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The power of this book lies in Joseph Grassi's insight that the gospels were written as dramatic narratives. For centuries the main contact people had with the gospels was in hearing them proclaimed and performed. The proclaimers and the listeners did not consider Jesus a dead person of the distant past, but as present here and now to believers. The actual person narrating the gospel was only a channel or instrument of Jesus' actual words. Jesus was speaking to them with all the dynamic power and effect that he had on his audiences years and centuries ago in Galilee. The gospel audience heard his words not merely in terms of valuable information but also as empowerment and energy to accomplish the things they heard. The stories of miracles, healings, and forgiveness were reminders that the same events were now happening again through Jesus' presence in their midst.
Rediscovering the Jesus Story will help the reader rediscover the passion and vitality of the gospels. Each particular story is accompanied by the necessary background a modern audience needs to discover the gospel anew. This includes the background of the Hebrew scriptures along with guides to the meaning of each story within each gospel's dramatic and literary pattern. At the end of each section the reader will find "Pathways to Further Discovery" and suggestions for keeping a personal journal. Rediscovering the Jesus Story allows the reader to enter into the gospels in a deeper way than ever before.
