Some two thousand years after he walked the earth, Jesus Christ is still a hot topic. And for all the ridiculous, twisted, Da Vinci Code-esque conspiracy theories and lies about Jesus that have permeated popular culture and even the academy over the years, the truth about his character, nature, and work has not changed. So what exactly is the truth about Jesus Christ?

That's the question the authors of Vintage Jesus seek to answer by breaking it down into a number of sub-questions about Jesus, including Is Jesus the only God? Why did Jesus come to earth? Did Jesus rise from death? Why should we worship Jesus? and others. Nonbelievers and new Christians looking to sit down and delve into the topic of Jesus, asking the toughest, most confounding questions they can think of, will find solid, biblical answers presented in a relevant, accessible way. ( )

This edgy, but orthodox book presents traditional, historical Christology in today's vernacular. Driscoll hits home runs in every chapter as he discusses the divinity, humanity, virgin birth, substitutionary atonement, resurrection, and second coming of Christ (and more). But he hits a few foul balls along the way too - not theologically, but in tasteful use of language and humor. That's my only hesitation with the book. If you can handle Driscoll's sarcasm and forgive some irreverent humor, this is a great book for learning about Jesus. ( )

Man. it is really hard to separate Driscoll the preacher from Driscoll the author. I personally don't condemn him for what he has said in the past, but he can't blame anyone else for those things being constantly being brought back up. ( )

http://www.wordandspirit.co.uk/blog/2008/11/22/book-review-vintage-jesus-mark-dr... ( )

Mark Driscoll’s engaging "Vintage Jesus: Timeless Answers to Timely Questions" is a bold answer for those who believe the Church should remain culturally relevant as it proclaims Truth. Driscoll and his co-author Dr. Gerry Breshears tackle many of today’s common questions with intelligent answers through the Bible, historical evidence, and logical reasoning. Their work addresses issues such as “What Makes Jesus Superior to Other Saviors?” and “Why Did Jesus’ Mom Need to Be a Virgin?” through a witty and pertinent series of arguments.

While Driscoll shows his street savvy through his edgy analogies, he demonstrates his commitment to Truth with over 350 Scripture references. He also collaborated with his Bible professor, Dr. Breshears, who “shaped and formed” many of the book’s concepts. As I delved further into this book I realized that Driscoll’s apparent brashness is instead a boldness that comes from an intimate friendship with Jesus and an insatiable appetite for Truth. He passionately believes in and uncompromisingly defends Biblical doctrines.

While I couldn’t find any glaring deficiencies in his theology, I was forced to explore my own beliefs on a number of issues. For example, I found that his chapter “How Human Was Jesus?” raised lots of questions regarding Jesus’ perfection. Specifically, Breshears says of Hebrews 2:10 “…it’s shocking to find that Jesus had to become perfect!” This entire section left me feeling more muddled and confused about Jesus’ humanity, though the search for Truth is often an author’s best goal.

One of the book’s delightful surprises was the explanation of Jesus as The Priest, Jesus as The Prophet, and Jesus as King found in “Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?” The beautiful and poetic description of Jesus’ “humble priestly service” gave me a fresh look at our Lord’s compassion and mercy through His role as our mediator and priest. As I read through the chapter on this “tri-perspective”, I cried tears of gratitude for all the Jesus accomplished when He came to Earth. And I was imminently grateful for Driscoll’s Catholic childhood, for it lent credibility and warmth to his treatment of Jesus as our Priest.

This book belongs on the book shelf of any believer who wants culturally relevant and Scripturally sound answers to those tricky questions. Driscoll skillfully uses quotes from Marilyn Manson, Billy Graham, Larry King, C.S. Lewis, and H.G. Wells to entertain his readers while slowly and methodically revealing Truth. ( )