WHAT JESUS MEANT

Book review by Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren

The book, What Jesus Meant, by Garry Wills is a thoughtprovoking and insightful exploration of the teachings and significance of Jesus Christ. Wills, a renowned author and historian, skillfully examines the core messages of Jesus and their relevance for people living in the 21st century.

Judaism by spending time with prostitutes, tax collectors, Roman collaborators, Samaritans, and people suffering from disease. All of these were considered unclean and thus to be avoided, but Jesus believes in a radical inclusion of all people. Most notably, Jesus included women in his entourage, an extreme departure from the mores of the time.

PS: These two books, What Jesus Meant and What Paul Meant, are also available as audiobooks if you prefer to listen to them!

The views expressed in these resources are those of the author and may not reflect the views of Lord of Life. We encourage you to seek out a variety of voices as you learn and grow in your faith!

WWJD—What Would Jesus Do is a common phrase in our culture, but Wills believes it’s the wrong question. As a twelve-year-old, Jesus slips away from his parents and lets them leave town without telling them he’s staying behind. That’s NOT behavior we want our twelve-year-olds to imitate. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is openly critical of almost everyone in the religious establishment. (Don’t get any ideas!)

Mr. Will’s premise is that it’s more important to understand what Jesus meant than what Jesus would do.

The author lays out some key elements of Jesus’ meaning. He discovers a Jesus who radically challenges both the Roman and religious authorities. Jesus eschews the rules of orthodox

According to Wills, Jesus was not interested in political power, but instead, he wanted to bring into reality the reign of God, which was filled with compassion, forgiveness, acceptance, and love. Some of what Wills writes is controversial. He contends that Jesus did not seem interested in starting a church as we know it today. And his death on the cross was not meant as an appeasement for our sins but a way to show us that “no matter what horrors we face or hells we descend to, he is coming with us.”

In the end, Wills concludes there is one word that encapsulates what Jesus meant AND what we should do: love.