Who Is Jesus?

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S WHO IS JESUS? ABOUT?
This book does three things—at the same time—first and foremost, it looks at all fourteen times that Jesus uses the phrase “I am,” in the Gospel of John, and discusses the context and meaning of it. Fesko doesn't just look at Christ's meaning of “the door,” “the bread of life,” and so on, but the significance of the use of “I am” (ἐγώ εἰμι, ego eimi).

Secondly, it looks at the “seven signs of divinity” presented in John—and how they're intertwined in the “I am” sayings. But Fesko doesn't let the focus linger on these signs.

Lastly, and this is the unique part of this study, is to look at the Old Testament allusions and roots of the fourteen “I am”s. Seeing how Christ was self-consciously pointing to the Scriptures to show how he fulfills them is a real treasure.

Fesko concludes each chapter with a few paragraphs of application to the reader and some questions for further study.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT WHO IS JESUS??
This might not be the best comparison, but it's the one that I kept thinking of as I read this, so...if you don't like this, I'll give you a full refund for the cost of your subscription.

In The West Wing, there were repeated worries about the President's approach to things—the way he interacts with people, there's “The President at his Best”/”The Professor” or “Uncle Fluffy.” Fesko's books feel like they're written the same way. For example, Death in Adam, Life in Christ: The Doctrine of Imputation or Word, Water, and Spirit: A Reformed Perspective on Baptism are products of “The Professor.” Who is Jesus? is pure Uncle Fluffy.

This is not a complaint. This is an observation. Well, okay, maybe a little of a complaint. I'm glad this was the Uncle Fluffy Fesko—I appreciated that this was an accessible, short read—but I think it could've used a little more of The Professor. Just a little more depth would've been great. But it's good as it is, just could've been a bit better.

At the same time—you give me a version of this book by The Professor? I'm there in a heartbeat.

Who is Jesus? is a quick read (it's very easy to be too quick about it, I had to tap my breaks a few times), but it's a good read. There's a richness to the study of the “I Am” sayings and a real reward to looking at their Old Testament roots. This is well-worth your time, it'd be good for Bible Studies, Sunday Schools—even Family Worship aids.