“The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem” by author Kurt Brouwer is an interesting Biblical historical fiction novel. The information presented provided me with much to ponder. I was engaged in the story immediately.
The book is set in 62 AD Jerusalem and tells the proposed story of John after Jesus’ death. John was the last of Jesus’ disciples to die. This gives readers an in-depth look into John and what might have been his thoughts.
The author did an abundance of research, which is evident by his detailed book. He brought the characters to life with his vivid script. A few times I had to remind myself this was a fictional account and not actual. His style was easy to read and quickly drew me in.
It was an emotional story for me. There were conflicts, dangers, struggles, and trials as well as faith and triumph. It was biblically based but more was added. One of the ideas I found intriguing was the idea that John was Jesus’ cousin.
I recommend this for everyone. It will bring the people of the Bible to life and have readers reaching for their own Bible. This would make an interesting book club choice. It gets a 4 out of 5 star rating from me. I received a copy from Celebrate Lit but these are my honest words.
About the Book
Book: The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem
Author: Kurt Brouwer
Genre:Christian Historical Fiction
Release date: November 18, 2022
He was the Beloved Disciple…
…and he would be the last.
The mantle to tell the whole story has fallen on him.
From the cross, Jesus entrusted John, the youngest disciple, with the welfare of Mary, Jesus’s mother. Over thirty years later, as Jerusalem becomes a cauldron of explosive tempers, he receives a calling he doesn’t want.
Will he listen and follow?
And if he does, will it be too late?
In 62 AD, the Jewish high priest executes James, the brother of Jesus, triggering a bitter fight for power in Jerusalem that shatters the quiet life of John. The Jewish people he loves are making dangerous choices that will change the land of Israel forever.
Should he stay in Jerusalem and help hold off the Roman onslaught? Or is it time to reach out to those beyond Israel’s borders?
If he chooses to leave, what will be his message to these foreign believers? What new words of comfort could he possibly share?
Set against a backdrop of actual events, The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem is the first novel in a new series based on the Bible and Christian history.
Follow along while John faces multiple crises and comes to understand what it is to stand alone and lean on only the Lord.
Your heart will embrace The Last Disciple: Crisis in Jerusalem because John’s story is the story of our hope and promise.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Kurt is a Christian writer, living in Hawaii. A few years ago he did a study at his church on the Apostle John. That little project got him hooked on the man who started out life as a fisherman and then became a disciple of Christ.
The more he learned, the more he wanted to know. What did John do after the Crucifixion? Why did he wait so long to write the Gospel of John? Where did he live for the last 60 years of his life? This historical novel came out of the research he did to answer those questions.
He started a blog (KurtBrouwer.com) a few years ago. On it he has written over 100 blog posts and a few Christian booklets.
Now he’s working on Book Two in this series. The Last Disciple: Escape to Antioch takes up where Book One ends. The Last Disciple is a Christian historical novel that introduces you to John, the last disciple of Christ.
More from Kurt
About 85 AD, more than fifty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Gospel of John struck the Christian world like a lightning bolt out of a clear blue sky. At that time, few Christians even knew that one of the disciples yet lived. After all the years, decades even, a new book of the Bible came out, written by the last disciple of Christ.
WHO WAS THE LAST DISCIPLE?
John the son of Zebedee walked with Jesus during his ministry on earth. He witnessed the Crucifixion and later entered the empty tomb after Jesus rose from the grave.
John, the youngest of the disciples, outlived all the others. In fact, John, the last disciple of Christ, lived for more than 60 years after Jesus died on the Cross. But who was he? And what did he do all those years? Where did he live? With whom? What do we know of him and his life?
THE YOUNGEST DISCIPLE…
John walked with Jesus when he was young, probably a teenager or very early 20s. He and Andrew were the first discples of Christ. John lived so long that he became the last disciple too.
A FEW DETAILS ABOUT JOHN
He was:
- The son of Zebedee, his father, and Salome, his mother
- Brother to the disciple James
- Possibly a cousin to Jesus through his mother
- A fisherman on the Sea of Galilee
- He and his brother James were friends and even fishing buddies with Peter and his brother Andrew
- Almost certainly the youngest of the 12 disciples
I GOT HOOKED (PUN INTENDED) ON JOHN EARLY ONE MORNING
One morning I read a short piece from BibleGateway.com by Jonathan Petersen, When Was Each Book of the Bible Written? In it, Petersen gave the approximate dates when all the New Testament books came out. The first, written by James the brother of Jesus, came out around 44 AD or as late as 49 AD. The most widely accepted year for the Crucifixion is 33 AD, so the first book did not come out for at least 11 years after Christ died.
The next New Testament book to come out was Paul’s letter to the Galatians, around 49 AD. After that came the gospels of Mark and Matthew. Other books such as Luke, Acts, and all of Paul’s letters came along in fairly short order. Peter’s two letters came out and then the book of Jude, about 68-70 AD. Then, for at least 10-20 years, no new Bible books came out.
The silence was broken
Finally, the silence was broken. After all the years, decades even, the words of one who walked with Jesus came forth. The Gospel of John came out written by a man who saw the empty tomb after Jesus rose. A man who would write five books of the Bible:
- The Gospel of John 80-90 AD
- The Letters or Epistles of John 90-95 AD
- The Book of Revelation 95-98 AD
A UNIQUE VOICE CAME FORTH
As John’s gospel spread from church to church, a unique voice came forth. What a miracle that must have been to first century Christians when the Gospel of John appeared!
That’s it for now. We will continue with more in future posts on the saga of the last disciple of Christ. If you can’t wait, watch the video above.
Yours in Christ, Kurt
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 4
Lots of Helpers, January 5
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 6
Lily’s Book Reviews, January 7
Cover Lover Book Review, January 8
deb’s Book Review, January 8
Locks, Hooks and Books, January 9
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 10
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 11
Texas Book-aholic, January 12
Connie’s History Classroom, January 13
Bizwings Blog, January 14
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 15
Mary Hake, January 15
Lights in a Dark World, January 16
Blogging With Carol, January 17
Giveaway
To celebrate his tour, Kurt is giving away the grad prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/2363e/the-last-disciple-crisis-in-jerusalem-celebration-tour-giveaway
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