The Jesus I Never Knew

The Jesus I Never Knew Yancey starts out with the image of Jesus. When he was young he had envisioned Jesus to have angelic features such as, young, handsome, and a compassionate face. It wasn't until he entered into a Christian college, that he was introduced to the real image of Jesus. I had an immediate connection with Yancey. I too had an image of Christ in my head, which consisted of Hollywood portrayals and those in classical paintings. It wasn't till I engaged myself at a Christian college, that I have now received a new and more accurate picture of Christ. His book, The Jesus I Never Knew, questions the reader with the thought, "How many Christians today are in the same position, not fully understanding Christ's mission and purpose?" Yancey divides the novel into three main sections: "Who He Was," "Why He Came," and "What He Left Behind." The section that I connected with was "Why He Came." I enjoyed reading this section, because he points out key thoughts on Jesus' life that we take for granted. I like how it explains the reason for His arrival on earth through the Beatitudes and His Resurrection. The chapter on the Beatitudes, Yancey covers a great deal of information that shows how Jesus cares for the less fortunate and humble. Yancey points out that the Beatitudes describe the present and future, a fact that I never realized. He tells of how they are a contrast on how we can succeed in the kingdom of Heaven verses the kingdom of this world. The world as we know it is materialistic or as Yancey states, (using a Darwinian quote, which I thought was clever), "survival of the fittest" (Yancey 114). Unfortunately, this fact is so true of our society today, but Yancey goes on to show how Jesus makes an extra effort to reach out to he poor. He gives a list, which he got from another writer, on the advantages of being poor. This list really made an impact on me. It showed me how I need to be more open to what God has to say, and not so