More than we imagined

SURPRISED BY JESUS:
Subversive Grace in the Four Gospels
By Dane Ortlund
Evangelical Press. 192 Pages. £9.99
ISBN 978 1 783 973 163

After the bestselling Gentle and Lowly, here is another book by Dane Ortlund, which seeks to open our eyes afresh to just how surprising and subversive the Jesus of the Gospels is.

Ortlund does this very successfully, focusing on what gives each gospel its own individual style and concerns as it displays the person of Christ and His mission. He considers the subversive nature of what true obedience looks like in Matthew, the shocking idea that the King is treated as a criminal in Mark’s Gospel, the insider/ outside dynamic in Luke, and ‘the creator as creature’ in John’s Gospel.

I really liked the way he managed to capture the unique flavour of each Gospel and the 3D picture we get of the Lord Jesus as a result. There is plenty to ponder and some fresh and arresting ways of looking at God’s amazing grace as he does so.

My only quibble would be with the intended audience that Ortlund claims to be writing for. His Preface states that ‘this book is not written for the Academy… nor is it aimed at Christian leaders… it is written for fellow everyday believers.’ However, the language is, at times, complex and scholarly and there are numerous academic-style footnotes throughout. This is a shame, as I think it could be slightly off-putting for the general reader. That said, there is a great deal to enjoy and be encouraged by – plenty of great illustrations and I’m sure it will be a blessing to many as they fix their eyes afresh on the Christ of the Gospels.