I finished a book the other week called The Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight.
It was an easy read in which McKnight presents what he calls “The Jesus Creed” in five sections.
1st Section
The first section is how a spiritually formed person loves God by following Jesus and loving others. Jesus amends the famous Jewish Shema, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength,” so that it now also includes, “The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
One loves God by following Jesus, who made the love of others part of his own version of the Shema, showing that Jesus sees love of others as central to spiritual formation.
2nd Section
McKnight’s second section shows that a spiritually formed person embraces the stories of others who love Jesus. Here McKnight visits the lives of John the Baptist, Joseph, Mary, Peter, John, and various women of the NT in order to demonstrate specific ways each of these Jesus followers loved Jesus and others.
3rd Section
The third section details how a spiritually formed person lives out kingdom values. Loving God and loving others involves transforming society. Here McKnight highlights the ordinary deeds of a kingdom-focused person. That person does ordinary things with extraordinary love. As we care for the sick and homeless, the lonely and unwanted, and do a whole lot of normal things out of love for God and others, we are living as kingdom people, bringing the kingdom of heaven itself to earth.
4th Section
McKnight’s fourth section is about how a spiritually formed person loves Jesus by believing, abiding, surrendering, restoring, forgiving, and reaching out in Jesus. McKnight reminds us that the Jesus Creed is a basic recognition of human sinfulness: love is not about perfection but about relationship.
5th Section
The fifth and final section is that a spiritually formed person participates in the life of Jesus. McKnight begins by explaining how we were with Jesus in the Jordan as Jesus repented of sin for us so that our repentance is full and complete. McKnight also details our union with Jesus in the wilderness of temptation, on the mountain of transfiguration, the last supper, the cross, and the tomb.
My Conclusion
I think you’ll find this book easy to read and refreshing. It will challenge and remind you to love Jesus and serve others.