The Jesus You Can't Ignore

Title: THE JESUS YOU CAN’T IGNORE: WHAT YOU MUST LEARN FROM THE BOLD CONFRONTATIONS OF CHRIST
Author: John MacArthur
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN 978-1-4002-0206-5
July 2009
Genre: Religion/Christian Life


A saying that I grew up hearing a lot was, “Stay out of the kitchen if you can’t stand the heat.” Various turns of phrase are similar in nature, the crux of the comment being rooted in the application of hard truth on an equally hard life. In THE JESUS YOU CAN’T IGNORE, pastor, author, conference speaker and seminary president John MacArthur continues to masterfully play the one string that has been his hallmark and calling card: speaking the truth in love, but above all, speaking the truth.

John MacArthur masterfully brings his insights to bear on the foibles and failures of the postmodern movement, challenging his readers to fully grasp the confrontational nature of Jesus Christ specifically, and Christianity as a whole. In the introduction, Dr. MacArthur states: “It is the very height of irrationality and arrogance to call Christ Lord with the lips while utterly defying him with one’s life.” As Dr. MacArthur takes a fresh look at the Gospels which he has spent preaching and teaching since 1969, his emphasis is narrowed down to Jesus’ interaction with history, culture, and religion, and the “hard sayings” that Jesus is known for. As Jesus meets with the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Sanhedrin, the Synagogue, and the Roman government, he quietly but decisively draws the line in the sand. Again, from the introduction, Dr. MacArthur declares, “it really does matter whether we believe the Bible is true or not; and it likewise matters whether our faith is in earnest or not.”

With an historical appendix, Josephus on the Major Jewish sects, John MacArthur rounds out yet another apologetic, for speaking the truth without apology.

If you are concerned about the tendency the world (and in most instances the church) has in being more conversational than confrontational, this is a book that must be on your shelves, and on your mind. 218 pages, hardback with jacket. $22.99