Jesus of Nazareth the Infancy Narratives & Holy Week: Nazareth Collection (3 Book Set)
3 book set of Jesus of Nazareth writings by Pope Benedict XVIJesus of Nazareth: Sums up two thousand years of Christian insight about the person and work of Jesus ChristThe Infancy Narratives: Biblical narratives from Jesus' infancy & childhoodHoly Week, From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection: Shows that Jesus is Who He said He was-and nothing lessJesus of Nazareth In the beginning pages of his book Pope Benedict states that Jesus of Nazareth is "an expression of my personal search 'for the face of the Lord' (Psalm 27:8). Everyone is free, then, to contradict me. I would only ask my readers for that initial good will without which there can be no understanding." In this inspiring well-argued, and thoughtful book Benedict sums up two thousand years of Christian insight about the person and work of Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus? According to the wildly popular book and film, The Da Vinci Code, Jesus was merely a human figure whose original message was distorted by his followers. Not so, argues Pope Benedict XVI The early Christians did not misinterpret Jesus. Indeed, their understanding of Jesus is the one that makes the most sense based on the historical evidence. "Who do men say that I am? " Jesus asked his disciples. The answer to that question is as crucial and timely today as when it was first asked two thousand years ago. Jesus Christ remains the pivotal figure of human history. In his first major book written as Pope, Benedict XVI looks at various answers to the question of Jesus' identity. He shows in a "theological narrative" how the Christ of the Gospels, the Jesus of the Church's faith, is the genuine Jesus of history. He presents Jesus as someone we can know personally, and someone who knows and loves us. And who sacrificed himself for our salvation. Jesus of Nazareth also continues the conversation about the relationship of Christianity and other world religions. Benedict XVI affirms the truth found in other religions, but he also expresses the Christian conviction that Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, embodies the fullness of truth, God's immense love for the world. Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week, From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection The momentous third and final volume in the Pope’s international bestselling Jesus of Nazareth series, detailing how the stories of Jesus’ infancy and childhood are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago. In 2007, Joseph Ratzinger published his first book as Pope Benedict XVI in order "to make known the figure and message of Jesus." Now, the Pope focuses exclusively on the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life as a child. The root of these stories is the experience of hope found in the birth of Jesus and the affirmations of surrender and service embodied in his parents, Joseph and Mary. This is a story of longing and seeking, as demonstrated by the Magi searching for the redemption offered by the birth of a new king. It is a story of sacrifice and trusting completely in the wisdom of God as seen in the faith of Simeon, the just and devout man of Jerusalem, when he is in the presence of the Christ child. Ultimately, Jesus’ life speaks to the restlessness of the human heart searching for the sole truth which alone leads to profound joy. Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week, From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection For Christians, Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, who died for the sins of the world, and who rose from the dead in triumph over sin and death. For non-Christians, he is almost anything else-a myth, a political revolutionary, a prophet whose teaching was misunderstood or distorted by his followers. Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, and no myth, revolutionary, or misunderstood prophet, insists Benedict XVI. He thinks that the best of historical scholarship, while it can't "prove" Jesus is the Son of God, certainly doesn't disprove it. Indeed, Benedict maintains that the evidence, fairly considered, brings us face-to-face with the challenge of Jesus-a real man who taught and acted in ways that were tantamount to claims of divine authority, claims not easily dismissed as lunacy or deception. Benedict XVI presents this challenge in his new book, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, the sequel volume to Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration. Why was Jesus rejected by the religious leaders of his day? Who was responsible for his death? Did he establish a Church to carry on his work? How did Jesus view his suffering and death? How should we? And, most importantly, did Jesus really rise from the dead and what does his resurrection mean? The story of Jesus raises many crucial questions. Benedict brings to his study the vast learning of a brilliant scholar, the | Jesus of Nazareth, the Infancy Narratives, & Holy Week: Nazareth Collection (3 Book Set)