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Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ

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Moving Forward in Exploration of Christ
A Book Review of "Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ" by Leonard Sweet & Frank Viola--Reviewed by David D. Flowers, free-lance writer & blogger

I can hear it now, "Do we really need another book about Jesus?" Apparently so... considering that as we entered the twenty-first century only 4 books out of the top 100 were about Jesus (Christian Book Association).

In "Jesus Manifesto," Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola combine their voices to trumpet a resounding reminder that we never "graduate beyond Christ" in the Christian faith. And Christ isn't found only in the center of things, but along the "corners and on the edges" as well.

Sweet and Viola believe we have created a "narcissistic" and a "best-seller" Christianity which is "self-centeredness wrapped up as `spirituality,' which has become the latest fashion accessory for the person who has everything" (p. 100). There is indeed much to be disheartened with in Christianity today. Yet, there is a growing number of evangelicals that are discovering that pop-culture Christianity is leaving them high and dry. "Whether they realize it or not," says Sweet and Viola, "people are looking for a fresh alternative--a third way" (p. xiii).

As I look across the present post-modern landscape of Christianity, I see several camps of believers pushing their way through the crowd to stand on the rooftop of evangelicalism with their megaphone in hand (i.e. books, magazines, blogs, etc.) proclaiming the "real" gospel. There are several current groups and "movements" that are all trying to highlight the neglected sides of historic Christianity. We have the reformed "defenders of orthodoxy," the emerging brand, the missional-minded, and the organic house church folk... just to name a few. I do believe that most of the people in these groups truly love the Lord and his church, but many of them are in danger of becoming preoccupied with some thing else other than Christ.

Sweet and Viola believe there are three features present in every spiritual awakening in the Christian church: (1) a rediscovery of the "living Word," or the Scriptures and its authority; (2) a rediscovery of the living Christ and His supremacy; and (3) a rediscovery of the living Spirit and the Spirit's gifts and power to manifest Christ in the context of that culture. (p. xvii)

We're living in some hot times economically, politically, and socially. Christians are engaging in an exchange of ideas (not without some name-calling and finger-pointing). It's evident that even those who have been the most outspoken for the "supremacy of Christ" and right "doctrine" have succumbed to rhetorically burning people at the stake in the name of Jesus. Where is Christ in word and deed? Sweet and Viola write, "Whatever you are occupied with comes out of your mouth. It's what you talk about most of the time" (p.19). And we should not just be hearers of Jesus only, but doers of Him.

Is "mission" our center? Is it community? Some say it's preaching and others... ministry. If we say that Christ is central and supreme, what does that mean concerning justice? What does His universe look like when we are first seeking Christ and His Kingdom? "When Christ is not central and supreme in our lives, everything about life shifts out of orbit and moves out of kilter. So for Christians, our first task is to know Jesus. And out of that knowing, we will come to love Him, adore Him, proclaim Him, and manifest Him" (p. 2).

That's why this book has been written. It addresses the present challenges we face as many "things" compete for the centrality and supremacy of the person Jesus Christ. We are called to be "living epistles" or "Jesus Manifestos" in our world. It's about being true to Christianity. "So what is Christianity? It is Christ. Nothing more. Nothing less. Christianity is not an ideology or a philosophy. Neither is it a new type of morality, social ethic, or worldview. Christianity is the `good news' that beauty, truth, and goodness are found in a person. And true humanity and community are founded on and experienced by connection to that person" (p. xvi).

Finally, "Jesus Manifesto" has been purposely written in an "ancient devotional tone" of writing. In the spirit of Watchman Nee, Jeanne Guyon, Andrew Murray, and T. Austin-Sparks, this book is a fresh call to the post-modern church... "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..." (Heb. 12:2).

And let us move forward in exploration of Christ Jesus our Lord.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Paul, Colossians 2:6,7

Can we, as the Christian church, agree upon the person of Christ? "Receiving Christ also means receiving all who belong to Him" (p. 147). Will you sign the Jesus Manifesto?

Many Christians are found in want but don't know what is lacking. So, the Church organizes event after event, "how-to's" on "how-to's", groups within groups, and so on. However, people still want more. What do they want? What are they looking for? Well...what is it?? Depth. Spiritual depth. Depth in Christ!

Leonard and Frank took a fresh look at the Church today - one that many others need to take a glimpse at as well. Frank and Leonard dig deep into the "center" of believers and the body of Christ - Jesus Christ himself.

"Oh great. Another 'Jesus book'". No, no, no! Believe me when I say that what you will find within these pages is something so incisive and profound that the Jesus you know right now will look smaller in comparison to the one you will know after you have finished. The passion and fervor that these two men have for the Lord is so evident and fathomless that it is difficult to not become impassioned as well. The love and romance of God that they reveal to each and every reader is so pure that you will fall in love with Christ over and over again.

