Jesus: The God App. Author Peter D. Snow sets out to deliver a tale of Jesus’ life, ministry, and resurrection that is accessible to modern-day believers, much like an app on a smartphone. Written from the perspective of the disciple John, this story follows Jesus from the time he is first declared to be the Messiah by John the Baptist, to his followers’ reactions on seeing him after he is resurrected.
Snow is always respectful of Jesus’ character, never delving into the sacrilegious, but he takes necessary license to flesh out the story of a Jesus whose ministry evolves and who speaks in the vernacular of our present time, using words such as “lighten up” and “clean up your act.” Also, Jesus of the Bible was known to say, “Who do people say that I am?” In Snow’s interpretation, Jesus is sincerely wondering what people are saying so he can figure out for himself if he is, indeed, the Messiah.
Jesus, at first, seems to find his power to heal almost “cool.” Yet he, like the Jesus of the gospel account, handles this power with wisdom and foresight about how crowds will react to it.
A highly embellished character, by Snow’s own admission, is that of Annas, a government official who meticulously keeps notes so he can catch Jesus saying or doing something worthy of arrest. Annas is believable, as we know certain people of that time were, in fact, out to get Jesus.
Overall, the Jesus depicted here is just as devout and dependent on his Father as the Jesus of the gospels. Readers will find that following Jesus and his disciples as they walk through events that shaped history is eye-opening and lends a welcome fresh perspective on Jesus’ life and ministry. Anyone open to a contemporary account of Jesus’ life will appreciate this thoughtfully considered and well-written story.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
