"His was a ministry of incarnation—touching the infected, dining with sinners, defending the defenseless. The sick needed a physician, and the Physician had come."

Enter into the greatest story ever told. In this carefully researched retelling of the story of Jesus, pastor Russ Ramsey invites us to rediscover our wonder at Jesus' sinless life, brutal death, and glorious resurrection. Featuring forty short chapters recounting key episodes from Jesus' time on earth, this book expands on the biblical narrative in a fresh and creative way—giving us a taste of what it would have been like to walk next to Jesus and experience his earthly ministry firsthand.

Also including The Advent of the Lamb of God and The Mission of the Body of Christ, the Retelling the Story series explores the narrative arc of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation in compelling language that is faithful to the text of Scripture. The stories are told afresh to help readers hide God's word in theirhearts by way of their imaginations.



Russ Ramsey is a pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, Tennessee. He was awarded the 2016 Christian Book Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association. He is the author of Struck, The Passion of the King ofGlory, and The Mission of the Body of Christ. He lives in Nashville with his wife and four children.



Preface: The Books That Could Be Written

Part I: Jesus' Life and Ministry



1. Life for the Dying



2. Wild with the Hope



3. Behold the Lamb of God



4. One Hundred and Fifty Gallons



5. Destroy This Temple



6. Zeus and the Pharisees



7. Herod's Half Brother's Wife



8. Famous



9. Lord of the Sabbath



10. Only Say the Word



11. The Death of John



12. The Storm Treader



13. Bread of Life



14. You Are the Christ



15. Before Abraham Was Born



16. Born Blind



17. The Good Samaritan



18. The Leaven of the Pharisees



19. Lost Things Found



20. Lazarus of Bethany



21. A World Upside Down



22. The Living Legend

PartII: Holy Week, Death, Resurrection



23. The King's Coronation



24. Hosanna



25. The Vinedresser's Tree



26. Indignation



27. John's Baptism



28. The Scent of Opulence



29. Thirteen Men



30. The Last Cup



31. Trial at Night



32. The Reckoning



33. What Is Truth?



34. Crucifixion



35. The Forgotten Day



36. He Is Not Here



37. Flesh and Bone



38. Do You Love Me?



39. Behold the Man of Sorrows



40. Behold the King of Glory



Acknowledgments



Notes



"Many of us have wondered at some point, What would it be like to live when Jesus did? With purity to biblical truth and perceptive insight into how the human heart works, Russ Ramsey answers that question. He tells the story of Jesus dwelling among us—a story filled with political intrigue, baffling miracles, relational complexities, and heartbreaking suffering—by presenting old truths in engagingly fresh ways. Read this book! And then share it with others who need to witness Jesus anew."



"This book throws open the curtains on Jesus and invites us to taste and see the only love that is better than life. This isn't a great book just for the season of Lent, but for every season of life."



"This book succeeds at capturing and displaying the drama of Jesus—incarnate, dead, and risen—with memorable force."



"There is a graceful simplicity to Ramsey's prose—and to his retelling of the old familiar story—that enables him to truly move his readers with the potency of the gospel. Here is a quiet voice that can shake stone."



"Ramsey's solid biblical teaching and storytelling have deeply impacted my journey as a Christian working in Hollywood. This is a book I will give friends to help them understand what I believe."



"I don't know anyone who can make the stories—and the Story—in Scripture feel as present, as alive, and as sweeping as Russ Ramsey. His prose, his grasp of history and theology, not to mention his love of Jesus, do more than merely draw me into his book—they make me want to read the Bible."



"It gives me great pleasure to endorse the life and writing of Russ Ramsey. We have been in the trenches together caring for the 'called out ones.' Russ gave us gospel immersion and fruits of deep care with The Advent of the Lamb of God. He continues this life-giving pattern of grace and service with this new, beautifully written book pointing to the Hero King Jesus."



"With a writer's imagination and skill, a theologian's backbone, and a disciple's devotion, Ramsey weds knowledge to emotional resonance and information to immanence in this moving account of Jesus' life."



"Ramsey has written a captivating narrative of the life of Jesus in a biographical style that captures the life of Jesus so vividly, at times you'll wonder if Ramsey sat down and spoke with all the people involved in the story. It's the story of a real man who walked this earth and died on a cross bearing the wrath we deserve. Historical and faithful to Scripture, The Passion of the King of Glory is a wonderful Bible-reading companion for the Lenten season."



"Ramsey's ability to knit the accounts of the gospels into a highly readable, easily accessible, and grace-saturated narrative is a blessing for all. Telling the story of Jesus in bite-sized readings that can easily accord with anticipation and celebration of the Easter season makes this book a special gift."