The Family of Jesus {by Karen Kingsbury}

 

Title: The Family of Jesus
Author: Karen Kingsbury

Series: Heart of the Story #1

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Received from publisher

Through The Family of Jesus readers will develop an emotional connection to the family members of Jesus, learning about their lives and falling in love with Scripture along the way. Bible studies and devotionals abound, and in churches everywhere people gather to seek a deeper understanding of God’s word and its application to their lives. But too often these studies engage only the analytic approach to Bible learning.
In The Family of Jesus, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist Karen Kingsbury will make you laugh, cry, and ultimately care more deeply about the Bible by helping you grasp the truths in Scripture not just with your mind, but with your heart. The characters in these short stories were among those closest to Jesus—Mary, Joseph, Jesus’ brother James, John the Baptist, Zechariah, and Elizabeth. Each has a compelling tale to tell. Kingsbury intersperses fictional, emotionally gripping details anchored in Scripture with historical and theological insights and questions that will guide soul-searching and reflection.
The Family of Jesus not only provides a deeper understanding of the relatives of our Savior, but also helps readers acquire tools that will draw them closer to Christ, to the Scriptures, and to each other.

Okay, as I know I've mentioned before on this blog, I love Biblical historical fiction. There's just something so interesting about imagining what it was really like way back when. So when I saw that one of my favorite Christian fiction authors was coming out with one about the family of Jesus, of course I had to read it. 

I loved how this book was split into 6 different stories--Joseph, Zacharias, John the Baptist, Elizabeth, James, and Mary. We got to see Jesus's life through the perspectives of those who loved Him most. We also got to see those stories intertwine with each other. 

I will say, sometimes I have issues with retellings like this, because really, who are we to say what these people were like, how they acted, what they thought? Especially Jesus. There were some parts where I maybe had some issues, because we don't know that they were like that, or that they would have said things like that. I guess it's because some people, like Jesus, are put on such a high pedestal that it's just weird to see them, well, human. But, it's all in the name of fiction, and so was not too big of a deal.

I liked the different perspectives and will admit, there were some parts that had me thinking. I suppose I never thought about Joseph as a stepfather, although that's exactly what he was. And to see John and Jesus's relationship through the eyes of so many different people was super interesting and eye-opening. I think these stories really helped me to see things in a different light and was so inspiring.

I thought I wouldn't read the study part, but I actually did. I didn't split it up into the days (or read the assigned Bible portions...oops). I found them to actually be interesting. I actually think this would be a great Bible study to work through with a group of people, although you can get a lot out of it by yourself.&nbsp All in all, I really enjoyed this one. It was interesting, and still fun, but very inspiring. It made me think about the Bible and the stories we are all familiar with in a different way. 

 Karen Kingsbury:

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And, I'll be giving away a hardcover copy! A few rules though: US only // Must be 13 years or older or have parent's permission // Winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen // Entries will be checked. False entries will cause ALL entries for that person to be disqualified. // I am not responsible to lost packages.

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