MiniZine: Meet the Real Jesus (PDF download)

Will the real Jesus please stand up?

Every year, someone releases a new book that promises to peel back the veil of history and uncover the ‘authentic’ Jesus. But after a while, you realize it’s yet another personal spin on one of the most intriguing and significant people in the history of the world.

This MiniZine will help you to see that the biblical accounts of Jesus’ life are the only place to access the real information about him. It will challenge you to cut through the rubbish by reading about Jesus for yourself.

Contents

• Can you know the real Jesus?, by Martin Ayers
• Meeting the real Jesus, by Paul Grimmond
• Discussion guide

Introduction

I’ve lived for long enough now to know that every year or two, in the week leading up to Easter, someone will release a ‘groundbreaking’ book on the real Jesus. It will even come with a selection of adjectives at no extra charge—’shocking’, ‘subversive’, ‘revealing’ and ‘provocative’ being some of the favourites. Over the years we’ve seen everything from the liberal, left-leaning socialist Jesus to the right wing, ammo-belt toting fascist Jesus, and just about every option in between.

I guess you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s impossible to know anything about Jesus. But that isn’t quite right. If the existence of many opinions makes truth unknowable, then we know pretty much nothing at all. In fact, if lots of people have opinions about you, then there mustn’t be a real you, right?!

This little MiniZine is all about knowing Jesus—the Jesus who left footprints in the Palestinian dust as he walked and talked with people just like you and me, 2000 years ago. It’s designed in two parts. The first part, Can you know the real Jesus? is about how we know that the Bible tells us about Jesus as he actually was. The second part, Meeting the real Jesus, takes three stories from the Bible and reflects on what they tell us about Jesus.

We’re not pretending this will solve everything. But we are hoping that it will start a discussion about Jesus and get people reading the source material, rather than just sharing their opinions.

— Paul Grimmond

What is a MiniZine?
It's not a booklet, or a leaflet, or a tract. It's not a full-sized magazine either. It's somewhere in the middle: a short collection of articles, in an economical, easy-to-read format, with a discussion guide included.

The aim is simple: to provide high-quality Bible-based input to help Christians encourage each other.

MiniZines are ideal for giving away, for starting personal conversations, and for small group discussion.