This is my first book review. And I’m THRILLED to be doing it on the new book from Tyndale called “Prototype: What Happens When You Discover You’re More Like Jesus Than You Think?” by Jonathan Martin.
The book covers exactly what the title implies: Jesus was/is our prototype for a whole new way of being human. There’s one quote that sums up the heart of the message: “When God called Jesus ‘my beloved,’ Jesus did something truly remarkable—He believed Him.”
Jonathan asks us to believe with the same fervor. He states that the main difference between us and Jesus in the flesh is that Jesus believed this statement more than we do. And I can’t argue with that logic. It’s difficult to believe in ourselves as being loved by God with the same fervor that He loved Jesus. But we’re all called His beloved. And that’s probably why Jesus said we’d be able to do greater things than even He did. The dilemma is, we don’t have enough faith.
Perhaps the faith we need isn’t in God’s power to work, but more so in God’s power (and desire) to work through US. If I’m truly God’s beloved—in the same way that Jesus was—then I find a greater confidence in God’s ability. This is the heart of Jonathan’s message, and one that can truly be life-changing when it really sinks in.
Jonathan comes from a Pentecostal background, in fact, we were raised in the same denomination. He pastors a growing, thriving, relevant church in Charlotte, and is doing so by breaking the mold of the usual church experience. He even claims it to be a church filled with “liars, dreamers, and misfits.” He allows and encourages people to be real, open, and honest in their failures and shortcomings. We also attended the same Pentecostal seminary at the same time, though we never really knew each other. And in good Pentecostal fashion, he opens the book with a discussion on Legion—the name of the demon that had possessed a man in the NT. Legion means “many” and Jonathan boldly opens the book by claiming that today, we are all “many.” We have a million voices clamoring for our attention through social media and various other venues. I like that he opened this way. It was a bold choice, but a good one.
Jonathan covers 9 topics, all with one-word titles. My favorite chapter covers Jesus’ wilderness experience, which came immediately after His baptism when He heard God tell Him He was beloved. The chapter is called “Obscurity” and discusses the wilderness experiences we all face from time-to-time. In fact, I read the chapter three times, just to let it all sink in.
The book is extremely well-written, which is typically the case when published by a major house. He discusses personal childhood experiences of being raised in the sweat-filled, Pentecostal holiness ranks of the South, and of the spiritual fathers and mothers who have impacted his life. The illustrations are often tear-jerking, and at other times, laugh-out-loud funny. It’s filled with pop-culture references, and Jonathan serves as a much needed, theologically sound voice for today’s Christian generation.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the book cover-to-cover, as an editor and a writer myself, I was extremely impressed with his writing ability in one particular passage. In his chapter on “Calling,” he paints a vivid picture of the moment when the woman dumped perfume on Jesus’ feet and then dried them with her hair. He took several pages to describe the scene, and he made the story come to life as I read. It was as if I had stepped into the room and watched the scene unfold before my eyes. I could even smell the oil as it was poured out. Jonathan’s writing is never better than when he tells the biblical narrative in his own words.
On a personal note, I have grown over the past few months to greatly respect Jonathan, and perhaps even call him a friend. We connected on Twitter, shockingly, and have had a bit of communication since I was able to meet him in person. He’s about 6’ 5” tall, and has long dark hair with a beard, so you don’t miss him in a crowd. But his demeanor is approachable, warm, and friendly. His book carries the same demeanor. People are drawn to him, and in the same way, they’ll be drawn to his book.
Some time ago I was going through a personal struggle of identity, and I attended a revival at a nearby church where Jonathan was speaking. He shared the heart of the message seen in this book about understanding that we are God’s beloved. That message changed my life. If you give it a chance, I’m sure it will change yours, as well.
Check out more about Jonathan and his book at these links:
Q and A session with Jonathan Martin
The official Prototype Book website (with a fantastic promo video!)
I’m apparently required to inform you that Tyndale sent me a free copy to review. But I still plan on buying one–it’s just that good.
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