Awesome!: Exploring The Nature And Names Of Jesus, by Dick Eastman

[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Chosen Books in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by this book. As a devotional, I had pretty low expectations about its contents, but although this book is by no means a thorough examination of the nature and names of Jesus Christ, it certainly does offer a thoughtful examination of some of those names, and that is to be appreciated. This book is a 31-chapter book, each chapter a short one, that looks at various aspects of Jesus’ life that are worthy of reflection and consideration. Admittedly, these chapters appear to be in a somewhat random order but the qualities that are discussed are certainly worthwhile ones: Christ as supreme, awesome, beautiful, creative, human, divine, obedient, suffering, resurrected, ascended, humble, compassionate, merciful, abiding, spotless, missional, authoritative, praying, faithful, miraculous, worthy, righteous, selfless, victorious, joyful, returning, glorious, steadfast, preeminent, eternal, and incomparable. While at least a couple of these chapters clearly represent contemporary concerns rather than biblical ones, they are still worthwhile to consider.

Each chapter is organized in an interesting way. Each chapter begins with its day and title, and also contains a quote from a (usually Christian) writer on the subject. After this comes an essay of several pages that combines scripture and the author’s observations on the subject. This is then followed by a prayer for today, a practical encounter with this aspect of Christ, and a page that glorifies Christ by looking at some of the names of Jesus Christ that can be found in the scriptures. It is likely that the way that the book begins by seeking to introduce the author as a worthwhile fellow is done because this book’s enjoyment depends on how much one enjoys the author’s approach to his subject. Again, I would have preferred a more elevated and scholarly sort of work, but this book is certainly enjoyable to read and is likely to be widely appreciated by those who read it.