Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll: Book Review

“Who is Jesus?”

That may be one of the questions of the ages. A question that is right up there with “who am I?” and “what am I doing here?” A question that every person on the planet must answer at some point in their lives. Who is this Jesus that they called the Christ? And do I believe what they say about Him or what the Bible says about him?

Mankind has argued and debated about the person of Jesus since the days of antiquities. Even now there are different organizations discussing the “historical Jesus”. What was Jesus actually like? Did He really say and do the things that the Bible records? Can we prove any of this?

With Vintage Jesus, Mark Driscoll, former pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, throws down the gauntlet and lets his unique voice be heard in the choir of people talking about the person of Jesus. This is his literary declaration, “This is who Jesus is.” Written in a contemporary fashion, with all the Mark Driscoll charm and straight forward language, Vintage Jesus answers the big questions anyone may have about this Jesus.

Was Jesus really born of the Virgin Mary? Was Jesus a historical figure or a work of fiction? What did Jesus’ crucifixion accomplish? What is going to happen when Jesus comes back? All these questions and more, Mark Driscoll addresses in a quick and easy to understand language.

The next big question you may need to ask yourself is, are you ready to find out who this Jesus really is? Vintage Jesus has the answers.

No one can say that Mark Driscoll skimped on information when it came to writing Vintage Jesus. There are numerous notations on every page and an enormous section of notes at the back of the book, telling you exactly where all this information has come from. Driscoll is very thorough in answering any questions that a person may have about Jesus.

Questions of Jesus’ birth, of his existence as a historical figure and what He accomplished in His death are covered. The divinity of Jesus, his supremacy over all other messiahs and saviours, and what Jesus will accomplish at His return is told in a very understandable way.

But all these things are talked about in a certain attitude.

You can tell anyone the truth but if you do it with a proud, judgmental or demeaning attitude, they will never stop to listen to you. Anyone can hear Driscoll’s attitude in this book, whether you have actually heard him speak or not. It is there in his jokes about rednecks. You can hear it in his comparisons of first century people to the illiterate twenty first century people. It is obvious in the way that he talks about people outside of the Christian faith.

While a personal touch is always welcomed and aids a writer in connecting with his audience, Driscoll’s personal touch hurts, offends or otherwise isolates the reader. Vintage Jesus is an otherwise solid book, but the prevailing attitude tarnishes a would be gem.

If you can read through the attitude and snarky comments, Vintage Jesus would be a book worth having. But for me, I won’t be reading it a second time. This book is officially OFF MY SHELF.