Come Forth
The Promise of Jesus's Greatest Miracle
by James Martin
Pub DateSep 05 2023
HarperOne
Christian| Health, Mind & Body| Nonfiction \(Adult\)


HarperOne and Netgalley provided me with a copy of Come Forth for review:


In this wise and thoughtful book, Father James Martin, SJ, analyzes the miracle of Lazarus's resurrection and asks us to consider what Jesus means when he calls Lazarus-and us-to "come forth." In verse by verse, he examines the lessons it teaches about love, family, sadness, frustration, fear, anger, freedom, and joy.



In Come Forth, Martin combines biblical analysis, historical insights, meditations on Lazarus in art and culture, and personal stories. He explores these strands in-depth in order to give us a deeper understanding of this miracle and its essential message, which is to let go of limiting beliefs that prevent us from experiencing God fully.


In order to follow God more freely, to love more deeply, and to become the people God desires us to be, we must 'let things die'," Martin writes. It is only by being open to the transformative story of Lazarus, as revealed in this wise and profound book, that we can experience new life-and become closer to God.


I give Come Forth five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

I find Jesus's resurrection of Lazarus interesting and also enjoy the work of Father Martin, but I was skeptical about a whole book about this one miracle. In the introduction Father Martin even seems skeptical of this idea himself. However, I think this book delivers by looking at several of Jesus's teachings through the lens of this one miracle while also providing details of Father Martin's pilgrimages to the site of this miracle. Each chapter also ends with practical advice for living out each teaching. I found this to be particularly helpful during the Lenten season when I read it. Overall, I recommend this books because Father Martin finds several ways to make this book interesting and insightful throughout.

I’ve read quite a bit from James Martin before and always enjoyed his insights. As a Jesuit, he has a thoughtful, intellectual approach. He also brings a great deal of empathy. In Come Forth, he explores the story of Lazarus, the man in the Bible Jesus is believed to have returned from death. He relates this ancient story to modern times and how in a spiritual sense sometimes things that don’t serve you must “die” to strengthen the better parts. Come Forth is a worthwhile read for anyone exploring their spirituality or interested in the Bible from a historical perspective. I received this Advanced Reader Copy of Come Forth from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book caught me by surprise. I thought it would be good because I am familiar with Martin. But I loved how Martin ended up taking the readers into a deep dive into John 11 and Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Disappointment with God, friendship with Jesus (and with other), certain political/collective expectations that shape our view of Jesus, misunderstandings and betrayal are part of the deep enjoyment I experienced in reading. The more deeper one gets into the book, the more one becomes aware of his friends--scholars and theologians he respects and knows. Like Amy-Jill Levine who is not a Christian, Ben Witherington--an evangelical theologian who clearly distances himself from progressive Christianity and Catholic feminist theologian Elizabeth Johnson who is clearly progressive.

I have read other books by Fr. Martin and they always intrigue and inspire me. This one is no exception. The story of Lazarus is explored from different angles and analyses. Art work, culture, and history are also discussed. The author opens the book with the full scripture reading, using that as a jumping off point to examine the miracle from the viewpoints of different participants. End notes are included for readers who desire more information about the topics explored in this inspirational book.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Martin's latest book mixes close reading, scholarship, and personal stories in a way designed to appeal to a wide cross-section of readers. The book is a masterful study of a Biblical story, making the familiar new and and absorbing. Superbly researched and supplemented with personal stories and anecdotes, Martin's COME FORTH models an openness and generosity of reading that have characterized his earlier books. Those who have read Martin previously will find much to admire; those who are new to Martin's writing are in for an engaging, fresh look at the Bible.

Lazarus has the deep theological dive I’ve come to love from Father James Martin. He is an excellent teacher and writer. I learned so much in this book. Admittedly, I was skeptical that a whole book could be dedicated to one of the Bible’s stories, especially after learning it was only in one of the gospels.

He takes the reader well beyond the Bible story of Lazarus to consider Jesus’ historical and human relationship with his world and our world. What a great thought experiment to be able to imagine the historic places Jesus actually traveled and taught.

I appreciate how Fr. Martin makes me feel like a biblical scholar and budding theologian because I can now understand debated biblical theories like the mystery identity of the “beloved disciple.” The writing style is a homily, scholarly paper, and discussion with a friend all mixed together. This book is a great read for all levels of biblical and religious knowledge.

I enjoyed this one, but will give two caveats to that:
Firstly, it's pretty academic. The author breaks down the Bible story of Lazarus line by line, and talks about different interpretations (in a linguistic sense), talks about the geography and culture of the area, etc. He wants to you to truly understand everything that might have been happening around the characters, or implied by the language used, before he brings it around to what the passage might mean for a reader today.
Secondly, I don't know that someone who is not of a Christian background would really want to spend this much time with the story. Maybe if they just had an interest in the history of the region where it takes place? My guess is that this book will appeal mostly to people of a Christian persuasion.
But again, I liked it! I hadn't done a Biblical "deep dive" in a while, so maybe I was just in the right mindset to tackle it.
Martin does pepper the chapters with plenty of his own stories from his time as a Jesuit and from his travels to the region (of Bethany), so it doesn't all take place 2000 years ago. And even the parts that do take place in Jesus' time are examined for how we can reflect on them today.
Overall, I'd recommend for Christians who like to read and reflect, or who would want to know more about the place and time that Jesus lived.

Father James Martin, SJ has written a wonderful book about the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. He thoroughly engages this miracle through theology, bible study, geography, anthropology, history, pilgrimage, Ignatian spirituality, culture, archeology and art.

Throughout the book he drew me into a deeper understanding of my spiritual life. I am left with a new excitement to experience everything God is calling us to.

