Book Review: The Forgotten Jesus

The Forgotten Jesus by Robby Gallaty is an incredible book!  I’m so grateful for Gallaty’s work in helping the reader truly understand the context of the Bible by cultivating a deeper awareness of Jewish and Hebraic culture at the time the Bible was written. I’m normally a fast reader, but I’ve been working on this one for about three weeks because there is just so much to chew on. My favorite part…the book continues to cause me to set it down in favor of rereading a familiar passage in my Bible with a fresh understanding.

I highlighted several things while reading and have posted those notes below…

  • In many ways, the Old Testament commandments can be understood as the pencil sketch of God’s purposes, and that makes Jesus the proverbial paint.  The full picture of who God was and what he was doing was not complete when God gave the Jewish people the Law and established his relationship with them in the Old Testament.  It isn’t until we get to Jesus that God begins to fill in the colors between the roughly sketched lines.  He brings the image into high definition. p. 18
  • In order to understand the mind of Jesus in his Jewish context, we should follow the advice of Pilate when he presented Jesus to the crowd: “Behold the man.” Our goal is to get an accurate picture of the man and the type of ministry he modeled.  We do this because we want to grow as his disciples.  The Bible tells us that believes grow in their spiritual journeys as they, “with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18 CSB) p. 26
  • Another way to clarify the difference between the more dynamic way of thinking of Hebrew culture and our more abstract approach today is to say that Hebrews focused not simply on how a thing looks but on describing its purpose—how it is used. p. 30
  • Hebrews are concerned with how something is created and developed and the purpose that it serves.  Usefulness trumps aesthetics. p. 31
  • Another key cultural difference between the East and the West is in our conception of our place in society. p. 32
  • It is interesting to note that Abraham and Sarah’s count is found in the Law, and Elkanah’s and Hannah’s account is found in the Prophets, a reminder that both the Law and the Prophets paved the way for the Messiah. p. 68
  • What we need to know about John is that he was a unique individual, born to do something incredible, and that he did his job with humility. p. 70
  • 7 I AM Statements about Jesus from the Book of John
    “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51) As bread sustains physical life, so Christ offers and sustains spiritual life.
    “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) To a world lost in darkness, Christ offers Himself as a guide.
    “I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9) Jesus protects His followers as shepherds protect their flocks from predators.
    “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Death is not the final word for those in Christ.
    “I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14) Jesus is committed to caring and watching over those who are His.
    “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the source of all truth and knowledge about God.
    “I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5) By attached ourselves to Christ, we enable His life to flow in and through us. Then we cannot help but bear fruit that will honor the Father. p. 94
  • John 18:4-6:”When Jesus speaks this same phrase, ‘I am’, in his sea-crossing epiphany it serves to underscore the claim of divine identity that is implicitly present in the story as a whole.” (Richard Hays). It is easy for Western ears to miss these subtle hints.  That is why we must learn to bend our ears to an Eastern dialect to catch the full meaning behind this encounter.  The message that comes across is unmistakably clear: Jesus Christ is more than just a man.  He is the Creator God, the God of Israel, and the I Am of the burning bush.  He is fully human, yet he is fully God simultaneously. p. 124
  • With Psalm 22 in mind, Jesus is exclaiming from the cross, “We win in the end!  I know it looks bleak now, but God is going to use this for victory.” 202
  • Ultimately the goal of this knowledge is not to fill your head with useless facts, but to instill in you a hunger to read and study God’s Word. p. 204

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