The single greatest lesson I've learned among the hundreds of lessons I've learned from J.I.Packer is that "theology must always lead to doxology".

In other words, if what you learn about God doesn't cause you to praise God then your learning was mostly in vain.

The focus of our faith is a Person, not a doctrine or any combination of doctrines.

Jesus Christ is that divine Person and He is all in all.

That's is the simple message of the Jesus Manifesto and in my opinion it is the finest volume ever penned about that one pure focus.

Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola never swerve from that focus for the entirety of the volume and every page is an examination of the Savior and His glory and perfection.

This is a singularly important book for that reason...it is the only volume in my library that is about nothing but Christ and that reminds me on every page that I am to be about nothing else as well.

Today the Body of Christ is being continually torn by disagreements over doctrine and practice and diverted by the good from the Best.

We are drowning in a sea of riches... constantly offered excellent volumes on doctrine and theology, incredible software to parse it all and the greatest teachings of the church available with the click of a mouse.

We have been at sea so long we've lost sight of the Lighthouse.

Sweet and Viola have done the church the service of pointing us radically back to Jesus and they have done so with great clarity, grace and style.

The theology is sound and the effect is what Packer would approve...doxology on every page.

From now on every new believer in my path will receive three books..The Bible, "Knowing God", and "The Jesus Manifesto".

I re read "Knowing God" every year, this will now be read along side it on the same schedule.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Book Review Blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The authors of this work contend that the Church (which the authors understand in a fairly inclusive way, irrespective of denominational label or theological bent) is at a significant crossroads. Specifically, their concern is that a profoundly richer, much more intentional Christology is necessary for the Church (collectively and individually) to find its destiny. They refer to this perceived lack as a "Jesus deficit."

In their ten chapters the authors make their best pitch to convince the reader that (1) Jesus Christ is no longer the preeminent Lord in, evidently, the lives of most congregations and individuals, and (2) that the only way to rectify this deficit is for a deeper spiritual awareness developed in relationship with Christ (versus theologizing or formulaic repetitions of confessional statements or merely a sentimentalized version of Jesus as an outstanding "teacher" or "religious" personage).

Frankly, I struggled with the book. Not because I doubt the validity of their claim (my personal predilection is that yes, churches espousing a Christian identity do, in fact, need to proclaim and live with clarity the presence of Christ in corporate and personal faith lives). And not because I am unfamiliar with the often unique writing style of Leonard Sweet (I have read his works over the years, so I can see his alliterative flourishes at work throughout the text). And further, it is not because I misunderstand the genre (it is described as a devotional work).

My struggle is that I am not certain the authors do enough to prove to the reader that their contention (that Jesus is largely lacking from the Church) is accurate on the broad scale. I sense that the authors have in mind specific situations or identified "types" of Christians with whom their concern is laid (I hear more critique of those obliquely identified as "evangelical," and "mainliners" are not left out, either), but the work lacks a clarity of detail in diagnosing the "problem."

I also find a lack of coherence from chapter to chapter. It seems that most chapters could stand on their own as the basis for a (lengthy) sermon. There is little organic connection between chapters, so that by the time the reader reaches the Afterword, which is presented as a letter from Christ to the reader, the ponderous "God language" detracts from the intent of encouraging the reader to establish or re-establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is ironic that in their attempt to bring the reader to a new place of deeper discovery, where the reader will discover what living in Christ means, the persistent confessional (in the doctrinal sense) language overwhelms the goal.

You may find the thesis and text more inviting and sensible than I have. If not, content yourself with reading the sidebars scattered throughout the book. These alone are worth the price of the book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

Could it be that Jesus Christ is more than what we think He is? Is it possible to see Christ in such a way that we wonder if we have ever really known Him at all? These are two questions that might cross your mind as you read through this book. Jesus Manifesto is a massive unveiling of the person of Jesus Christ to show how He is the very essence and substance behind all of creation and behind the testimony of scripture. As Christ is presented and magnified with the turning of every page, the book itself begins to feel increasingly limited as you find yourself gazing at a Lord that words utterly fail to describe. But the intention here is perhaps not as much about understanding as it is about seeing. Sweet and Viola are giving us a clean lens through which our spiritual eyes can catch a glimpse of the height, depth and width of Christ.

My feeling is that if you love Jesus Christ, you will love this book. But be careful, it's easy for words to roll off the pages if you read it too quickly. I recommend that you sit back, and slowly sip on every word, and you will indeed taste and see how good our Lord really is.

"Christians don't follow Christianity, they follow Christ." This is the thesis of "Jesus Manifesto" by Leonard Sweet And Frank Viola. The authors' assertion is that Christians have made Christianity to be about so many things: morality, politics, social justice, etc. Though these things may good, or even Christ-like, they are not where the Christian begins. "He begins with God."

