Get to Know Jesus by Nancy I. Sanders (Book Review)
I have now read three books in the Get to Know series by Nancy I. Sanders, and while I enjoyed them all, I was especially impressed by Jesus (Zondervan, 2014). Although it is written for elementary aged children, I think it would be a great read for anyone wanting to know more about the man Sanders says “is probably the most famous person who ever lived” (page 11).
What It’s About
The book begins with evidence for the historical truth of the Bible and then gives the reader some important background information that will help them understand different facets of Jesus’ life. Sanders discusses the idea of the Messiah, both as the Savior promised from the time Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and as the later hope the Jews had for someone who would deliver them from the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire. She discusses Jewish history and customs, as well as the promises in the Old Testament that pointed toward the coming of Christ.
Then Sanders draws from all four Gospels to created a detailed account of Jesus’ life. In addition to going telling his story chronologically, there are separate chapters devoted to Jesus’ teachings and the miracles he performed. After discussing the resurrection, the book includes an account of the early church and then ends with message Jesus gave the apostle John in Revelation (the final book of the Bible), which gives the future part of Jesus’ story.
My thoughts
There is so much information packed into this little book, but it is still a fairly easy read for children. There are quotes from the NIrV interspersed throughout the text, which is consistent with about a third grade reading level. I think Ian is almost ready to read this on his own, and I’m considering making it a required part of our Bible lessons for school this year. I think Sanders does an excellent job of helping children understand why certain things happened the way they did and why people acted in ways that might not make sense to modern readers.
Like the other books in this series, Jesus is full of beautiful color maps, photographs, and artwork, making it an appealing read for anyone interested in learning about Christ. I enjoyed this book even more than Mary and King David and look forward to reading the rest of the Get to Know series.
