Lent with the Beloved Disciple - Michael Marshall
/REVIEWER: Ali Hull
Lent with the Beloved Disciple
Book review of Michael Marshall’s book on Lent. Michael takes us through the Gospel of John.
BOOK: Lent with the Beloved Disciple
(Bloomsbury, 2023) 208pp, paperback, RRP £10.99
Looking for new resources to use this Lent? Michael Marshall takes us through the Gospel of John.
Lent Resouces
Amongst the new titles for Lent this year is Lent with the beloved disciple, a short series of studies in the Gospel of John, designed to be used over the 6 weeks of Lent, (but with an Introduction and Epilogue to squeeze in as well). Written by a former Anglican minister and bishop, the book is described as being ‘ideal for both individual use and small group study’, but I would question the latter.
It is short but intense; and each chapter, which a small group would want to consider in depth, runs to at least 20 pages and simply does not lend itself to reading together and a following group discussion. To do this book justice would take dedication, and a proper input of time, but would also, I think, work so much better on a personal level, allowing oneself plenty of time to think, to reflect, and to pray.
John’s Gospel and Jesus’ last days
The author believes that the Gospel of John contains unique insights into the life and person of Jesus, picked up and described by the ‘disciple who Jesus loved’ in a way that is simply not true of the other Gospel writers. Certainly, John’s Gospel gives us stories that would be lost to us otherwise: the wedding in Cana, the woman taken in adultery, the woman at the well – none of these appear anywhere else in the canon.
So using John’s accounts of the last days of Jesus on earth gives more things to reflect on, as the author considers the last supper, Jesus’ arrest and time before first the High Priest and then Pilate, the crucifixion itself, then Jesus’ appearances, first to Mary Magdalene, then the rest of the disciples and finally, the breakfast on the beach.
Jesus is with us, along for the ride
The author refers frequently to the life of faith as being a journey of moving from one resting place to another, with Jesus as our constant companion and guide, never expecting or allowing ourselves to get ‘stuck’ at any one point, and recognising the little ‘deaths’ that we will experience along the way.
This is a thoughtful book, which would need a proper commitment of time and effort to study properly. It is an ideal Lent resource, therefore.
Reviewer: Ali Hull is the Book Editor for Preach magazine, and has spent nearly thirty years working with words, as a writer, editor, and writing coach.