Behold the Man

The Kingdom and the Crown #3

by Gerald N. Lund

Jesus of Nazareth has been preaching in Judea for three years and has gathered many followers with his teachings and miracles. But he has also made enemies who fear his power and his influence and who have conspired to put an end to him by whatever means possible.

The family of David ben Joseph continues to follow Jesus, though the Savior's teachings now carry an undercurrent of sorrow and unsettling prophecy. And despite increasing danger, Jesus' ministry draws him inexorably toward Jerusalem. As the end of Jesus' ministry—and his life—approaches, the lines are swiftly and solidly drawn between those who will stand for Jesus and those who will tear him down.

The final volume of The Kingdom and the Crown series, Behold the Man, details the last week of Jesus' life—his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the spiritually fulfilling Last Supper, and the crowning achievement of the Atonement that begins in the Garden of Gethsemane and culminates in the Garden Tomb.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Religion, Lds, Lds Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Church

704 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Gerald N. Lund received his B.A. and M.S. degrees in sociology from Brigham Young University. He served for thirty-five years in the Church Educational System, and he served as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy from 2002 to 2008. He is a prolific and bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction and is best known for his historical novels, including The Work and the Glory series, Fire of the Covenant, The Kingdom and the Crown series, and The Undaunted. He and his late wife, Lynn, are the parents of seven children.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will just review the entire series at once --
I REALLY enjoyed this series. It's a novel, with fictional characters, set in Christ's time. I loved learning about the traditions and history of the time. It gave me a better understanding of the Bible and why they say certain things, what those things mean, etc.
I loved the perspective of "hearing" Jesus from a "real" person's point of view. It made everything come alive to me. It made me wonder, if I had been there, what I would have thought. I like how many of the main characters doubted at first -- and then it showed how they came to believe in Christ.
I give the series 4 1/2 stars -- just because sometimes things get a little slow and sometimes the romance a little cheesy. But, all in all, a really great series. Totally worth reading.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This very intense story is of the last few months of Jesus's ministry leading up to His crucifixion and resurrection. It is told through the eyes of Debra and David, Simeon and Miriam, and many others of Jesus's devoted followers. These series have been well researched. Most importantly they have given me a deepening desire to walk closer to my Lord and Savior. I highly recommend all believers to read these remarkable books.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bulk of this last book covers the last week of Christ's life. I thought it was very well done and helped to bring to life the story we all know from the New Testament, as well as shed more enlightenment on things I didn't know before. Highly recommend!

[Karen Hiatt Brace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed all three books. I am sad I am done with the series. Highly recommend the series.

[Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brings the crucifixion to life. Loved all the endnotes of the chapters describing why the author chose to portray a scene a certain way and how it could be other ways as well. The gospel message has so many nuggets of truth and connection in it and he did a good job on this series displaying those and explaining the parables, the significance of Jewish customs (like Pilate washing his hands) and giving context to scripture

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great series about the life of Christ. This book mainly focuses on the last week of His life and how it affected his apostles. Definitely made me think about my own testimony of Him and why I believe.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this series! I think I was hesitant to read this at first because I don't know how I feel about someone interpreting Jesus as a fictional character. But the interpretation was Very conservative, and almost 100% of what Jesus says is what you would read straight from the New Testament. The thing I loved about the series is that I learned a Lot about the culture back then--how it was to be a Jew living in Roman-ruled Israel. A lot of Jesus' sermons took on new meaning to me understanding more about life back then.

And of course, Gerald N. Lund just as a way of writing that makes it hard to put his works down. I just HAD to find out what happens next, so I read all three of these books within a week. I had only a few small things I didn't completely love--the second book seemed to focus a lot on the fictional characters, not Jesus, and so while it was a really fun story to read, it didn't help me understand the times or the life of Jesus more. Also, I felt uncomfortable with some of the interpretations of the Jews, especially the Pharisees. It seemed pretty harsh at times and well . . . sort of antisemitic (although I know Lund is NOT antisemitic).

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book much better than the first two. Most of the "story" with the fictional characters was basically wrapped up in the 2nd book. This allowed the author to focus this book on the Savior's life. Half of the book was spent on the last week of Christ's life. I appreciated seeing it from a personal perspective.

I also really liked how he incorporated all the disparate accounts of Christ's resurrection. Many of the Gospels' accounts don't fully agree with each other. Lund was able to tell the story in a way that makes great sense in a chronological sense with those who visit the tomb and when they see him, including Mary Magdalene, Peter, John, and the other women.

