Journal: Reformed Baptist Theological Review
Volume: RBTR 07:2 (Jul 2010)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

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RBTR 7:2 (July 2010) p. 151

Book Reviews

Discovering Jesus: Why Four Gospels to Portray One Person? T. D. Alexander (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010, 141pp)

reviewed by Samuel C. Emadi

T. Desmond Alexander’s Discovering Jesus: Why Four Gospels to Portray One Person? is a basic introduction to the four Gospels. Alexander writes warmly from an evangelical perspective and aims not only to educate but also to edify. His short book introduces the Gospels by approaching them historically and thematically.

Alexander structures Discovering Jesus in six parts each with two chapters: “Introductory considerations,” two chapters each on Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, and “Concluding observations.” The introductory chapters briefly discuss the structure of each of the four Gospels as well the themes shared by the Evangelists. Alexander identifies these shared themes as the fulfillment of Scripture, the kingdom of God, hostility, the centrality of the Passion, salvation and the Gentiles, and the importance of faith (29).

Alexander begins his examination of each Gospel by covering introductory matters (authorship, date, original audience, etc.) and an analysis of the two major emphases of each Gospel. He identifies the two primary emphases of Mark as the Son of God and discipleship. Under the discipleship theme, Alexander rightly emphasizes the unique Markan emphasis on discipleship failure as exemplified by the apostles (52-55) and Mark’s creative portrayal of discipleship as cruciform (55-58). Alexander states that Mark “emphatically binds” the cross and discipleship together: “to become a follower of Jesus is to go the way of the cross” (57).

On Matthew, Alexander highlights the themes of conflict and the Son of David. Following the lead of J. D. Kingsbury, Alexander sees conflict as structuring the plotline of Matthew’s Gospel. Alexander’s consideration of the second theme is actually much broader than the title suggests. He fleshes out a fuller portrait of Matthean Christology. He employs not only an approach considering the titles

RBTR 7:2 (July 2010) p. 152

of Christ – examining Matthew’s use of “Son of David,” “Christ,” “Lord,” and “Son of God” (69-73) – but he also provides a biblical- theological reflection on Jesus’ kingship as it relates to the broader canonical narrative of the Kingdom of God and the Matthean emphasis on the fulfillment of Old Testament expectations (73-75).

Alexander identifies Luke’s Gospel as “especially interested in the Holy Spirit” (81) and portraying “Jesus as the Savior of the World who seeks the lost” (89). He analyzes the major Lukan texts that address the role ...

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