Guest Author - Diana Pederson

It is 30 A.D. Marcus Valerius a news reporter and commentator for The Jerusalem Gazette, is at his life’s end because he won’t kneel to the Roman Gods’ statues. While he waits for the Roman Soldiers, he is reviewing his life. He witnessed much of Jesus’ life from the time he was 12 and answering the Rabbi’s in the temple.

Marcus’s last project in life is to gather his writings about Jesus. After these are sorted through, he says:

My bond servant will carry this treasure to the caves near the Dead Sea. He will bury them deeply within their crevasses whose only confidants are silence and peace. There they shall be in a sepulcher such as awaits me. There they shall rest until another age, and another civilization uncovers the ruins of our eating, drinking, marrying, and unbelief. On that distant day, someone’s sandals will kick into these jars and the life of Mary’s boy, Yeshua, will come sprawling out before their feet. [Page 11]

The book contains 28 scripts, written in the form of a news reporter providing eye-witness accounts of Jesus’ activities and teachings. Each script is written in the style of writings from Jesus’ time period.

Personal Reaction

Sometimes when reading a book, the writing is so descriptive it’s almost like a movie unfolding before me. I hear the sounds, see the events, and experience awe at what is happening. I love this book because it has this effect on me. I could almost picture the things Marcus describes. I feel the horror of His death on the cross. I’m there watching the reaction of the crowd.

Marcus’s life was changed as a result of reporting on Jesus’ life. He is ready to pay with his life because he no longer wants to worship the Roman gods or bow down as he is required to do. He feels anger at the dishonest Jewish leaders that caused the Roman emperor to give in and put the very Son of God to death.

Recommendation

If you work with youth, this may be an interesting book to bring to their attention. Wouldn’t it be fun to have one of your youth stand before the congregation and give the account on some aspect of Christ’s life just before the sermon begins on the same topic?

Do you have a person that just doesn’t get the idea about what Christ accomplished for us on that Cross? Put this book in their hands and ask them to go back to the 3 years of Christ’s ministry. Perhaps one of these reports will cause that person to understand just who Jesus Christ really is.

Rev. William G. Houser, Ph.D. Who is This Jesus?. Publish America. 2006.