Jesus Encounter, The

By William C. Tinsley

Book Overview

A marvelous collection of stories about first century people who had an authentic encounter with Jesus for twenty-first century people in search of deepening their relationship with Jesus and those... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0310243300
• ISBN13: 9780310243304
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.39 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.3" x 0.8" x 5.0"

Customer Reviews

Looking at the ordinary in an extraordinary story

Scripture, by its own account, only gives the highlights of Jesus's life. The gospels tell us what we need to know. But that does not stop us from wanting to know more, from using our minds to imagine more.William Tinsley has done just that in The Jesus Encounter. He has crafted 11 first-person accounts from the perspective of some of the gospels' more obscure personalities - Mary's sister, Zacchaeus, Lazarus, Barabbas, Salome and others. We are quite familiar with some of their names, but Scripture tells us relatively little about them. Tinsley shows what it might have been like for them to encounter Jesus in the flesh.It's the little things in this book that bring the most satisfying insights. The reader experiences the ordinary that would eventually lead to the extraordinary. And in the process it gives us a fuller picture of what life with Jesus might really have been like."Our home was a happy one," says James, the younger brother of Jesus. "I remember Mother singing at night, my father playing with us on the floor, laughing. And I remember my brother Jesus singing and laughing as well."There is no way of knowing if Mary really did sing at night in her home; but we do know she sang to Elizabeth, and it would be easy to imagine such a scene. And we do not know if Joseph played and laughed with his children; but good fathers do, and we can suppose that God chose him to raise the Messiah for some very practical reasons. And we do not know if Jesus sang and laughed with his family; but we do know that singing and laughter arise out of a loving environment.That's how Tinsley paints with his word pictures, from notions that easily can be arrived at from what Scripture does tell us about Christ and about those who knew him. It becomes rather fascinating."I treasured being with him," James continues about Jesus. "I idolized him, followed him as younger brothers will do, wanting to be included in his circle of friends, to be a part of older boys' games. He included me, defended me when I needed it, and looked out for me. Being with him was always an adventure. He found wonder wherever we went, whether it was wandering in the hills outside Nazareth; exploring rivers, ravines, and caves; or making up games with other children. He made everything fun. He saw miracles in the smallest things. ..."It is wonderful to imagine Jesus in such a way, to see him as a big brother, to think of his leadership skills blossoming at an early age. Tinsley leads us to think of things that we might never have thought of before, little things, everyday things, but in so doing we experience the part of Christ that was fully human.The book also shows Jesus' divinity, the part of His nature that set Him apart from others, that revealed Him to be the unique Son of God who came to bring forgiveness of sins to everyone else. "Of course," says Lazarus in the book, "you want to know about the miracle. ... I remember... the sound of his voice. It was distant, echoing faintly far aw

Marvin Feagins Review 'The Jesus Encounter"

The first person perspective expressed by Dr. William Tinsley in "The Jesus Encounter", captures the imagination of the contemporary power of identification and application to the 21st century Christian. It is the most effective method of presenting truth.These stories illuminate our relationship to others and encourage compassion as well as creating a sense of wonder. They shock us into recognizing a new truth while providing a different perspective.Common ordinary every day people in contact with the Savior of all mankind inspires an examination of our own relationship to Jesus and encourages all Christians to walk humbly before God and obey his commandments. This book also reaches out to unbelievers contemplating a decision while wrestling with the truth of who Jesus really is. Lives of others influence our decisions and help us cope and reach conclusions.This inspirational book is easily read and eagerly applied to our purpose in life. The characters deserve to be remembered and their reputations enhanced. William Tinsley has accomplished this concept with, "The Jesus Encounter".