Dining with Jesus A seven course Bible study unpacking the key meals Jesus attended By Kate Jackson Pub: Circle Books; 2022 ISBN: 978-1-80341-040-1 Price: £12.99 This excellent book, Dining with Jesus, provides a detailed insight not only into the meals people had during the times of Jesus, but also, in my opinion the most important details, the conversations Jesus had around them. I was hesitant at first to read this book as my precon- ceived notion felt the aim was to focus solely on the meals, but that soon changed. Whilst it does cover the values and traditions of the meals, it is underpinned by the greatest message we will ever hear, the Gospel. Kate Jackson takes us on an exciting journey from the superficial meals being prepared to the profound Gospel truth prepar- ing our hearts to be used and ready for Jesus. I have also been chal- lenged through reading this book in my own relationship with God and how to view the world around me through the eyes of Jesus. As Jackson beautifully des- cribes in this book, it provides a chance to dig deeper. It demon- strates the context of the seven most important meals in chrono- logical order beginning with the call for Matthew and Zacchaeus to follow Christ and ending with Jesus' death and resurrection. In addition to these chapters, there is a helpful list of scriptures available and carefully prepared thought- provoking questions, I believe this book will serve as a vital aid for any Lent course especially as there is a chapter focusing on Jesus' death and resurrection. Although this is a short read it is not a book one can skim through. My advice to anyone reading it would be to pray and carefully consider each individual chapter. There is an overview at the begin- ning of the book so the reader knows exactly where this excit- ing journey will take them. This book is easy to read and I believe (although this is not a children's book) some of these ideas can be used in assemblies. However, this does not mean it is a simple book and it certainly provides us with doctrinal depth. It is clear that Jackson has done considerable research into each meal through scripture and other theologians' research. It is in my opinion a theologically sound resource and I will keep reading and pondering these truths every year. Thank you Kate for allowing me this opportunity to read such an insightful resource into the meals of Jesus' time, one I believe would be a blessing to anyone reading it. Jeremy Stone ~ Jeremy Stone - Pobl Dewi , Pobl Dewi March 2023 Issue

Book Review: Dining with Jesus by Kate Jackson Kate Jackson’s brilliant book reads like a treasure hunt – each chapter is filled with new gems delicately placed across the pages for the reader to discover and enjoy. Seven chapters, seven meals with Jesus. And much we can we learn. There are the excellent personal and small group questions, well-placed quotes from Biblical scholars, useful cultural insights and the thoughtful reflections of the author herself. At the end of the treasure hunt, there is the prize waiting for the reader – Jesus in His mysterious splendour, “the untameable, untrainable Messiah”. The book is marketed as “A Seven Course Bible Study” and it will be well received by Small Group leaders everywhere. It could just as easily be A Packed Lunch to Take Anywhere and Enjoy with Friends”. The final section of each chapter Jesus and You is worth reading the book on its own. Countless times the reader is encouraged to pause and reflect on another stunning sentence. The genius of the book it that the author manages to bring Jesus up close, for us to look at Him again and be asked compelling questions: “Do mercy and love come first, or does the need to ‘fix’ the other person take over?...Is there something you have been putting off doing which God has told you to do?” – more gems to take away. There are some places where the author becomes so consumed by the subject matter and the nature of detailed Biblical argument and discovery than it seems the chicken needs to stop searching and scratching (author’s metaphor), look up and see where the rest of us are. That said, there will be more Kate Jackson books with more jewels to discover…and more meals taken more seriously and thoughtfully in the meantime. ~ Mark Landreth Smith, https://marklandrethsmith.blogspot.com/2023/02/book-review-dining-with-jesus-by-kate.html

Kate Jackson’s brilliant book is marketed as “a seven course Bible study” – seven chapters, seven meals with Jesus. It will be well received by small group leaders everywhere. There are excellent individual and group questions, quotes from biblical scholars, useful cultural insights and thoughtful reflections from the author. The book brings Jesus up close, and asks some compelling questions, such as: “Do mercy and love come first, or does the need to ‘fix’ the other person? Is there something you have been putting off which God has told you to do?” There are places where the reader may get lost in the detailed biblical argument. That said, there will be more Kate Jackson books with more jewels to discover – and more meals taken more seriously and thoughtfully in the meantime. ~ Premier Christianity, https://www.premierchristianity.com/reviews/dining-with-jesus-kate-jackson/14751.article

Providing a rather insightful look at what most all agree to be the most important meal times in the Bible, whilst at the same time bringing forth dutifully insightful, and wholly creative ideas for interaction, Dining with Jesus: A Seven Course Bible Study Unpacking the Key Meals Jesus Attended by author Kate Jackson is one of the most intriguing works on the subject that I myself have had the pleasure to come across. An excellent resource for groups of any size, or simply for individuals wanting to not only want to know more about a subject matter they may have skipped over earlier in life, and would now like to have a deeper, more spiritually attached encounter with Jesus Christ, perhaps what this book can also do is have people come together not only to discuss, but eat together, as Jesus himself once did, with his own flock. FULL REVIEW: https://annecarlini.com/ex_books.php?id=424 ~ Exclusive Magazine, Review

Kate Jackson, a teacher and Methodist group leader, has written a seven-week study guide that guide aims to “help individuals and groups to grow in their understanding . . . of the meals Jesus attended or held” (xi). After a useful introductory survey on meals, commensality, and the Jewish Sitz im Leben of communal eating in the first century, Jackson explores meals such as the Last Supper, the meal with Zaccheus, the parable of the great banquet, and the post-resurrection stories. Each chapter includes advice for study group leaders and suggestions for further reading. This is a useful book; my only criticism would be that Jackson—perhaps reasonably given the book’s aims—misses an opportunity to make a distinction between the historical Jesus and the communities for whom the gospel writers were writing. This might seem to be a finer academic point but there is value in considering not just how Jesus used meals but how the evangelists narrated and edited the stories of Jesus using meals. That way, we consider not just what Jesus might have taught but how those teachings were seen and filtered by the burgeoning Christian communities at the time. That said, church groups will certainly find this smart little volume very useful in breathing life into some of these well-known stories. Meals, as Jackson notes, were the “visual aids” that helped to teach and enact the kingdom of God. ~ Ronan McLaverty-Head, Theological Book Review Online

In a world of change and innovation, mealtimes remain not only a staple of life, but an effective resource for community and relationship building as well as being times of refreshment and joy: eating and drinking can be very pleasurable! In taking the theme of Dining With Jesus, Kate has looked at how those who ate and drank in the gospels had their lives changed: both by the personal encounter with Jesus, and as part of the way Jesus taught in parable story. This study guide gives an informative and clear picture of the historical events, but goes much further: Dining With Jesus is as much for us today as it is a reminder of words and events 2000 years ago. Kate has written a practical and accessible guide that enables us to look at our own lives in the light of Jesus Christ - and with a subject matter most of us can relate to, we are challenged to see our lives are changed by his loving, joyful presence. The Gospel has to be true to itself - Good News, and this guide allows us to discover for ourselves and share with others more of how God’s love is made real by Jesus Christ. I commend this Study Guide to small groups and individuals who are looking to deepen their understanding of the Christian faith, and who are willing to take the challenge of meeting with Jesus over a shared meal together. ~ Bishop of Dunedin, Steven Benford

Dining with Jesus provides an insightful study guide to the most important meal times in the Bible. The book weaves together biblical insights with contemporary application and includes creative ideas for interaction. It will provide an excellent resource for small groups and individuals wanting a deeper encounter with Jesus Christ. ~ Dr Andrew Ollerton, author of The Bible; A Story That Makes Sense of Life