When Jesus Wept Book Review

     When Jesus Wept by Bodie and Brock Thoene is my new favorite book.  Bodie and Brock Thoene have been preferred authors of mine for many years, so when I saw a book written by them offered on Book Sneeze, I knew I had to review it.  I got the e-book, so it is not taking up room on my very crowded bookshelves, but I will be rereading it in the future.  In fact, I plan to read it aloud to my family on our next road trip.

     When Jesus Wept  is the story of Lazarus or David ben Lazarus, as he is known in this book.  I have always loved Bible stories told with the fleshing out of fictional details, as long as the story remains true to the Bible, and this one does.  The stories of Jesus in the Gospels are interwoven in a few years of the life of Lazarus in an amazing way.  We don’t know if his sister, Mary, was the woman caught in adultery, but she might have been.  In this story, she was, and the encounter changed her forever, and she became a devoted Christ-follower who poured out her life in service.         
     Did you ever wonder why Lazarus died the first time?  In this story, his death was the result of his service to Jerusalem Sparrows, homeless street orphans. 

     I had never thought about how Lazarus felt, being called back from where he was in Paradise.  He very likely was having a wonderful time of reunion with his loved ones in that happy place.  I had always just considered his sisters needing him on earth.  Jesus had His reasons, no doubt one of them to prove His power over death and the grave just prior to His own death and resurrection.   I got new insight into the parables and stories that Jesus told, because just perhaps, Jesus told them because of happenings in his friend, Lazarus’s life.

     Mary, Martha, and Lazarus became real people to me in this book, as I read of their lives, families, vocation, service, and friendship with Jesus.  The Thoenes are excellent at the background information about the times, culture, politics, even the landscapes, of the Holy Land where the story takes place.

     I can’t say enough good things about this book!  I highly recommend that you get a copy and read it a few times!  I’m anxious for that road trip to read it aloud and see what else I can learn along the way.

     I received my complimentary e-copy from Book Sneeze in exchange for my honest review of this book.