The writing style was typical of Lund, which isn't my favorite. But, it seemed less disjointed because there was less fictional story being told.

[Cristyertel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to start my review by saying that Gerald Lund is NOT my favorite author. He treats the reader like they are stupid (explaining his forshadowing, saying things that do not have to be said, etc.). His plots are also slow, I always felt like I was five steps ahead of the story. He is also very cheesy (sorry, life is just not like that).

Anyway, rants about the author set aside, I loved the perspective these novels gave on Christ's life and the setting of the time. I will now here are story about Christ's life and feel that I can start digging a little deeper into the meaning on things instead of just trying to remember the story.
I also enjoyed that Gerald Lund placed references at the end of each chapter, it was great to be able to research more in the scriptures.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to admit I had my misgivings about this series. How does one dare write a comprehensive book about the Savior?? But I was surprised and delighted. I loved this series, especially the last book. I thought the author wrote beautifully about the Saviors final days. He spent much less time on the fictional characters and the majority of the book is straight from the scriptures. I loved the end of chapter footnotes. I admire the immense research,and Gerald Lund's insights were touching and amazing.
Perfect read before Easter. Thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it highly.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was incredible!!
This whole series was wonderful! He does such a tremendous job of connecting you to the characters and really bringing the story to life. Even though it is a fictional story, I really learned a lot. I love that he includes notes after the chapters, giving you even more information. I'm just awestruck at what a powerful series this is. Such an incredible telling of the ministry of Jesus Christ, and what it may have been like to live in that area, at that time. Certainly helped me to strengthen my testimony of the Savior.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read this series again as it had been 13 years since reading them. Wow. Not a page turning series for me but one I love to go back to. It’s heavy. Especially this last installment. But. I love learning about the culture and laws of the time, it makes some of the events much easier to understand how and why they happened. Great powerful read.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good series. Gerald N. Lund really brought some the stories in the bible to life for me. I think he had some good perspective on parables and it was interesting to to see the Jewish culture, tied in with a good storyline.

[Lucy Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this trilogy a few years ago and it was everything I wanted when I first started.

For fans of The Work and the Glory, this book is about a fictional family in the times of Jesus. The author is clever in that he was able to write this fictional family into the main stories we know of Jesus Christ and His birth, life, and ministry on this earth.

This last book took me a while to read. More because I knew obviously how it was going to end and honestly I was not ready for it. But these last two nights I plucked up the courage to read it and I am filled with the warmth I used to feel when I read the scriptures about the Atonement, Jesus the Christ and The Infinite Atonement. It was wonderful to feel that again.

I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 star rating because it did irritate me a little when ever a teaching was given, we would then have to read about the family and their discussions and realisations on it. Not that that is bad, but it was written in a very cheesy way. Also I just wanted to get to the actual factual story that we know of, rather than about this fictitious family.

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of the trilogy, culminating in the events surrounding Christ's death and resurrection. Though I still think the author could have done better with some stylistic choices, since I really don't enjoy headhopping, which happens a lot in these books, I did think it was wonderful. Its hard not to love something that shows such a close view of the lives of the people surrounding Christ during his ministry.
The author, with his extensive historical knowledge, does such a wonderful job giving us information about the world, culture and customs in that day and age which provides to me wholly new perspectives on some of the events recounted in the new testament as well as Christ's teachings.

This was an incredibly informative as well as emotional read and I can highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys biblical fiction.

Coarse language: none
Violence & gore: no gore, but moderate to extreme violence (due to the informational details explained surrounding roman crucifixion
sexual content: none

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third book of the ‘Kingdom and the Crown’ trilogy chronicles the final year of Jesus’ ministry on earth. I should have read it last week as it was Easter week, but it’s a long book and I was just slightly off target slightly. No matter, I read it carefully and thoughtfully. It’s wonderful and sad at the same time.

To walk with all the followers of Jesus that we’ve come to know, to see their reaction to the unjust trial, and finally the horrific crucifixion was truly heart wrenching. The wonderful scene of Jesus’ promised resurrection was so special. His disciples’ testimonies soaring as they saw the risen Christ, just as he promised, was a defining moment for them, and us as readers. And how amazing for those special women!

Kudos to author Lund for his research and detailed notes at the end of each chapter. I read them all. I loved learning details about this ancient time and how it affected the people. It’s a wonderful series that I highly recommend.

