Last Monday, the day after Easter, I received this beautiful book in the mail. I had ordered it a couple weeks prior hoping to have it in time to walk the Via Dolorosa with Dr. William Varner, but the wait was a testimony to the high demand for this new volume from Fontes Press. You need this book in your hands and on your bookshelf, and believe me there is no bookmark required. You won’t be setting it down long enough to forget where you are! I will briefly mention a few highlights below.
For those who don’t know Dr. Varner, he is a professor of Bible and Greek at The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, California. He is a premier scholar of biblical history and languages, and I have benefited greatly from his work on the Book of James. One suspects he is at home in Israel as much as he is in California, having traveled more than fifty times to the Holy Land. This gives him a unique level of insight and authority on the events of the Passion Week.
Accessible
One of the most refreshing things about Passionate about the Passion Week is that anyone who wants to take a fresh look into the last week of Jesus’ life may pick up this book without fear of being bogged down in unfamiliar geographical and historical terms. There is certainly a place for that type of material, and I personally enjoy much of it. Varner’s book gives you enough information to swim but not enough to drown you in the events surrounding Jesus’ last days. It is not a full day-by-day accounting of events, although each day is addressed for issues that Varner believes deserve fresh insight (more on this below). He writes, “The book is not overly academic and can be read by anyone who has a love for the Lord and his word” (3). With the absence of cumbersome footnotes and foreign languages (at least in their Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek fonts), this book can be read and understood by anyone in the Church. I must add to this that there is an air of brevity in the book that makes it accessible. It is 120 pages from the Introduction to the final word. Good authors can say a lot with few words, and every page of this book is packed with relevant, accessible information.
Insightful and Thought-Provoking
By Varner’s own admission, the aim of the book is to “look again at these familiar texts through a fresh lens,” to which he adds, “I honestly believe that I have something to say that will shed some new light on these special events” (2). Familiarity with the final events of Jesus’ life often causes us to miss important cues about what is happening during Jesus’ passion or suffering narrative. As we become more familiar with these stories, we often abandon the pursuit of deeper insight into them.
Passionate about the Passion Week gives insight into many of the events of Jesus’ passion by placing these events in their immediate and historical contexts. Varner’s extensive study in the culture, tradition, and practice of the Jewish people shines in this volume, and in each case he presents information that may have been overlooked by surface-level reading. Even John MacArthur confessed, “Even after all the years I have spent in the Gospels, you pulled up fresh treasures!” (3).
The book is thought-provoking because it does call for a fresh reckoning of some of the most important events of the passion narrative. Varner brings some interesting questions and observations to bear on the text, in fact you sense that he has been waiting for the opportunity to put some of these out in the light of day! When and where did the Via Dolorosa, “the Way of Suffering,” begin? His answer may surprise you, yet you’ll find yourself saying “of course it did!” He gives a fresh look at the events of Jesus in the Temple and His interaction with the Pharisees and other Jewish factions. There is a scholarly and convincing answer to problem of the Gospels’ silence on Wednesday of Jesus’ final week. For those who have been to the Holy Land, Varner’s insights and propositions about Gethsemane and the site of Jesus’ crucifixion will recall sweet and vivid memories of Jerusalem- and make them eager to return!
There are three items that commanded my attention more than any other in the book. Varner’s assessment of Judas Iscariot, and his role and motivation in the narrative, is arguably the most controversial proposition in the book. I found myself unconvinced, but I would love to read more from him on the subject. The discussion of Jesus’ atoning work is a powerful explanation and assessment of Christ’s sacrifice for his people. I have long agreed with the atonement as he presents it, but it nonetheless paints it the a vivid, biblical way that many treatises, stilted in technical theological terminology, sorely lack. On a practical level, I believe Dr. Varner’s discussion of the Jews who sought Jesus’ death is important and his balanced view may have headed off much of the antisemitic anger directed toward them by Christians throughout the centuries.
There is much more that can be said about the insightful and thought-provoking nature of this book, but far be it from me to lay bare all of its treasure here!
Worshipful
It would be a real shame to read about Jesus’ last days and come away with a mind full of new material and an unmoved heart. Thankfully, as insightful as Dr. Varner’s book is, the book is centered on the precious reality of Jesus’ suffering and His death for His people. There is a significant amount of attention given to Isaiah 53 and other prophetic passages which found their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus. Every chapter is concluded with a “Suggested Prayer” that focuses the reader’s attention toward their own response to the events of Jesus’ passion. Worthy, indeed, is the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world to receive all glory, honor and power!
Conclusion
I am thankful that Dr. Varner found time to express some of the many thoughts that he has amassed about the Passion Week in this book. It is a beautifully bound and printed book, scholarly yet accessible, insightful and thought-provoking, and will stir the heart of the reader to a greater understanding of and appreciation for the work of Jesus. May God be glorified as it makes its way into the hands of people everywhere!
Get a copy of Passionate about the Passion Week from Fontes Press here!
Preston Kelso 