In 'The Jesus I Never Knew', Yancey explores the life of Jesus, putting everything into historical and cultural context to gain a better picture of what it must have been like to observe the extraordinary events unfolding as Jesus traveled and taught.
So far it's the best book I've read in a long time. It came out over ten years ago, and I'm just now getting around to it. As amazon says: [Yancey examines three fundamental questions: who Jesus was, why he came, and what he left behind. Step by step, scene by scene, Yancey probes the culture into which Jesus was born and grew to adulthood; his character and mission; his teachings and miracles.]
This book really gives me a sense of how my concept of Jesus (and Christianity) has been distorted by my culture and, hence, the lens through which I've viewed Him. One thing I do know: I want to see Him more clearly, understand what He was really saying, and have a faith that reflects Him accurately.
One day when we get to heaven, I'm going to ask Him to fire up that big old 'Holodeck in the sky'. (They do have one up there, you know.) And then I'm going to walk the dusty streets of first century Israel and see it all for myself.
