By Rick Michels
Review by Tom Giesecke, M.D.
Michels’ book is a journalist’s recounting of the ministry of Jesus as presented in the four Gospels.
This former professional reporter and science writer and present-day editor and publisher has written a selective harmonization of the Gospels. He stated he “made his own determinations as to what to stress, and what to skip over.” (p. 16)
Beginning with the mockery of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, Michels portrays Jesus as the Master even in these His darkest hours. Michels then moves his narrative back to the miraculous conception of Jesus. He follows Jesus’ life forward from His birth. For 200 pages he traces Jesus’ ministry in His earthly life until His passion.
Michels quotes or refers to Scriptures on almost every page. He provides explanations of key points in Jesus’ life on earth with Old as well as New Testament Scriptures. As he retells the history of Jesus’ life, he interweaves his own experiences and thoughts from life lessons he has learned. Thereby, Michels moves his readers to think through the facts of the Gospels for themselves. However, he does so in such an intriguingly interesting way that this reader didn’t realize I was even exerting any energy doing so. I found particularly powerful Michel’s portrayal of Jesus beginning His ministry in “Chapter 7: Jesus hits the beach and the invasion begins.”
The book’s title Messianic Men notwithstanding, Michel’s main focus is on the Messiah Jesus. By ‘men” in his title I perceive Michel’s meaning to be “all Christians.” Therefore, Michels directs his readers to really consider Christ and our own relationship to Him.
Jesus said,
“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” But He was saying this to indicate the kind of death which He was to die (John 12:32-33 NASB).
Michels devotes 84 pages to Holy Week and Christ’s crucifixion. Michels makes movingly manifest the events of Christ’s last supper, mock trial, absolutely unjust sentencing, and His death on the cross. The reader is rationally led to consider the claims of Christ based on the facts of history recorded about His passion and crucifixion.
Michels’ Messianic Men makes a marvelous read. It stimulates the reader to really see Jesus from His conception to His death and resurrection. Jesus is shown through the mind and investigations of an honest and observant reporter who retells His story as living history,
“knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him (Romans 6:9).
By reading this book, your faith will be fortified to help you finish the race of life as a winner—as a Messianic man or woman.
Purchase Messianic Men here. For additional information on the creating of Messianic Men: see messianicmenbook.com
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