The Conversations of Jesus

Jesus met all kinds of people. He dined with the rich, met with the outcasts, felt compassion for those living in sin, and helped the poor and needy. He could be compared to an elevator that travels all floors of a very tall building. At every level of society, Jesus said the right words at the right time. He addressed people in such a way that the simplest could understand his message, and the knowledgeable had something to reflect on in his words. His compassion was genuine for those who had fallen into sin and needed his help; his love was boundless, which is why they sought him sincerely; and his patience with his disciples seemed equally endless. His heart went out to the crowds who wandered around in need of spiritual care like sheep without a shepherd. He guided them, and as a result, common people listened to him with great joy. Jesus was such a great teacher that people came by the thousands from all over Israel and even beyond to listen to him, captivated by his words. People understood his message because it was direct and profound. Jesus never treated harshly those who needed help.

Jesus profoundly influenced everyone he interacted with during his ministry. Those closest to the Master were the ones who learned the most. Among them were his disciples, who, after his resurrection, became his apostles to carry the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. And that message continues to spread throughout the world because the Lord's gospel is unstoppable. Through that gospel, people continue to turn to Jesus.

“This is a concise, informative, and grounded account of the people in the New Testament whose lives were touched by Jesus. For the general reader, it opens new perspectives for understanding the way Jesus related to people and how this applies to our situation today. Enriching.” Richard V. Pierard, Gordon College

“Dr. Kistemaker writes engagingly and with sensitivity to the text of Scripture. He brings the characters of the Gospels to life in such a way that our own conversations with Jesus are enriched. Every reader will find this book accessible, reliable, and spiritually enriching.” Gareth Lee Cockerill, Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology, Wesley Biblical Seminary

“Simon J. Kistemaker, whose scholarship and valuable contributions in New Testament studies are well known, has opened that knowledge to produce a work whose prose is simple enough for even a child to read, based on a profound mastery of the themes of the Gospels. Here, a scholar and pastor finds, on the one hand, to delve into the life and ministry of Jesus through his personal encounters, and, on the other hand, to draw from those encounters lessons that are as pertinent and valuable for modern readers as they were for those who originally heard them.” Eugene Merrill Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary.

“The genius of this book is the conception itself: a study and analysis of all the important conversations of Jesus recorded in the four gospels. The result is an ever-expanding picture of Jesus and the people he interacted with. At the same time, as you read this study, you will find that Jesus' conversations are a microcosm of the gospels and their message.” Leland Ryken, Clyde S. Kilby, Wheaton College

“Simon J. Kistemaker has invested his life as a New Testament scholar and commentator, explaining and applying the Bible. He has helped countless ministers, students, and laypeople with his clear and simple expositions of Scripture. In these brief and engaging vignettes, with his usual combination of exposed and valuable suggested applications, he shows us Jesus in conversation with very different types of people. These incidents, true historical encounters with Christ, come to life in Kistemaker's exposition of the texts of the Gospels and Acts. By reading this book, pastors and teachers alike will be helped in applying God's truth in a practical and devotional way, and the Christian community will be supported with a faithful and warm clarification of Jesus' ministry to all kinds of people.” J. Ligon Duncan III, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi