Every two years, Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay Research partner together to survey Americans about their theological beliefs. They recently released their 2022 findings, and some of the results are troubling.[1] Fifty-five percent of Americans believe that Jesus was the first and greatest being created by God, and fifty-three percent believe that Jesus was just a good teacher, not God. Thirty-six percent of American adults do not believe Jesus’s death is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of sin, and forty percent do not believe that trusting in Jesus is the only way to eternal life.
Now, these kinds of beliefs are not all that surprising in the secular world. But according to this survey, they were professing Evangelicals who agreed with the sentiments above. Sixty-one percent—nearly two thirds—of professing Evangelicals agree that Jesus was not God, but simply a creation of God. This is absolutely stunning and not in a good way.
The American Church, and American culture in general, do not have an accurate view of Jesus, who He was and what He did on this earth for us. It’s time for us to know the real Jesus. It’s time for us to confront what the Scriptures really teach about Him. And Rebecca McLaughlin’s newest book helps us to do exactly that.
In Confronting Jesus, Rebecca examines all four Gospel accounts—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—to get a complete picture of who Jesus is, and she organizes her findings into nine characteristics that accurately describe Him. Jesus is a Jew, a man who truly existed in history. Jesus is a Son, both the Son of Man and the Son of God, meaning He is simultaneously fully human and fully divine. Jesus is a King who came to conquer the enemy and save His people. Jesus is a Healer of both physical and spiritual maladies. Jesus is a Teacher who desires our full allegiance and obedience. Jesus is a Lover who fully knows us, yet still fully cares for our wellbeing. Jesus is a Servant who came to serve rather than to be served and die the death of a slave. Jesus is a Sacrifice, the Lamb of God who laid down His own life to forgive us of our debts. And Jesus is Lord, the resurrected one whom we will worship for eternity.
This is Jesus—the true Jesus—and He is far better than society’s view of Him.
Throughout the book, Rebecca did a lot more than just present the person of Jesus Christ. At the end of every chapter, she included a “So What?” section, revealing how Jesus’s personhood affects and influences our daily lives. Confronting Jesus is full of personal stories and relatable examples, as well as numerous pop culture references from Hamilton to Harry Potter, from The Hunger Games to Gladiator, from Doctor Who to A Tale of Two Cities and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings. She also tackled several other hot-button theological topics, like the trustworthiness of the Gospels, biblical sexual ethics, and the historical reality of the resurrection.
To sum it all up, by the time you finish Rebecca McLaughlin’s new book, you will know Jesus—the true Jesus.
Jesus is…
“fully God and fully man—the one who is himself is ‘God with us’—[who] has come to save us from our sin and bring us back into relationship with God.”[2]
Jesus is…
“the one true God made flesh, who alone has the right to judge and the right to forgive sins…the good shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep.”[3]
Jesus is…
“the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. And he’ll take our sin too, if we will only put our trust in him.”[4]
If you’ve been wanting to learn who Jesus really is, pick up a copy of Confronting Jesus by Rebecca McLaughlin, open your Bible, and put your trust in Him.
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[1] “Key Findings,” The State of Theology, accessed October 25, 2022, https://thestateoftheology.com.
[2] Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels (Wheaton: Crossway, 2022), 44.
[3] Ibid., 160.
[4] Ibid., 167.
