07/04/2022
Howard-Booth (Sojourner’s Journey) explores the different names of Jesus and their distinctive meanings in this compact Christian devotional. Encouraging believers to develop deeper familiarity with God, and drawing from her professional experience as a Certified Christian Life Coach, Howard-Booth offers sections of biblical study revolving around the names Jesus used for himself, how his disciples referred to him, and names used in specific chapters of the Bible. The guide’s chief appeal, though, is the author’s explication of sometimes puzzling spiritual theology, as she offers graspable, personally applicable insights paired with prayer suggestions and a principal verse to meditate on for each name.
A page examining Jesus as “The Word,” for example, breaks down the teaching of the Gospel of John to illustrate Jesus’s divinity—“Jesus has always existed. He is divine and eternal”—and recommends a prayer thanking Jesus for “making a way for us to be with the Father.” Howard-Booth delves into Hebrew and Greek meanings throughout the guide as well: the name “Jesus” is defined in Hebrew as “Jehovah the Savior or Jehovah is Salvation,” and the first letters of the Greek alphabet are referenced several times as indicators of divinity. Later in the guide, Jesus is studied as “Him Who Has the Sharp Two-Edged Sword,” a challenging subject to explain, but Howard-Booth aptly explains the symbolism, relating it to the written word of the Bible that “cut more deeply than any other ancient weapon.”
Christian readers will cherish the intimacy of this guide–whether examining Jesus as the “Bread of Life” providing for all his followers’ needs or learning the comparison of Jesus as a “Good Shepherd” who “ down His life for His sheep,” Howard-Booth’s focus is on making Jesus tangible to her readers. She prompts them not to worry if some of the concepts are complicated, writing that “we do not have to understand it all; we have faith to accept it.” The result is a contemplative and detailed offering sure to inspire Christian followers.
Takeaway: Christian readers will enjoy this inspirational, straightforward study of the different names of Jesus.
Great for fans of: Mark Jones’s The Prayers of Jesus, Michael Murray’s Nobody Left Out..
Production grades Cover: B+ Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A Marketing copy: A
