Take This Cup by Bodie and Brock Thoene

★★★★★
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Nehemiah, the young son of a Jewish woman, a weaver from Jerusalem, is born and raised among the Jews who didn't return to Jerusalem from the Exile. Educated by Rabbi Kagba, one of the magi present at Jesus' birth thirty years earlier, Nehemiah grows up with the expectation of a soon-coming Messiah. Could the Yeshua of Nazareth, who is walking the earth, reportedly doing miracles, be that Messiah?

When young Nehemiah must travel the long caravan road to Jerusalem, he is charged with an unusual mission – to carry a mysterious object back to the holy city of Jerusalem… an object whose reappearance heralds the Messiah's arrival. Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem just as the final events of Jesus' earthly ministry are coming to a climax: the Feast of Dedication, the Triumphal Entry, the last cleansing of the Temple, and culminating at the Last Supper in the Upper Room. Only Nehemiah understands the true sacrifice that is to come as he makes the cup worthy of his Savior.

Bodie and Brock Thoene’s Take This Cup fascinated me. The Thoenes have an extraordinary ability to weave together prophecies and histories and teachings from all over the Scriptures into one brilliant and cohesive story. The narrative presents and connects the material in an original way, one I hadn’t previously considered even though I am familiar with the referenced texts. In light of Indiana Jones and Monty Python, this exploration of the Holy Grail’s theoretical origins and history leading to the Last Supper continually and completely intrigued me, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in biblical literature. Although it is the second novel in The Jerusalem Chronicles series (following When Jesus Wept), Take This Cup can be read on its own without confusion. Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a free copy of this book, as well as the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)