Recent Reads - Messiah: Biblical Retellings

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Messiah: Biblical Retellings by C.A. Gray - This is a collection of short stories that retell the miracles of Jesus from various viewpoints. Author C.A. Gray took the details from the New Testament and then imagined what the miracle stories would have looked like through the eyes of the Biblical characters who witnessed them. They are in chronological order, and each is followed by an Afterword from the author explaining some of her research and thinking in how she retold the story. And the Biblical texts follow as well, in New King James Version.

Gray chose one character as the viewpoint character for each of the miracles - often the person for whom the miracle was performed. It's interesting to consider what it was like for those who were blind or crippled to meet Jesus and be healed, and to look at the story from their perspective. Peter is the viewpoint character for several of the stories, and although told in third person, even Jesus is the viewpoint character when he calms the wind and waves.

All the stories are very well written, faithful to the Scripture, and very well researched. The additional details, thoughts, and dialogue that are added suit the context and do not contradict the scriptural accounts in any way. In fact, I found them helpful in understanding the possibilities for why one gospel writer tells of only one blind man being healed while another says there were two; or why one account mentions only Mary Magdalene or one angel at the empty tomb but another account names three women and mentions two angels. The afterwords are also enlightening, as the author shares more about her research and her interpretation of the events. 

With short vignette stories, crisp explanations to inspire further study, and included Scripture to make verification simple, these retellings make the Biblical accounts of Jesus the Messiah and his miracles vivid and real.

From the publisher:

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be one of the five thousand when Jesus multiplied the fish and the loaves? Or one of his disciples when he walked on water? Or to have seen Lazarus come out of the tomb? Ever wonder what Mary thought when Gabriel told her she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, or what the fallout was like in her personal life? Ever considered how those two disciples felt on the road to Emmaus, when they found that the man with whom they had been talking was in fact their risen Lord?

This collection of retellings from the gospels is designed to bring each of these stories and more to life in your imagination. They stick to the fact wherever the facts are known, from either the scriptures themselves or from extra-biblical commentaries. But they also add in back story when necessary, reimagining the sights, the sounds, the colors, and the emotions for the person most involved. Each retelling ends with an afterword discussion, summarizing the reasons for the choices made in the story, followed by the scriptures themselves.

Together, I hope these retellings help to paint a portrait of the Messiah.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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