What If Jesus Was Serious? A Visual Guide to the Teachings of Jesus We Love to Ignore

by Skye Jethani; Brian Conover

Publisher:

Moody Publishers

, 2020

Daily Devotions for People Who Hate Daily Devotions

Let’s face it. A lot of Christian resources can feel cheesy, out-of-touch, and a little boring. But when Skye Jethani started doodling and writing up some of his thoughts about God, his Twitter and email list blew up. What If Jesus Was Serious? is a compilation of all-new reflections (and hand-drawn doodles) from Skye. He takes a look at some of Jesus’ most demanding teachings in the Sermon on the Mount and pushes us to ask whether we’re really hearing what Christ is saying. The visual component of the book makes it memorable and enjoyable to read, and Skye’s incisive reflections make it worthwhile for any Christian. If you’ve traditionally been dissatisfied with Christian devotional resources but love to learn about Jesus and think deeply, this book was written for you.

From the Back Cover

If Jesus was serious… then why don’t we take Him more seriously?

Compare the teachings of Jesus to a quick survey of how Christians live and one thing becomes apparent: we often ignore much of what He teaches. Skye Jethani exposes this problem through a deep examination of Christ’s largest section of ethical teaching: The Sermon on the Mount.

In What if Jesus Was Serious? Skye illustrates how we explain away elements of this crucial sermon to stay comfortable and justify disobedience. Each brief reflection will challenge you to rethink assumptions and apply Jesus’ teachings to today’s cultural realities. If Christians begin taking Jesus seriously, we may find that the rest of the world will too.

Contents

Top Highlights

“The call of Christ, however, is not to improve our fruit but to instead seek the transformation of our identity. Our old selves must be uprooted and a new self planted in God. We must become trees rooted in God and thriving on His Spirit. Then we will naturally—even effortlessly—produce His good fruit.” (source)

“Jesus’ point is that having the treasure of God is far more valuable in this life than any treasure the world might offer.” (source)

“This tension between praising Jesus and actually obeying Him explains why so much of contemporary Christianity has lost its moral authority and spiritual credibility. On Sunday, contemporary Christians are eager to worship a crucified Savior who loved and forgave His enemies. But on Monday, we want permission to behave like the schoolyard bully who uses fear and anger to get ahead.” (source)

“We view peacemakers as people who desire the appearance of serenity by suppressing any visible conflict and who avoid the difficult and costly work of forging real reconciliation.” (source)

“the ‘fruit’ Jesus is looking for is defined by character, not accomplishments.” (source)

Praise for What If Jesus Was Serious?

Praise for What If Jesus Was Serious?

When Jesus is listened to, really listened to, His words always come to life because they are living words. They have life and they give life. Skye has really listened to them and has responded with this life-giving book. Like Jesus’ words, it is surprising and shocking and frustrating and alive in its own way.
—Michael Card
Faith-based musician, author, and teacher

I found it hard to read more than 3–4 pages without stopping, as it forced me to strongly consider what God was saying to me, through this fresh look at Jesus’ words in His most famous sermon. For many of us, the Sermon on the Mount has become too familiar for our own good. We’ve neutered it by this familiarity, and often miss the way it was designed to bring us to our knees. I’m going to be reading this for years to come. Skye remains a gift to the church, and a prophetic voice that we desperately need for these challenging times!
—Kevin Palau
President of the Luis Palau Association

What if Jesus Was Serious? is a stellar step forward in Skye Jethani’s mission to help us all consider the reality of God’s kingdom and Jesus’ outstanding invitation to us to live life with Him. Full of whimsy that only makes Skye’s insights hit harder, this is a book I’d recommend to anyone who is tired of religious games and wants to truly consider who Jesus is and what He might be saying to us today.
—Michael Wear
Author of Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House about the Future of Faith in America

This book is exactly what I’ve been looking for: a deep dive into Jesus’ most powerful teachings merged with Skye’s provocative insights and application to life and culture today.
—Kara Powell
Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute and coauthor of Growing Young and Growing With

Skye Jethani always makes you think with his fresh but faithful approaches to Scripture. Too often we are tempted to be, as James warns us, hearers but not doers of the word. Skye challenges us to not only listen to Jesus but to obey Him. His creative study here of the most famous sermon in history will challenge you, comfort you, and most importantly, provoke you to take Jesus seriously. I encourage you to use this resource with your church or small group.
—Daniel Darling
VP of Communications for ERLC; author of several books, including The Dignity Revolution and The Characters of Christmas

What If Jesus Was Serious? is witty, incisive, and a fresh perspective on the teachings of Jesus. We too often stroll past the revolutionary call of Jesus to give up our possessions and follow Him. Skye Jethani helps us pause, look a bit deeper, and consider what Jesus actually meant in and through His teachings.
—Scott Harrison
New York Times bestselling author, Thirst

The content—and the style—of Skye’s book are unique. But so is Skye. In his consistent and valuable manner, Skye helps us understand the age-old truths of Jesus’ call to follow Him, but in new and fresh ways. Clear. Prophetic. Whimsical. Corrective. Insightful. As a visual learner, I loved this book. And I’m confident you will, too.”
—J. R. Briggs
Founder, Kairos Partnerships; author of The Sacred Overlap and Fail

Skye offers us a user-friendly guide to the bedrock teaching of Jesus. What If Jesus Was Serious? provides new depth of insight for those who are familiar with the Sermon on the Mount and accessible footholds for those who are new in their faith.
—Robert Gelinas
Lead Pastor, Colorado Community Church, and author of Discipled by Jesus: Your Ongoing Invitation to Follow Christ

We have done everything in our relationship to Jesus over the years. We have taken him personally, politically, culturally, religiously, but when it comes to discipleship, we have somehow evaded actually taking Jesus seriously. In this compelling and challenging book, Skye does a masterful job of casting a vision of what serious discipleship looks like. Highly recommended.
—Jon Tyson
Author of Beautiful Resistance
Lead Pastor, Church of the City New York

Product Details

• Title : What If Jesus Was Serious?: A Visual Guide to the Teachings of Jesus We Love to Ignore
• Author: Jethani, Skye
• Publisher: Moody Publishers
• Publication Date: 2020
• ISBN: 9780802498687

About the Authors

SKYE JETHANI is an author, speaker, consultant and ordained pastor. He also serves as the co-host (along with Phil Vischer) of The Holy Post Podcast, a popular weekly show that blends astute cultural and theological insights with comical conversation. He has been a sought-after consultant for groups facing challenges at the intersection of faith and culture like The Lausanne Movement, The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and the Interfaith Youth Core. Included in his writings are The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity, WITH: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God, and Futureville. Skye and his wife Amanda have three children: Zoe, Isaac, and Lucy and reside in Wheaton, IL.