Part 1, Who He Was: Chapter 1, The Jesus I Thought I Knew Summary and Analysis

The book, The Jesus I Never Knew, is an attempt to present an unbiased, facts-only look at the person of Jesus Christ. Yancey, the book's writer, studies various aspects of Jesus' life including His birth, the message He came to bring, and the reasons behind His death, resurrection and ascension. Several times during the course of the book, Yancey asks himself if he had been alive during the time Jesus lived, would he have believed the message Jesus brought?

In this opening chapter Yancey describes his preconceived notions of who Jesus Christ is. He begins with his earliest memories of Sunday School where Jesus was conveyed as a comforter and teacher, somewhat like Mister Rogers. Next, Yancey moves forward to the...