As a previous reviewer has noted, this volume is a tour de force of biblical knowledge, a virtual seminary course about Jesus in one volume. Yet it is easy to read, always interesting, and thought provoking. The early chapters cover the historical, social, cultural, and political backgrounds of the New Testament era. Blomberg does a great job painting a picture of what life would have been like in 1st century Israel. Then he has a discussion about how the gospels were composed and when they might have been written. He then gives a succinct summary of the events narrated in the four gospels, concluding with a nice essay onm the historical credibility of the passion narratives.This book does for the Christian community what Alfred Edersheim's Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah did for the Christian community over a hundred years ago, except to say that Blomberg's book is much easier to read. I highly recommend it.