Following Jesus is a compilation of twelve sermons by N.T. Wright. The first six sermons examine Jesus as he is portrayed in Hebrews, Colossians, Matthew, John, Mark, and Revelation. The last six sermons look at the Christian themes of resurrection, the renewal of the mind, temptation, hell, heaven and power, and the new life and the new world.
Each sermon contains various exegetical or theological gems of insight that would be expected from a scholar of Wright’s caliber. For example, as he speaks of the “powers” in Colossians, Wright reveals why Paul’s statement of Christ’s victory over the powers was so significant. In ancient thought, all of life was governed by the powers (gods or spiritual forces). These gods had to placated through gifts and offerings. If something bad happened, it was due to these powers. The obvious conclusion about the cross, then, in ancient minds was that the powers had defeated Jesus. Instead, Paul reveals that the powers were defeated through the cross!
As a literary work, Following Jesus suffers somewhat due to its nature. Sermons are best heard and experienced, not read, and no written version can do a well-delivered sermon justice. The written versions leave the reader wanting more detail and depth on Wright’s exegetical gems, whereas one hearing these sermons would probably view the level of detail and depth sufficient.
Still, despite the limitations of the genre, Wright’s skill in illustration, metaphor and rhetoric are apparent. For instance, he begins his sermon on Mark with the following quote: “This man is going to set all Europe ablaze through his incendiary dreams of world domination.” This quote was placed as a caption underneath a picture of Adolf Hitler, leading one to believe that it is a quote about Hitler; however, Wright reveals that this in actuality was a quote that Hitler made about Churchill! This well-illustrated Wright’s point that we have a tendency to become that which we fear or despise in others. Jesus rebuked the disciples in Mark for seeking to establish the very thing that they hated—a kingdom built on force and revolution. Instead, Jesus calls his disciples to a kingdom established through laying down their lives for others, demonstrated in Christ’s supreme act of dying upon the cross.
Wright gives fairly traditional portraits of Jesus in each of the first six sermons. For Paul in Colossians, Christ is the conqueror of the powers. To the writer of Hebrews, Jesus is the final sacrifice. Matthew’s gospel looks at Christ as king. John’s gospel highlights Jesus as the one who brings glory to God. In Mark, Christ is crowned king at the cross. In Revelation, Jesus is the lamb that was slain. In several of these, the Eucharist is connected to these messages.
Other than addressing major Christian themes, most of the last six sermons have a strong emphasis on eschatology. The notable exception is the sermon on temptation. Perhaps an opportunity was missed to look at temptation through the same eschatological lens as the other sermons. All in all, this compilation of sermons form an interesting take on traditional Christian themes and portraits.
