Book Review: Road Map to Jesus
By David Taylor
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27 ESV).
In his book, Road Map to Jesus, Alistair Chalmers imagines what the resurrected Jesus would have discussed with his disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-34). He writes, “I’ve read that passage so many times since becoming a Christian, and every time I have thought I would love to have been a fly on the wall in that Bible study!” (7). Though we are not told what exact passages Jesus taught them from, we know that they were from the Law and the Prophets, or, in other words, the Old Testament.
Road Map to Jesus is broken into three parts. Part 1: A Pathway Through the Old Testament primarily focuses on how the first five books of the Bible (Genesis-Deuteronomy) lead to a knowledge of Jesus (5-45). These include reflections on God’s word spoken in creation (8-9), salvation promised through a woman’s child (16-17), rescue through waters of Noah’s flood (20-21), and Jesus as the “I am” of Exodus (26-27).
Part 2: The Signposts Point Here focuses more on how the poetic and prophetic books of the Bible point toward Jesus (46-70). This part opens by reflecting on the various “names” of Jesus spoken of in the prophets such as “Wonderful Counsellor,” “Mighty God,” “Prince of Peace,” “Everlasting Father,” and “Immanuel” (47-51). Following this are short chapters which comment on aspects of Jesus life and ministry including his parabolic teachings (54-57), betrayal at the hands of a friend (58-59), death on a cross (60-61), and resurrection (68-69). After remarking on the resurrection, we find ourselves back at the Emmaus road with the resurrected Jesus and his two disciples asking, “What next?”
In Part 3: The Journey Continues, Chalmers presses on into the New Testament and asks, “So what now?” “What do we do with this Old Testament proclamation of Jesus after the event of the resurrection?” Chalmers concludes his book with a call to action, discussing the spread of the Gospel message after the resurrection event (72-73), the equipping of Jesus’ followers by the Holy Spirit for Gospel ministry (74-75), the enthronement of Jesus as he ascended to the heavenly Father (76-77), and a vision of our “end goal” in the New Heavens and New Earth (78-79).
Road Map to Jesus is a great introductory resource to help one see how the grand story of the Bible leads to Jesus. With chapters spanning from 2-3 pages and accessible language, this book is approachable for a wide range of ages and reading levels. It could just as easily be used for individual devotions as it could be used by families with children.
Order a copy of Road Map to Jesus by Alistair Chalmers for yourself or for a friend today!
Review first appeared on Nephy Style. Reposted with permission.
