I’ve never met either author of The List, but this book was recommended to me by a dear author friend. I purchased an Audible version of it but never listened to it—until last month. The Author’s Note in the appendix said that author, Bill Perkins, got the idea for this book during his first visit to Israel. Being in the Land, walking where Jesus walked, and being immersed in the Land of God’s chosen people made him yearn to know more about what life for a Pharisee and a Sadducee might have been like. Hence, the story of The List that brings Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea to life.
Back Cover Copy
The ancient prophets said he would come. And for centuries, the people watched, waited, and hoped. He was to be the redeemer of Israel. The all-powerful King of Kings who would finally and decisively deliver the nation from the iron fist of Rome.
Joseph of Arimathea is a wealthy man, but wealth can’t buy peace. Nor the affection of the wife he loves. Nicodemus is a leader of Israel who will stop at nothing to find truth. Sadducee and Pharisee – two men, worlds apart, thrown together at the most critical moment in the history of the world.
Set against the spectacle and grandeur of ancient Israel and the brutal violence of the Roman Empire, here is a tale not to be missed. Step into The List and experience the Christ story as you never have before.
My Review
4 ½ smiles: ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ 1/2
I confess, I started listening to The List a couple of years ago and stopped because the narrator’s voice was so deep—for men and women—I couldn’t suspend disbelief to actually hear the story. Second confession, I’m not a huge fan of only male main characters. HOWEVER (notice a BIG “however”…), when I was between listening projects, I decided to try The List again. I’m so glad I did! Having finished it more than a week ago, the stories of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea still challenge my spirit with questions, “Could I have been brave enough to give up everything to follow Jesus? Everything: all I’d worked for in life, family ties, my sense of self (Nicodemus = Pharisee, Joseph = Sadducee)?” Perhaps one of the sweetest surprises in this story was the very real influence Nicodemus’s and Joseph’s wives (Lyla and Sarah), had on each man’s choice to deny the long-awaited Messiah or believe that Jesus of Nazareth was, indeed, the Christ. The List offers us both insights into all three years of Jesus ministry, major events that would have affected the Sanhedrin before and during the Passover week of Jesus’s crucifixion. It also makes the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah come alive as Nicodemus and Joseph wrestle with the very foundation of their faith. I docked ½ a smile (star) rating for the narration, but for those who read the story—it’s well worth that extra time!