I highly recommend this book and hope you are drawn to participate.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

So much more than a book. An experience rich in detail. My faith walk has been greatly blessed by this journey. Yours will be as well.

I found this to be a must-read, not only with regard to Jesus resurrecting Lazarus from death but how it fits into the broader gospel for each of us. Father James Martin, SJ gives us a compelling analysis of the raising of Lazarus in his book. He reviews the story from the Gospel of John from many aspects: geographical, historical, theological, psychological, sociological, artistic as well as his own personal and friends’ encounters with the place and the meaning of the story.. He envisions the story from each of the main characters. To do this, he presents many theologians’ and commentators’ perspectives. But then Father Martin brings it back to what this means for our own lives.

You won’t necessarily find the definitive, black-white interpretation of the passage you might expect from a Jesuit scholar. Martin raises many questions, presents many answers and leaves it to us to find what resonates with our mind and heart. He pushes us forward through his teaching and personal testimony to find the spiritual lessons in the gospel and assimilate the truth into our own spirit. Each chapter ends with questions of reflection that encourage us readers to dig deep beyond head/knowledge into heart/character.

A reader can sometimes get lost in interesting controversies presented here, such as the identification of the gospel writer and the identity of the Beloved Disciple kept anonymous in the gospel. Academic-leaning readers may get stuck wondering why the gospel writer included this incident when the other gospel writers ignored this momentous, remarkable, hard-to-keep-secret miracle. Was it because the twelve disciples were not present and therefore were not able to record it themselves (Matthew e.g.) or dictate it to others (Mark, Luke)? Was John’s gospel meant to fill in some gaps that the others missed, and being the last gospel to be distributed, the author had waited to see if Matthew, Mark or Luke were going to record Lazarus’ story? What was the purpose and who is the audience of this gospel and this story?

The answers to these questions may move us forward in our spiritual growth but most likely they’re not necessary to be resolved in order to grow in our faith. Father Martin doesn’t let us stop on these controversies but seems to say, “Keep the big picture in mind, keep seeking and asking and knocking and let Jesus draw you into a truth that completes your own resurrection and redemption story.”

One group’s perspective is missing: the twelve disciples who didn’t follow Jesus to Bethany. What would they have been thinking about Lazarus coming back from the dead.? Father Martin doesn’t try to answer this question. He does raise the issue that there is not any sort of response to the miracle by those who are present. In the beginning of the passage, we have the disciples’ fear of being arrested and/or stoned when they first get the news. We have their expressed resolve to go with Jesus. But then they’re silent. Do they accompany Him? Do they remain somewhere far from Jerusalem? In other miracles, we have them responding with awe, wonder, awareness of their inadequacy to be in Jesus’ presence…but here there’s nothing. Are we to put ourselves in the story and figure out how we would respond if we were there?

If I could change one characteristic of Father Martin’s book, it would be to eliminate the closed, binary questions (easily answered with yes/no) at the end of the chapters. They tend to dominate the early chapters. He provides more open-ended questions in the later chapters, that start with How, When, What.. If his book is used in study groups, I hope discussion leaders would modify the questions to generate longer discussions.

This book is a very in depth study of the story about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead found in the book of John in the Bible. The author, James Martin who is a Jesuit priest, does an excellent job of breaking the story down into relatable parts. Overall I enjoyed this book very much. It provides background history about the story and includes the authors modern day visits to the Holy Land. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in deepening their Christian walk.

You will feel closer to both Jesus and Father James Martin, SJ, by the time you reach the closing pages of "Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus's Greatest Miracle."

Father Martin, author of "The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything" and "Learning to Pray," embarks on a mesmerizing and meaningful journey with "Come Forth" as he analyzes the miracle of Lazarus's resurrection and asks us to consider what Jesus means when he calls Lazarus - and each of us - to "come forth." Father Martin offers both an intelligent and insightful journey through the Gospel story verse by verse reflecting on lessons about love, family, sadness, fear, anger, freedom, joy, and so much more. To say that I experienced "Aha!" moments throughout "Come Forth" would be an understatement - Father Martin writes in such a way that I felt like I gained a new relationship with this biblical text that not only helps me understand it more fully but also helps me relate more fully to it.

"Come Forth" combines a thorough analysis of the biblical text not just through Martin's own knowledge but by also surveying a wide variety of research, thoughts, and ideas around the text. Martin shares what resonates with him most AND why, but he also holds space for the reader's own experiences and beliefs. "Come Forth" also offers insights about the historical setting of the story, incredibly engaging meditations on Lazarus in art and the larger culture (often accompanied by illustrations, graphics, and photos), and brings into the discussion his own personal experiences whether discussing the times he's visited Lazarus's tomb or how his beliefs have changed over the years.

Along the way, Martin also shares abundantly of himself. He's never been hesitant to share openly of himself and he shares himself with remarkable transparency and vulnerability once again in the pages of "Come Forth." He brings us front-and-center with one of the key takeaways from this biblical text - learning to let go of the limiting beliefs that prevent us from experiencing God in all His glory.

“All of us have things that we need to ‘let die’ in order to follow God more freely, to love more deeply, and to become the people whom God desires us to be,” Martin writes.

With "Come Forth," Father Martin, invites us into the transformative wonder of the story of Lazarus and into a deeper relationship with God.

I will confess that I wasn't completely sure about "Come Forth" as I began my journey with it. Yet, what I received was an incredibly engaging experience that feels like part seminary and part spiritual direction. "Come Forth" fed me intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually while also offering me food for thought as a Christian with a disability whose relationship with organized religion has not always aligned with my faith journey.

Once again, Father Martin invites us into a deeper understanding of biblical text while simultaneously illustrating how the text is applicable for each of us personally.