As Jesus faced his final days before his crucifixion, he offered a prayer (in John 17:23) that all believers in the future could be perfectly one "as God and Christ are one." Yet two thousand years later we see Christians divided by doctrine, denominational structures, political interests and contentions over moral and social values. Our present division seems to indicate that we are in dire need for reflection and deep soul-searching. "Realizing Jesus" strives to be the hoped-for wake-up call and attempts to shed light upon the numerous mysteries and unanswered questions that traditional doctrines have ignored or glossed over. Questions such as: Why was Jesus praying "to let this cup pass" on the night before his crucifixion? Why would Jesus pray to avoid the cross if his only purpose was to die? Why was Jesus only a carpenter in Joseph's shop, when both Joseph and Mary, as well as their relatives, including the parents of John the Baptist, KNEW that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah and King to sit on the throne of David? Why did Jesus' family turn on him and even question his sanity? Why was Jesus still unmarried at the age of 30? Why is John the Baptist thought to be a saint when he never followed Jesus and eventually went his separate way?*If Jesus was only to die on the cross, why did he ask God to forgive his executioners, saying: "they know not what they do?" What did they do? Weren't they supposed to crucify Jesus?"Realizing Jesus" answers these questions and so much more. It will take you beyond the constraints of the doctrinal Jesus and bring you to the realization of so much more about him. It is the Jesus the Bible truly reveals.

This classic book asks what it is to know Jesus. It will enable thinking Christians to ask new questions about their faith, their reading of the New Testament, and the theology of redemption.

We cannot know Jesus without knowing his story. Today the debate over who Jesus is rages on. Has the Bible bound Christians to a narrow and mistaken notion of Jesus? Should we listen to other gospels, other sayings of Jesus, that enlarge and correct a mistaken story? Is the real Jesus entangled in a web of the church's Scripture, awaiting liberation from our childhood faith so he might speak to our contemporary pluralistic world? To answer these questions we need to know what story Jesus claimed for himself. Christopher Wright is convinced that Jesus' own story is rooted in the story of Israel. In this revised and updated book he traces the life of Christ as it is illuminated by the Old Testament. And he describes God's design for Israel as it is fulfilled in the story of Jesus.

In this unique devotional, readers will find more than just pious platitudes to start the day. They'll ponder the question of what Jesus has to say to his followers living in a deeply troubled and hurting world. They'll explore some of his most important teachings. And they'll see how Jesus calls each of us to embrace his message and make it come alive in our lives. Anyone looking for a renewed passion for Jesus's message and a deeper understanding of his life will find both here.

Modern-day Christians often bring their own presuppositions and assumptions to the reading of the Bible, not realizing how deeply their understanding of Christ's life and teachings is affected by a 21st-century worldview. In Understanding Jesus, author Joe Amaral delves deep into Jewish history, societal mores, and cultural traditions, closing the gap created by geographical distance and over two thousand years of history. Using a chronological approach to the life of Christ, he guides the reader through significant events such as Jesus' birth, baptism, and crucifixion, pointing out illuminating details that that the Western mind would normally miss. Amaral's premise is that to understand Jesus, we must understand the time and place in which he was born, the background from which he drew his illustrations, and the audience he spoke to. Throughout the book he explores specific terms, places, and events for their significance and shows how they add richness and meaning to the text. Topics include the connection between Jesus and John the Baptist, the annual Feasts and why they are important to modern Christianity, Jewish customs such as foot-washing, clean and unclean foods, paying tribute to political governments, and the significance of various miracles. In Understanding Jesus, Amaral draws back the curtain on a way of life that existed during the reign of the Caesars, and in doing so, reveals truths about the way we live more than two thousand years later, half a world away.

How can we transmit a living, personal Catholic faith to future generations? By coming to know Jesus Christ, and following him as his disciples. These are times of immense challenge and immense opportunity for the Catholic Church. Consider these statistics for the United States. Only 30 percent of Americans who were raised Catholic are still practicing. Fully 10 percent of all adults in America are ex-Catholics. The number of marriages celebrated in the Church decreased dramatically, by nearly 60 percent, between 1972 and 2010. Only 60 percent of Catholics believe in a personal God. If the Church is to reverse these trends, the evangelizers must first be evangelized-in other words, Catholics-in-the-pew must make a conscious choice to know and follow Jesus before they can draw others to him. This work of discipleship lies at the heart of Forming Intentional Disciples, a book designed to help Church leaders, parish staff and all Catholics transform parish life from within. Drawing upon her fifteen years of experience with the Catherine of Siena Institute, Sherry Weddell leads readers through steps that will help Catholics enter more deeply into a relationship with God and the river of apostolic creativity, charisms, and vocation that flow from that relationship for the sake of the Church and the world. Learn about the five thresholds of postmodern conversion, how to open a conversation about faith and belief, how to ask thought-provoking questions and establish an atmosphere of trust, when to tell the Great Story of Jesus, how to help someone respond to God's call to intentional discipleship, and much more. And be prepared for conversion because when life at the parish level changes, the life of the whole Church will change.