"Vintage Jesus" Book Review

Ever since the beginning of time, mankind has questioned what God is like. In a small town of Bethlehem in Judea nearly two millennium ago, God came in the form of a baby to answer that very question. Ironic as it is, people had a distorted view of who this Son of Man was, even as He was in their midst. Some doubted He was God, others questioned why He had come, and still others believed in Him all the while knowing very little about Him. Just as these things can be said of people at that time, the same can be said of people today.

In an effort to shed light on who this Jesus really is, Mark Driscoll answers twelve of the most common questions regarding Christ in his book titled Vintage Jesus. Such questions include: “How Human Was Jesus,” “Why Did Jesus Mom Need to Be a Virgin,” “Why Should We Worship Jesus,” and “What Difference Has Jesus Made in History,” among others.

With all political correctness aside, Driscoll points out (in response to the question, “is Jesus the only God?”) that “Jesus clearly stated that he is God. God alone calls heaven his eternal home, and God alone could descend from heaven as opposed to ascending up to heaven” (Vintage Jesus 18). If Jesus claimed to be God, He is a liar, a deranged man, or truly God. It is up to us, through personal research into the life and teachings of Jesus, to determine which of the three He is.

Vintage Jesus is a valuable resource for the reader in a pursuit to dispel the rumors and set the record straight regarding the small-town carpenter that was crucified on a cross and who He really was (and is).

For those familiar with Driscoll’s speaking style of transparency, boldness, humor, and intellect, this book will not disappoint. It reads much like if you were listening to him deliver the chapter in the form of a sermon (which, after all, makes sense because the book is based off the sermon series of the same title).

If Jesus truly is “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6 ESV), then all of life comes down to how well we know Him. The person who comes to the realization of this profound statement by Jesus can not help but search tirelessly for answers about Him. That is the very purpose of this book by Driscoll – to provide a place for new believers and long-time followers alike to continue in their quest for the real Jesus.

"Blue Like Jazz" Book Review

For many, Donald Miller is a familiar name. Others may not know him, but doubtless have seen his well-known book Blue Like Jazz sitting on the bookshelves of their local bookstore. Some of you have purchased and read said book from said bookstore. The others who have not should make the transition into the first category.

Blue Like Jazz makes for quite a hodgepodge of musings regarding church, community, faith, grace, love, money, and redemption; highlighting the manner in which each of these fit into the life Jesus has called us to live. Feelings of inadequacy, bouts of doubt and despair, and the necessity for love and grace are all central themes in Miller’s book.

For those who think such a book does not suit their fancy or lacks relevancy, just read the titles of the various chapters: “gods: Our Tiny Invisible Friends,” “Redemption: The Sexy Carrots,” “Community: Living with Freaks,” “Romance: Meeting Girls is Easy,” and, finally, “Faith: Penguin Sex.” If the titles peak your interest, so will the chapters themselves.

With such profound thoughts communicated in such a simple manner (and with great satire), Miller certainly has a skill for communicating deep truth in a way both the theologian and simpleton alike can comprehend.

One such concept is the infatuation many Christians have with being religious: “I believe the greatest trick of the devil is not to get us into some sort of evil but rather have us wasting time. This is why the devil tries so hard to get Christians to be religious. If he can sink a man’s mind into habit, he will prevent his heart from engaging God” (Blue Like Jazz, 13).

“Satan, who I believe exists as much as I believe Jesus exists, wants us to believe meaningless things for meaningless reasons. Can you image,” Miller asks, “if Christians actually believed that God was trying to rescue us from the pit of our own self-addiction? Can you imagine? Can you imagine what Americans would do if they understood over half the world was living in poverty? Do you think they would change the way they live, the products they purchase, and the politicians they elect? If we believed the right things, the true things, there wouldn’t be very many problems on earth” (106-107). At the heart of all the problems in the world lives our corrupted view of pleasure, of meaning, of purpose, and, most importantly, of love. If we truly understood this, Miller observed, how differently we would live our lives.

“I think Christian spirituality is like jazz music. I think loving Jesus is something you feel. I think it is something very difficult to get on paper. But it is no less real, no less meaningful, no less beautiful” (239). And beauty, meaning, and reality all come into clarity when we com to understand that “the most important thing that happens within Christian spirituality is when a person falls in love with Jesus” (237). For loving Jesus is what all of life comes down to.

1 Corinthians 1:1-3

“1 Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes,

2 To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (ESV)

It is interesting to note the boldness of Paul in stating his calling as an apostle of Christ. I stop to think how unsure Christians today are of their calling. Where, in reality, we, just like Paul, are called to be apostles. The word apostle here, in the Greek, literally means “one sent forth with orders.” We must be as sure as Paul in our calling. We have been given a message of hope and love, with the order we have received being to spread this good news to all mankind (Matt. 28:19-20).

The people of Corinth were giving in to many of their old habits, yet Paul, yet knowing of their evil deeds, bid them grace and peace. He was not condoning their actions (as we see in the rest of 1 Corinthians), but encouraging them in the faith. Our Christian brothers and sisters are not perfect (nor are we), but that does not diminish the need for us to encourage them. Believers are attacked on every side and at every turn by those in the world. The worst thing we can do to our brothers and sisters, bruised and bleeding, is to add on to the attacks. We, like Paul, must encourage each other.