I am updating my Vintage Jesus- book overview with a combonation of chapters, for although i have been the most faithful of readers, as a newby blogger...i have failed to keep up! So here are the thoughts from chapters 3-5. And later 6-9!

Chapter 3-The Old Testement Jesus.

As i read an amazing account of the Od Testementsts promise and fulfillment on the Lord Jesus Christ, I was astonished at Mark's strong study and thought into the relevance and importance of OT and Christ. This statement sums up the view of Mark in this chapter perfectly:

"Jesus Himself repeatedly said he is the thread that wove together the entire O.T. Practically, this means Scripture is NOT RIGHTLY understood or taught unless the person and work of Jesus are the central truth being revealed. " As this chapter went through just some of the many promises and fulfillments of Christ through the Old and New testements it reminded me that "by comparing each OT promise to its coresponding NT fulfillment, we can see that the NT is built upont he OT."

Chapter 4- Why did Jesus come to earth?

A seemingly simple question an maybe a some what equally simple answer but not all would agree so. Why did He? To please the Father by fulfilling ALL that was anticipated of Him in Scriptures...including His death suplying atonement of sin! Mark then goes into a description of the roles that Christ fulfilled and is still fulfilling today: Prophet, Priest and King.

PROPHET--- Jesus confronts us and calls us to repent of sin.

PREIST--- Jesus comforts us and comes to us to save us from sin and enable new life.

KING--- Jesus commands us to relinguish authority of our life so that every facet of our life is under constant sanctifying transformation.

Chapter 5- Why did Jesus' mom need to be a virgin?

The chapter starts out with a discussion on one of the most contraversial, mocked, and celebrated stories of all time...the birth of Jesus, in that mangy, lowly stable. Mark starts out by quoting many celebrities thoughts and comments on this amazing story and quite frankly, some of these comments were lude, blasphemous and enraging against the Christ. HOW depraved is the world? well these just tip the iceburg i know, but it was a good wake up call to how imortant the virgin-birth of Jesus really is to Christianity. The chapter goes over the Scriptures that include the virgin birth, and falacies that Scripture does not support and that, religion and culture have put upon Jesus, God and Mary. These subtitles include : Sin is not passed down only to male human beings, and the ever so blasphemous, Mary did NOT knock boots with God. We must have a virgin birth, for without it, we would have no perfect sinless sacrifice.

More to come later on the rest of the chapters in this cool read...i have to go home now!