Customer Reviews

Jesus Asked.

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If you are looking for straight forward answers don't read this book - but then, don't read Christ's teaching either. Gempf suggests the aim of Jesus' teaching was - more or less - to encourage mystery, to foster tension and cause hearers to deconstruct everything they thought they "knew" about God, while offering himself instead of content.

For all who say they value Scripture but have grown weary of the "sola-scriptura-question-and-answer" approach to reading it; or for those who are exhausted from searching for the "main point," the "big idea," or the "preachable proposition" hiding in the often obscure words of Christ, Gempf squirts a dap of Windex on their Scripture lens. In wiping away some of the modernity dust from lens of Scripture, Gempf helps readers see a fresh image of Christ leap from the pages of their dusty Bibles. We see a Jesus who refuses to take sides, who chooses to cloak and confuse his hears so no belief system can be systematically contrived from his words.

The size and approachability of this book my fool some into not taking it seriously. Gempf breathes fresh life into the reading of the gospels. Suggesting Jesus is less interested in setting people straight, getting his "point" across or summing it all up and more interested in engaging in authentic interaction.

Gempf suggests that behind every question Jesus asked; behind every parable, behind every seemingly weird statement recorded in the gospels is Jesus' invitation not to Christianity, not to theology, but to a person - to a relationship.

For those who see leading, teaching, or preaching as part of their gig; seeing Christ give little clear teaching while choosing instead to give himself, may have far some reaching implications.

One more thing, many an Apple user will echo Gempf's "ethical and aesthetical environmental impact statement" at the end of his acknowledgments.

I'll be completely honest in that I didn't expect to learn much from this book, having been a Christian for quite a few years and having studied the Gospels pretty closely. He proved me wrong though; this book was very enlightening. This is also a topic that you don't see discussed much; I honestly don't recall reading about this topic before or hearing a sermon on the topic.

We always think of Jesus as having all the answers (how often have you heard the cliche "Jesus is the answer"?), but rarely do we think of Jesus asking questions. Whether you've been a Christian for decades or are a recent convert, this book will help you think about Jesus' questions, and in the process you'll come to a deeper understanding of a Jesus that is more challenging and less conventional than you previously thought. Definitely recommended.

I teach a Sunday School class for adults and enjoy reading things that might make me a better Bible teacher. This book was amazing! I read it in one sitting. I simply could not put it down. Dr. Gempf's writing style was not only informative, it was fun! It was like the "light went on" when I read his interpretation of Jesus' questions and answers. I can hardly wait to share some of his insights with my class. This week's lesson is on the Good Samaritan. I had never really grasped that the "expert in the law" would have had the smug satisfaction he discussed when listening to the response of the priest and the Levite. What an interesting insight. I also was moved by his discussion of the story of the "rich young ruler" and Jesus' question about why he called him "good." Awesome. I loved the way he tied all of Jesus' teachings together to make the central point that Jesus wants us to choose for ourselves where we will stand on issues, particularly the issue of who he is. This book was excellent and should be required reading for anyone who wants a fresh insight on what Jesus' teachings were all about."

Despite some very minor editing problems, "Jesus Asked" is a fascinating conceptual book about the nature of who Jesus was. It's very different than what your Sunday School teacher may have taught you, but it is something that cannot go unaddressed in the Christian community. While the book's basic idea (Jesus asked more questions than he gave answers) is groundbreaking enough, the rest of the book, while sometimes very profound, is a quick, easy read that is definitely worth the time you take to read it.

A good book that helped me prepare for a sermon on the subject of questions Jesus asked. The style was conversational and easy to grasp all in all a good read and a helpful tool.