A Compelling Easter Novella: My Review of 36: Last Hours of a Life by Jackie McBride
What Amazon Says
He was God. But he was also a man. And He made the choice to go to the cross so we could live with Him eternally.
36 tells the story, from Jesus’s perspective, of the hours beginning before sunrise on the day of His Last Supper and extending through to the moment of His death. It showcases His humanity, because He was not shielded from the pain or humiliation simply by virtue of being God’s Son. It shows Him being tempted, which assuredly He was. Above all else, though, the story reveals His reactions to the various people and events He encountered along the way. Though some of the incidents depicted were not included in the Scripture narrative, they are surely not beyond the realm of possibility and serve to illustrate Jesus’s love and compassion toward others, even in the face of scorn and rejection. My hope is that as you read of Jesus’s love for others, you’ll realize He loves you just as much.
Walk with Jesus through His final hours, because in facing His death, He also demonstrated to us how to live our lives.
My Thoughts
I met Jackie McBride through a writers’ group she facilitates. She wears many hats as a minister’s wife, web developer, mother, and grandmother. She was a physician before losing her eyesight.
In the years I’ve known her, she has found little time to write. But she has submitted material to our group for critique whenever possible, mostly stories about Jesus’s crucifixion from other characters’ points of view, including friends and disciples and even Pontius Pilate. But in this short book, she tells this powerful story from the point of view of The Man himself.
Although the dialogue is mostly spoken the way people talked in those days, in the narrative, Jesus tells his story in first person the way people talk today, which makes the story less daunting. All characters, even those whom Jesus heals, come to life as the tale progresses. The additional material not included in the Scriptures adds a personal touch to the story. The crucifixion scene at the end is vivid without being too graphic.
As mentioned in the above synopsis from Amazon, Jackie wrote this book so those reading it would understand the depth of Jesus’s love. If you’re a believer, and maybe even if you’re not, you might want to read this book at this time.
Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography
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