REAL LIFE JESUS
Meaning, freedom, purpose
By Mike Cain
IVP. 192 pages. £7.99
ISBN 978-1-84474-218-9
The phrase ‘Back to Basics’ is a familiar slogan to the modern ear, and this book is about basics. It is, as the author states in his preface, ‘an attempt to introduce people to the real Jesus’. The whole story of a rescue mission that God has initiated, and is personally involved in, is the theme, which is unashamedly evangelistic.
In 11 brief chapters from selected portraits in John’s Gospel, Mike Cain sets out to show us what Jesus is like as we listen to his words and look at his actions. The author seeks to dispel the common mistaken caricatures of Jesus held by many people, which are so different from the genuine Jesus of the Bible. We are also brought to glimpse who we are, and the spiritual predicament that plagues each one of us.
The author writes in a warm and winsome style that is easy to read. The chapters are filled with pertinent illustrations, which grab the attention and help us understand the wonderful truths of John’s picture of the ‘real’ Jesus, as he confronts real people in a real world today.