Christians instinctively desire to be like Jesus. Yet evangelical and Reformed thinkers have done little to wed this desire to sound theology and responsible biblical interpretation. With careful attention to Luke’s gospel, this book demonstrates that we can—and must—follow Christ’s example precisely because we embrace him as Savior.
ENDORSEMENTS
“Jimmy Agan makes a convincing case for deep reflection on Jesus’ example, leading to sustained effort to be like him. Agan flags the dangers of the imitation-of-Christ project. But he maps us past the risks, with Scripture as GPS and conformity to Christ as destination. Engrossing and stirring, this is the finest succinct statement on the subject in recent times.”
—Robert W. Yarbrough, Professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary
“Agan clearly shows us in what ways Jesus is unique as the Divine Son—and thus is not a pattern for us to imitate. And the author tells us in what ways Jesus is fully human—and thus is our perfect example of human life as God meant it to be. Agan’s pastoral wisdom, sympathy for the struggles we face as Christians, and conversational writing style bring the fruit of his scholarship on Luke to a level that any serious Christian can understand.”
—Donald Fairbairn, Robert E. Cooley Professor of Early Christianity, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
“Imitation of Christ—a topic that is of profound importance, but has nonetheless been besieged by theological questions among well-intentioned scholars—is here presented in a way that is both deeply rooted in the pages of the New Testament and yet also eminently accessible to the contemporary reader. This is the work of a scholar who is also a convinced and gifted communicator.”
—Andrew Clarke, Senior Lecturer, Divinity and Religious Studies, King’s College, University of Aberdeen
