Great book that addresses the issue of how the contemporary church should deal with errors in doctrine/false teachers in their midst. It clearly documents Jesus' interactions with the Pharisees and other religious leaders and demonstrates that tolerance/appeasement is was not and is not an acceptable response. That all Christian's have a duty to confront Biblical error as Jesus did and that being a peace-maker/working in partnership with these people is not a wise course of action.

I found this very helpful as a response to the general trend today to ask whether a harsh response is how "Jesus would've responded." This book answers the question with a resounding "Yes" directly from scripture. It also addresses perscution/suffering and explains how this will be a constant battle for those who are seeking to live a Godly life in the midst of rampant secularism. ( )

http://thelittlemaninchina.wordpress.com/2010/09/16/book-review-the-jesus-you-ca... ( )

This book looks at the ministry of Jesus, especially his interactions with the Pharisees and Scribes, mainly pointing out His insistence on teaching the truth even when it was in contradiction to what the religious leaders were teaching. In fact, especially when it was in contradiction to what they were teaching.

It is hard to hold onto the idea of the meek and mild Jesus if you read the gospels very much at all. This book took that even deeper. I will not read the Sermon on the Mount the same way again. MacArthur presents the encounters of Jesus with the multitudes and specifically with the members of the Sanhedrin and shows how Jesus never watered down his message or tried to make it more palatable. He told them what they needed to hear and often in a confrontational manner because it was the way they needed to hear it.

Throughout the book, and especially in the Epilogue, MacArthur addresses concerns that we aren’t perfect like Jesus and that he is not telling us we should be belligerent about everything. He is stressing that the truth of the gospel cannot be corrupted or twisted just to make people comfortable. He references the writings of Paul and the Revelations of John as further evidence that false teaching is not to be tolerated.

The structure of the book, each chapter focusing on one or two encounters and how it was initiated by Jesus, keeps drawing the reader in, building up to the inevitable ending. The writing was easy to read but never condescending. Terms and traditions that need to be understood are explained well. Attitudes and responses are reflected in the words he uses. The Bible is the source for everything he presents. I recommend this book for personal study and even for group study to discuss how we are to stand firm in our faith and address the internal threats of false teaching. ( )

Reviewed on The Light Network