This is a timely book. Not so long ago. I commented on my blog that conservative political fervor was quickly replacing the gospel for many evangelicals. The reaction I received proved that for many, politics was central. The idea of Christ being central (even with political action being the fruit of a Christ-centered life) was unthinkable. No matter where one sits on the theological spectrum, left or right, this book calls for something else: to make Christ the center.

Be warned: this is not another how-to manual. There are no steps or suggestions for how to reorganize your life or your church. Instead, the authors will walk you through an understanding of who Jesus is (making no difference between the Christ of the Gospels and the Christ of the Pauline epistles), and invite you to allow this Jesus to live in you.

Thomas Nelson Publishers gave this book to me in exchange for a review. I am not obligate to give it a positive review, and quite frankly, I did not expect to. Some of the language of the book indicated to me that this book might represent a post-modern view of a different kind of Jesus that is found in each one of us. Nothing could be further from the truth. The book is about making the Jesus of scripture the center of our lives, gospel, and church. I heartily recommend it.

The "Jesus Manifesto" is one book that every Christian must read and reread. It's about Jesus and that is the focus of the Bible too. I have been reading books about Jesus since 1974, when Jesus anbushed me five days before leaving the Army.
"Jesus Manifesto" is on my top five books about Jesus. I have been a minister and I have worked in bookstores as buyer and book seller. I am know as The Bookman where I live. So I believe Sweet and Viola have helped Christian in this book to Fix their thoughts and eyes on Jesus. (Hebrews 3:1 & 12:2) When we do this daily, God will transform us into the likeness of His Son.(Roman 8:28-29) Whatever we make the issue we make it an idol. "Jesus Manifesto" has lifted up Jesus so he will draw all mankind to Him!!! He is the only issue to raise! Thanks Sweet and Viola for making Jesus the main issue.

Last night I finished reading Jesus Manifesto by Leonard Sweet & Frank Viola. The subtitle of this book is "Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ." I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK! Jesus Manifesto is equal parts guidance for Christian living and layman's theology. It's been a while since I read a book that was more singularly focused on Jesus that this book. Jesus Manifesto does a great job of connecting the dots of our faith. Sweet & Viola are able to write in a style that seamlessly weaves Scripture throughout this narrative of salvation, Kingdom, and Christo-centric living. I seriously wish I could get every person in my church to read this book. I think they would have a much clearer view of Jesus, atonement, justification, and what their response to all of this should be.

I'm going to give this little book the highest praise I can think of by saying, if it catches on, Jesus Manifesto has the potential to be the 21st century answer to C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. Please read this book! It'll be a priceless investment of your time.

Having worked in the "christian" book industry for years I have seen all kinds of books about "things" like: "What is God's Purpose for ME?", "How to Have a Better Prayer Life", "The 9 Steps to a Godly Marriage", or "Attaining Your Financial Freedom Today". Frankly, I have grown tired of these well meaning yet empty solutions to life and the struggles that we all face. I trust you have too.

For too long, we have put Jesus Christ, Creator of all, in the background in our lives and in the back pew of our churches pursuing "stuff" instead. Jesus Manifesto explains in great detail that the gospel is not a thing or a movement or a set of rules and ethics. Instead, the Gospel is an incredible and glorious Person.

This much needed book by Sweet and Viola, successfully attempts to explain through multiple Scripture references that the Lord of the universe is at the center of the Father's love. And because of this, He needs to be the first and foremost in us as well. In fact, chapter 3 is worth the price of the book just itself. Read it and you will know what I mean.

Hopefully, Jesus Manifesto will set a trend....more books glorifying Jesus Christ! For He is worthy and He far outweighs anything else that this life has to offer.

The Christian church has a problem. It has been diagnosed by authors Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola with "Jesus Deficit Disorder". It seems that the world likes Jesus but not necessarily the church. Further, it seems that the church may not even like Jesus - at least the Jesus Christ who is supreme and sovereign. Each individual, each generation and each culture must answer a question that was posed by Jesus Christ to the disciples over 2000 years ago.

"Who do you say that I am?"

Reading this book has allowed me to focus on the fact that Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He is the center of all things and occupies all things. He is the Creator of heaven and earth and the Healer of our brokenness. He is the second person of the Trinity and is the theme of both the Old and New Testament.

Unfortunately, many who call themselves Christians hold a higher regard for good works, social justice and church activities than they do for Jesus Christ himself. God calls us to be living epistles, a city on a hill and even walking, breathing "Jesus Manifestos."

I pray that this will be a description of me.

Personally, I find this book to be challenging as well as encouraging. When reading it, I sometimes felt as if I were in a worship service because of the love for Jesus that jumped from each page.