Book Review: I Just Saw Jesus

I Just Saw JESUS is an incredible book about the planning, making, and releasing of a movie about the life of Jesus.  It was painstakingly planned down to the most minute detail to make this the most accurate and authentic movie about the Son of God, Jesus, that had ever been made.  The producers filmed everything in the Holy Land (Israel) and used only the most realistic characters and scenes.  One thing that sticks out is that after a set had been built to the extreme "pickiness" of John Heyman, the director, he noticed that behind a lamp on the wall there was no soot.  He asked how in the world a lamp could have been burning against a wall for a hundred years without any soot behind it!  It was this attention to detail that made the film able to focus solely on the Gospel.

All around the world, starting in the U.S. and going to places film crews had never been before, missionaries and film crews showed the movie, JESUS to crowds of hundreds, even thousands.  At the end of each filming, the viewers were asked to "come to the light" (a literal light in the darkness of some places that had never even seen electricity!) if they wanted to received Jesus.  And many, many people came.  This film made it to places that as I just said, had never even seen electric light before.  The film crews and missionaries presenting this film had to go up against much opposition; witch doctors, government officials, high ranking religious leaders, and much more.  Not to mention the terrain they had to battle! The book opens with the author and missionary Steve Dudugjian *walking* through Africa to reach the Maasai warrior tribes.

The film was translated into many different languages so people like the Karamojong could watch it.  People from the Solomon Islands, remote villages in India, Indonesia, Africa, Thailand, Swaziland, and so many more were watching Jesus speak to them in their own language.

Wherever the film went, there was not only opposition, but plenty of miracles.  A witch doctor placed a curse on an entire village, but nothing happened. A small girl was healed from dysentery through prayer and the laying on of hands. They didn't just show the film and leave either.  The missionaries stayed and trained locals how to lead Bible study groups, prayer groups, and start churches.

What struck me most about the testimonies in this book is how hungry the people of other countries are for the Gospel.  This quote summed it up well for me: "How different from America where we so often feel the need to court and entertain our church members to keep them coming.  Here in India in the face of persecution and hardship, this incredible brother pastors four churches and leads five prayer groups."  If only American Christians had half that dedication.

I would highly recommend this book...as a Christian, it has inspired and motivated me to pray for other countries and peoples who have not yet heard the Gospel.  This is a fantastic, inspiring book of the power of Jesus.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Aneko Publishing at no cost in exchange for my fair and unbiased review.