Who is Jesus? Books

Knowing about Jesus and the resurrection is one thing, but have you ever found yourself puzzled or confused about the exact meaning and theological significance of who he is? Especially if you’ve heard him referred to with phrases like:

• King of Kings
• Lord of Lords
• Son of God
• Saviour
• Messiah

or … a rebel who began an uprising against the Romans… a wise teacher… a holy man… or someone we simply need to “look to”?

If you’ve ever wondered what the Bible teaches about Jesus or what his biographies are really all about, these books are for you:

Four Portraits, One Jesus by Mark L. Strauss – With clarity and insight, Mark Strauss illuminates these four books addressing the following important areas:

• First he addresses the nature, origin, methods for study, and historical, religious, and cultural backgrounds of the Gospels.
• He then moves on to closer study of each narrative and its contribution to our understanding of Jesus, investigating things such as plot, characters, and theme.
• Finally, he pulls it all together with a detailed examination of what the Gospels teach about Jesus’ ministry, message, death, and resurrection, with excursions into the quest for the historical Jesus and the historical reliability of the Gospels.

Jesus the King by Timothy Keller – You can read a free sample of chapter one here. JtK looks at the life of Christ as told in the Gospel of Mark. In it, Keller shows how the story of Jesus is at once cosmic, historical, and personal, calling each of us to look anew at our relationship with God. 

Look to the Rock by Alex Motyer – The Bible is one book, not two separate testaments; so the Old Testament is essential for understanding the New. In this stimulating book on the Old Testament background to Christ, Alec Motyer shows how Jesus is the king expected, who brings in the kingdom looked for in the Old Testament; is both the image and the Word of God; conquers sin and death, and brings the disordered creation to its perfect consummation.

Discovering Jesus by T.D. Alexander – Alexander guides readers to see how the Gospels display Jesus as the Son of David who establishes the kingdom of God, the Son of God who suffers to ransom others, the Savior of the world who seeks the lost, and the Lamb of God who brings eternal life through a new exodus. Each chapter ends with discussion questions for individual or group study.

Knowing Christ by Mark Jones – unpacks the truth about the Saviour according to the classic Reformed tradition and the Puritans. 

Scandalous by D.A. Carson – The Bible firmly establishes the historicity of these events and doesn’t leave their meanings ambiguous or open to interpretation. Even so, there is an irony and surprising strangeness to the cross. Carson shows that this strange irony has deep implications for our lives as he examines the history and theology of Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection. Literary readers will especially appreciate what Carson notices about the story of Jesus in the New Testament.

⭐ Have you read any of these or found them helpful? Which one(s)? Let us know in the comments below!