Book Review: The Jesus Bible by Zondervan

I've thoroughly enjoyed exploring The Jesus Bible this month.  The subtitle is "Discover Jesus in Every Book of the Bible", and it stays true to its mission.

I's a modern looking edition with youth-friendly colors and feel.  It's hardcover and it has Jesus' words printed in red.  There are 365 devotions scattered throughout the Bible.  They are very kid-friendly examples using nicknames ,superheroes, legos....  Each devotion helps readers understand the scripture and connect the story to the life of Jesus.  The devotionals also have quick prayer starters that help children/youth reflect upon the application of the scripture to their lives.

The book introductions have all the normal features - author, purpose, audience, timeline..., but they also include two features that make this Bible special.  Each intro asks:  Where is Jesus in this book?  What stories are in this book?

I love the Hints of the Savior pull-outs in the Old Testament that  make connections from the OT to the NT, showing readers where God fulfilled promises.  The NT has a similar feature titled Jesus Revealed, where they show references to OT prophecy.

I also like the 'Live Like Jesus' inserts that help youth ponder how they could live like Jesus.

The publisher describes the book this way:  "Discover Jesus In Every Book of the Bible Jesus isn't just found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. His presence can be felt throughout the whole Bible, even in Genesis. The Jesus Bible contains the complete New International Version (NIV) with daily study helps that point to Jesus and show how he fulfilled the prophecies for the Messiah found in the Old Testament."

Some of the special features of this Bible:Notes to help apply Jesus' teachings to real life today
Promises/prophesies made about Jesus 
Index of the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Christ
List of Jesus' miracles and parables
List of "I am" statements that Jesus made
List of who saw Jesus alive
Timeline of Jesus' life
Lineage of Jesus
Concordance
Maps
 
I would recommend this Bible for youth ages 9-14.  It's intended for either gender, but it feels perhaps slightly more appropriate for boys.

I received this book as a gift from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.