Jesus Is Here

Charles Sheldon

Jesus Is Here

By Charles M. Sheldon

Jesus is Here by Charles M. Sheldon

Edited and introduced by James Bell

Published by Gilead Classics, an imprint of Gilead Publishing, LLC,

Wheaton, Illinois, USA.

www.gileadpublishing.com

ISBN: 978-1-68370-142-2 (printed softcover)

ISBN: 978-1-68370-143-9 (ebook)

Cover design by Larry Taylor

Interior design by Cheryl L. Childers

Ebook production by Book Genesis, Inc.

Dedication

To my Aunt Pat, who has led a Christlike life,

full of patience, gentleness, and faithfulness

Introduction

Jesus Is Here is a bold and imaginative sequel to In His Steps. In Jesus Is Here Charles Sheldon goes beyond the first book trying to figure out what Jesus would do in certain modern situations to actually having Jesus come to earth and tell us himself what he would do. This is a courageous step to take in a work of fiction and I know of no other successful attempts of bringing the character of Jesus into our very midst. It succeeds in a similar vein as the first volume as related to those who try to follow Jesus’s example in the Scriptures.

One factor to keep in mind is that Jesus will be seen through the lens of the author’s doctrinal slant, and also through the circumstances of that historical time period. This book was written over a hundred years ago and the focus is on social reform related to the lower classes as a chief way of living out true discipleship. Jesus challenges every major institution: business, media, education, and the church itself. He calls for massive change in the way they operate. Of course, he both draws some people and repels others, the latter group thinking he is a fraud and troublemaker. How will the main characters, both pro and con, respond to such a theophany? Jesus Christ in the flesh back on earth as a twentieth-century man! That is where the tension and drama are found in this riveting story. It will call into question behavior in every area of life and ask for radical changes in some. And it leads the reader to think about two relevant questions: how would Jesus approach our own world with its problems a hundred years later, and, where would we fit in if the very person of Jesus confronted us and looked deeply into our own lives? As with In His Steps this book asks a similar question: What would we do if Jesus is right here with us, up front, in person? The author’s preface, which follows this introduction, will explain in more detail this book’s history and purpose and its connection to In His Steps.

James Stuart Bell

Preface

to the 1914 Edition