained therein.Not to irreverantly compare Yancey to John..., but Yancey's books are always a joy to read. I just preferred "What's so Amazing About Grace."However, after borrowing and reading "The Jesus I Never Knew" I immediately bought my own copy. It is a good foundational item for every Christian's bookshelf.

It was the title that got me.

For years, through my twenties and thirties, I struggled with doubt. I had nagging fears of "What if I'm devoting my life to something that's not real? What if Christianity is a hoax and Jesus is a myth?" As time went on, those doubts began to fade-partly, I think, because I was honest with them. It was the title of this book that caught me. I remembered those doubts from many years before. The phrase "The Jesus I Never Knew" kindled a new doubt in me. What if Jesus is real, and yet I never really knew Him? What if-to paraphrase either Philip Yancey or Brennan Manning (forgive me for not remembering which), my belief was not in the real Jesus, but in the preachers, Sunday School teachers, and `great cloud of witnesses' who explained Him to me?" It was, for me, a horrifying thought.The Jesus I Never Knew rocked my world. As Yancey began to wipe away the ecclesiastical film from a Person that I find to be indeed my Savior, my faith changed, grew. I made sweeping changes in my life based on this Jesus I was meeting. I found myself challenged by this Man. I saw Jesus as I never saw Him before. What I saw necessitated a response; the One I encountered sparked faith in me like I had never known before.One more thing about doubt. Herein lies Yancey's gift as a writer. He is honest about doubt, and he lets the reader be honest, too. Did this book change me? Did Jesus change me? Only read this book if you want your head, your world, and your faith as you know it messed up.A final note: I am thankful to say that the Sunday School class I attend will begin a 14 week study next week on The Jesus I Never Knew. This will prove to be, I think, a very exciting time.