Living Jesus: Learning the Heart of the Gospel
by Luke Timothy Johnson
(Harper, 1999)

Luke Timothy Johnson sets out in Living Jesus to dismiss the quest for the historical Jesus once and for all by asking his thesis question, "Do we think he (Jesus) is dead or alive?" Although it does not close the door on Robert Funk and the Jesus Seminar, this timely book shifts attention away from who Jesus was to who Jesus is — in the lives of contemporary Christians who wrestle with day-to-day living. Johnson contends that it is not as important to understand the Jesus of the past as it is to encounter the life-giving Spirit in the present.

Perhaps the most compelling argument of the entire book is that we need to shift our language concerning our relationship to Jesus Christ. Traditionally, the question has been asked, "Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?" Johnson argues that the more appropriate question in our day is, "Are you learning Jesus?" Johnson brings to focus the truth that Christian conversion is not a one-time event in a person's life, but the initiation to a lifelong process.

This one premise makes Living Jesus a wonderful study book for leaders and congregations on the Quest journey. Quest focuses on the process issues of faith formation and encourages commitment to continuous improvement. Luke Timothy Johnson invites modern-day Christians to reflect on their faith — not as a fait accompli, but as a dynamic, evolving relationship with the living Lord.

At a time in our denomination (United Methodist) when we struggle with understanding our mission to "make disciples of Jesus Christ," treatises such as this one help fuel the discussion about who we really believe Jesus the Christ to be. Are we disciples of a teacher of history who launched a revolutionary religious movement, or are we disciples of the risen Spirit of the Son of God? Are we on our own to discover God's will for our lives and for the church, or is God still at work through the power of the Holy Spirit to empower and guide us to fulfill the will of God?

Whether you agree with Johnson's conclusions or not, the experience of reading Living Jesus will challenge you to reflect on what you do believe, and that makes the journey well worth the effort. Luke Timothy Johnson offers a valuable opportunity to encounter Jesus anew -- to learn Jesus, beyond simply knowing him.

Dan R. Dick is a former staff member of the General Board of Discipleship.

(originally posted March 1999)

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