Book Review: Jesus > Religion by Jefferson Bethke

Jefferson Bethke has become a YouTube sensation. His videos has addressed misinterpreted Bible versus as well as counterfeit gods that people have claimed for themselves. The one video that got everyone's attention was his poem on why he hates religion but loves Jesus which has over 25 million hits and also inspired his first book, Jesus>Religion.

Bethke recounts his own story of how Christianity was portrayed by the religious guys who keep adding rules to the Bible and he finally came to terms that the Jesus in the Bible is not the Jesus some of his followers have made him out to be. Some Christians picture Jesus as a safe man who loves all who come to him and will give you a comfortable life. It turns out that following Jesus is more dangerous than what some Christians have led others to believe.

Bethke also addresses why Jesus still hate religion to this day as well as exposing some of the fakes in Christianity. The rest of the book deals with the difference between Jesus and religion. For example, he deals with the issue of suffering which is a hard subject for a lot of Christians and even causes non-believers to reject Christianity. Religion will tell you that if you are suffering, it is because God is punishing you for some past sin you have committed. While Jesus says that I have taken the punishment for your sins through my sacrifice on the cross.

The final chapter of the book, I believe, is an important one and that is Jesus loves the church and so should we. Too many times I hear people say, "I love Jesus but hate the church," which will be a problem that will never go away especially in America. He even goes on the say what the church truly is:

The Greek word for church is ekklesia, which means a “people called out.”1 What I love about that definition is it has nothing to do with a building. Church in America is viewed as a brick building with a cross on top. Church in the New Testament is a group of people with the power of Jesus in them unleashing grace on anyone and everyone they encounter. That means when you leave “church” on Sundays, the church is leaving.

The church isn’t a building; it’s people.

The church isn’t a dead club; it’s a living organism (pg 183-184).

Furthermore, Bethke talks more about the church being the body of Christ and even where we can be real with one another where some churches do not want their members to be transparent.

All I can say about this book is simply this: Get the book. Read the book. Mark in it and share it. If you are church leader, get groups together. You know lost people who have burned by religion, give them this book.

Thanks Thomas Nelson for letting me review this book.