Who is Jesus? It has been said that this is the biggest
question facing Christianity today. Attacks on the person and historicity of
Jesus are nothing new; they’ve been weathered for centuries. It seems that the
arguments swing like a pendulum – denying His deity or his humanity
alternately.
Reardon noted a perceived emphasis on the deity of Christ to
the neglect of His humanity. It is to this setting that he writes his book, The Jesus We Missed. He works his way
through key events in Jesus’ life highlighting the role that His humanity
played in each. Predictably the pericope from Luke regarding Jesus sitting in
the temple talking with the teachers is among those considered, especially the
phrase that Jesus “grew in wisdom and stature” (Luke 2:52). Reardon also
discusses Jesus’ baptism, early ministry, relationships, prayer life and death
and resurrection, all the while digging into the effect of His humanity upon
the various circumstances.
While he brings some intriguing points to consider, it feels
like Reardon may push a bit far at times. He goes so far as to deny that Jesus
was omniscient in His earthly incarnation. When Scripture speaks of Him knowing
what is in the hearts of men or telling His disciples how to locate the room to
share the Passover, (according to Reardon) it is through a special and
temporary dispensation of knowledge from the Father.
I believe that throughout his study and writing, Reardon was
keenly and reverentially aware of the Biblical teaching as evidenced in the
creeds of the early church regarding the person of Christ. The council at
Chalcedon said that He has two distinct natures. These two natures exist
perfectly within the person of Christ “without confusing the two natures,
without transmuting one nature into the other, without dividing them into two
separate categories … the distinctiveness of each nature is not nullified by
the union.” While, as I said, I believe that Reardon believes and affirms this,
his book seems to drift a bit toward over-emphasizing the humanity.
If you are looking for one great book on the person of
Christ, this is not the one for you. If, however, you are looking for a read that
may challenge your beliefs and encourage you to think anew about some aspects
of Christ’s person, this may be one to consider.
