Review of The Man who built the Cross.

[Rosemary Wright]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Man who built the Cross." by Michael D. goldsmith.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

The Man who built the Cross, by Michael D. Goldsmith, is a fictional story based on the Holy Scriptures. It follows Josiah, a Jew and cross builder. One day, he was sleeping when some Roman soldiers stormed into his house, asking for a cross for another crucifixion. He asked the soldiers who they wanted to crucify this time, and they told him that it was Jesus of Nazareth. Josiah was perplexed. He had been one of those who had listened to some of the teachings of Jesus. The soldiers forcefully paid for the cross and took it away. Josiah felt so guilty because he just provided what would be used to eliminate an innocent man.

Patrous, a Roman, was the one that nailed Jesus to the cross. Both Patrous and Josiah saw Christ rise and walk out of the grave after he was crucified, and they cried and begged forgiveness. Christ forgave and embraced them before walking away. Would Josiah and Patrous go back to their old ways after witnessing these events, or they would start serving God fervently?

This book is intriguing and inspiring. Through the protagonist’s experiences, the author unveils the death and resurrection of Jesus, including how the apostles carried out the Great Commission. The novel is easy to read, and the plot is coherent, revealing Josiah and Patrous' journey of reconciling people to God. I commend the author for using a novel to explain the message of salvation and the power of the Resurrection in a simplified and engaging manner.

The characters are intriguing and likable. Josiah is a resilient man. After his repentance, he didn’t stop preaching or telling what he experienced at the tomb of Jesus, even Patrous. However, the characters seem somewhat vague. Though the author was telling Bible stories in a fictional manner, I think he should have added more background information about them to make them more relatable. Anyway, I enjoyed reading the book. It explores chiefly the theme of forgiveness and tells how and why Jesus died on the cross. Nonetheless, readers who don’t like books based on the Bible may want to skip this one.

Altogether, I rate The Man who built the Cross 4 out of 4 stars. I didn’t rate it lower because the author succeeded in presenting his message in an engaging way. Besides, it was well edited, though I saw a couple of typos. It’ll be a worthwhile read for any reader who enjoys Bible stories or anyone who wants to know more about the message of salvation.

******
The Man who built the Cross.
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Kingsley Emodi]

Christians will most definitely enjoy this one. Great review. Well done.

[Sia P]

This book, I believe, will be a wonderful delight for Christians. Despite the fact that I am not a Christian, I think this book will now interest me anyway. Thanks for the review!