What is love? McLaughlin finds her answer in Jesus, bringing Christ’s love to the forefront. Perhaps the most thought-provoking chapter, for me, was “Jesus the Lover.” Western culture likes to repeat the mantra “Love is love,” but I don’t think we really know what that means. In McLaughlin’s words, the book “looks straight at Jesus himself.” She aims to draw us nearer to Christ by considering different aspects of his identity: Jew, son, king, healer, teacher, lover of humanity, servant, sacrifice, and Lord.

And she presents accessible illustrations that will resonate with Christians and non-Christians alike. She shows that truth about Jesus is paramount for a rich, biblical faith. In Confronting Jesus, McLaughlin does three things: She provides meaningful and life-giving reflections about Jesus and his many roles with clarity and gentleness. Whether you’re an atheist, an agnostic, or a Christian, you’ll walk away with a better understanding of Christ. Instead, McLaughlin uses evidence and personal experience to introduce (or reintroduce) us to someone who could change our lives if we would trust him to do so. Her new book won’t answer your most difficult questions about Jesus (that isn’t her purpose here). As McLaughlin describes it, Confronting Jesus represents “something of a sequel” to her previous book, Confronting Christianity, which tackled some of the hardest questions about the Christian faith. This is one reason I’m grateful for books like Rebecca McLaughlin’s Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels.

I’ve been a children’s pastor for two years, and I’ve come to realize that kids ask some of the best questions, like “How much poop was on Noah’s Ark?” or “How exactly does the Trinity work?” I’ve learned, too, how those questions touch on matters that even grown-ups struggle to understand.

Confronting christianity rebecca