The Jesus-Centered Bible, which Group Publishing kindly sent me to review, highlights the biblical references
to Jesus in blue letters, beginning with Genesis and continuing throughout the
Bible, while red letters emphasize the words and names of Christ.
With text
provided by the 2015 updated New Living
Translation (NLT) from Tyndale House, the Jesus-Centered Bible adds
such features as “Reframing Jesus Insights” which “offer interesting context, surprising backstories, and penetrating
theological insights that highlight the beauty of Jesus threaded through
Scripture.” For example, in 2 Kings 15, the sidebar entitled “Jesus Calls
Leaders to Serve” has this to say:
“As 2 Kings shows, power can be devastating.
The leaders in these pages continually vied for power over one another and over
their people. What a sharp contrast to Jesus’ actions! Jesus hit the scene as
someone who preferred humility and service to power and popularity.(See Mark
10:45). What does this tell us about true leadership and power? Well, for
Jesus, leading means serving – not the other way around.”
Another thought-provoking
feature includes “The Jesus Questions,” which aim to bring the Lord into
contemporary life. For example:
“When you see or hear Jesus portrayed at
Christmastime, what strikes you as not exactly accurate about Him or His birth?”
For instance,
as you read the reference to Luke 2, you might notice a single angel, then a host
of angels, and an indeterminate number of shepherds but no mention of the indefinite
number of wise men who come later.
In addition
to the challenge to consider facts, other questions might evoke interesting
speculation such as, “If Jesus were a graffiti
artist, what message would He paint for others to see?” or “If Jesus lived during our time, what kind of
car would He drive?” (Of course, He might choose a bicycle to save on fuel
consumption and pollution!)
Another
feature focuses on questions we all ask with biblical responses provided in “Jesus
Answers Life’s Essential Questions.” For example, if you ask “What’s My Purpose
in Life?” the page entitled “A Sampler Guide To Essential Questions Jesus
Answered” points you to Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 1:16-20, Mark 2:14-17, Mark
9:50, and John 21:15-18.
The
remaining questions also address what most of us want to know:
Is God Real?
Why Do Bad Things Happen?
What Is The Meaning Of Life?
Is This All There Is?
Will Everything Be OK?
What Is Truth?
What Is Love?
What Is Right And Wrong?
Each question
includes biblical references to look up as often as needed to remind us of what
is truly important in life and Who is with us always.
Reviewed by poet-writer
and lifelong Bible student, Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2021.
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