Encounters with Jesus

Introduction

I was raised in a mainline Protestant church, but in college I went through personal and spiritual crises that led me to question my most fundamental beliefs about God, the world, and myself.

During those years I fell in with some Christians who were active in small-­group Bible studies. In these groups the leader would not take the role of teacher or instructor; instead he or she would facilitate the entire group s reading and interpreta­tion of the chosen Bible text. The ground rules were simple but crucial for the integrity of the exercise. The Bible was to be given the benefit of the doubt ­the text was to be treated as reliable and its authors as competent. No one person s inter­pretation was to be imposed on the passage; we were to come to conclusions as a group. We sought to mine the riches of the material as a community, assuming that together we would see far more than any individual could.

Before I was even sure where I stood in my own faith, I was asked to lead a group and was provided with a set of Bible studies entitled Conversations with Jesus Christ from the Gospel of John by Marilyn Kunz and Catherine Schell. It cov­ered thirteen passages in the book of John where Jesus had conversations with individuals. Those studies helped my group uncover layers of meaning and insight that astonished us all. Moving through these accounts of Jesus life, I began to sense more than ever before that the Bible was not an or­dinary book. Yes, it carried the strange beauty of literature from the remote past; but there was something else. It was through these studies of encounters with Jesus that I began to sense an inexplicable life and power in the text. These conversations from centuries ago were uncannily relevant and incisive to me ­right now. I began to search the Scriptures not just for intellectual stimulation but in order to find God.

I was taught that patience and thoughtfulness were keys to insight. At one point I went to a

Timothy Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. His first pastorate was in Hopewell, Virginia. In 1989 he started Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City with his wife, Kathy, and their three sons. Today, Redeemer has nearly six thousand regular Sunday attendees and has helped to start more than three hundred new churches around the world. He is the author of Hidden Christmas, Making Sense of God, The Songs of Jesus, Preaching, and Prayer, as well as The Meaning of Marriage, The Prodigal God, and The Reason for God, among others.

Praise for Timothy Keller and Encounters with Jesus

"Keller's work belongs on the bookshelf of every serious Bible student. It is not a quick read, but, instead should be savored like fine wine, one sip at a time to glean the full impact of his life-changing message." Examiner

"Keller has mined the gold from these texts of Scripture, and any Christian is bound to have their minds expanded and hearts stirred, even if they have read these accounts countless times." Grace for Sinners

"Tim Keller's ministry in New York City is leading a generation of seekers and skeptics toward belief in God. I thank God for him." Billy Graham

"Unlike most suburban megachurches, much of Redeemer is remarkably traditional. What is not traditional is Dr. Keller's skill in speaking the language of his urbane audience. . . . It's easy to understand his appeal." The New York Times

"Reverend Tim Keller [is] a Manhattan institution, one of those open urban secrets, like your favorite dim sum place, with a following so ardent and so fast-growing that he has never thought to advertise." Newsweek 

"The most successful Christian Evangelist in [New York City] . . . With intellectual, brimstone-free sermons that manage to city Woody Allen alongside Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Keller draws some five thousand young followers every Sunday. Church leaders see him as a model of how to evangelize urban centers across the country, and Keller has helped 'plant' fifty gospel-based Christian churches around New York plus another fifty from San Francisco to London." New York 

"Using literature, philosophy, and pop culture, the author gives convincing reasons for a strong belief in God. It is refreshing to read a book that presents a religious view without being overly critical of the secular side presented in other books." Library Journal 

"It's a provocative premise, in pursuit of which Keller known for drawing cosmopolitan urbanites to his Redeemer