[Nicole Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brought Jesus’ life as witnessed in the New Testament to life! This is the 3rd book in the series The Kingdom and the Crown. Following the family of David Ben Joseph & his family on their journey of meeting Jesus, becoming His followers, & seeing their lives & hearts change, was beautiful. The author did such a wonderful job of weaving this fictional family into true historical facts. I learned so much reading this series as it is full of historical information of the customs and traditions of the time. This book lets the reader see the last week of Jesus’ life through the eyes of those closest to Him. I add my testimony to theirs-that Jesus is the Messiah. He is the Son of God. He died on a cross for the sins of mankind because of His amazing love for us & He rose again the 3rd day. He LIVES, He loves us, & He is the only one who can save our souls!!! I love Him & am sooo grateful for His sacrifice for me ❤️

[Ben Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't give a 5 star rating lightly, but this book really impressed me. Based on the other two books, you know exactly what you are going to get. A fictional family living during the times of Christ and being swept along in his wake. The thing I like the most about Lund's writing is that he conveys the permanence of a situation so you have the feeling of being involved in the scene unfolding on the pages. If I had one complaint, it would be that I was hoping the book would go a bit further along in the history. But every part of this book I loved. He left the zealot side plot to the side for most of it, and focused on Jesus and his ministry. It was nice to have a reminder of many of the things he taught, and then have the characters unpack the lessons contained in them, felt very much like a Sunday school class with little insights sprinkled in here and there.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Lund's series The Work and the Glory where he inserts fictional characters into documented historical events and in connection with real people, Lund here creates a series around the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. I read the series after my daughter thoroughly enjoyed and recommended it. Like the TV series The Chosen (which my family loves, loves, loves - check it out!), this series made the life and teachings of Jesus Christ come alive. It also helped me learn much about the historical context of the New Testament. Although the books are a bit long, I enjoyed them and learned a lot.

[Crystalee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel a greater love and awe for Jesus Christ while reading this book. It makes the scriptures come alive and I intend to re-read The Kingdom and The Crown series several more times in my lifetime.

I am so grateful for a Savior who was willing to submit to his mission with humility. It was painful to read of his suffering and death, but so important to remember the realities of his suffering. He knew what he was born to do and He finished it. Billions of us benefit from his infinite sacrifice.

I believe in Christ and these pages help me know Him better. Thank you, Gerald Lund, for this inspired series.

[Mikenzie McMillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am SO impressed with how Gerald Lund painted a picture of the Savior’s last days in mortality…

The first two books of this series focused on Jesus but also on his fictional characters lives and their conversion to His gospel with other fun adventures entwined. However, the author completely and beautifully devotes this third book to be a witness of Jesus Christ and the last week of His mortal ministery. The way he uses scripture to describe what happened is done masterfully. There is no question, Jesus Christ is the Son of God, He suffered and died for us, and He was resurrected.

This was a touching end to an uplifting series 💕

[Janae ku · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gerald Lund has an incomparable talent for making the astounding stories, lives, and miracles of biblical times become real experiences of flesh and blood humans. It’s always a blessing for me to gain insight that helps me picture the lives and times of these people and places. I have not been gifted with great skills of visualization, and it has always made connecting with scripture stories more difficult. He bridges this gap for me with careful attention to setting, culture, and historical record.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me so long to get through this story that it felt a little disjointed, not because of how it was written but because I took such a long time getting through it. But it didn't capture my attention quite like the first one in the series did. To be fair, I don't think anyone can do justice to the story of Jesus's atonement and crucifixion above what the scriptures have portrayed. Overall it is a valiant attempt at such an impossible feat and I do feel like it helped me envision what it was like among the pharisees during that time.

[Tim Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone has to read this book... the author masterfully weaves together threads of a compelling fictional story line, Biblically consistent events and people (most of all Jesus), and interesting historical and cultural information about the time of Jesus. Characters are very well developed and real (most of all Jesus). Really felt like I was experiencing the Saviors ministry through the eyes of the David of Capernam’s family’s eyes. Learned so much about the history, culture and politics of the Jews under the Roman Empire as well as the events and teachings in the Bible. Extensively researched with additional background notes after each chapter. After my trip to Israel, I re-read all three books a second time and loved them even more, having seen the places mentioned

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lund had to rush this one, as he had planned to write more books and then couldn't because of being called as a general authority. I could tell it went faster than the others. But it was still fantastic! I have learned SO MUCH about Christ and his life. So much insight! Do not skip the chapter notes! I'm currently re-reading the 4 gospels in the New Testament because of how much I learned in here. I'm seeing it in a new light!

[Book2Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series. Gerald Lund is an excellent writer and really brought this well known story alive for me. Using non-Biblical characters who experienced the time of Jesus makes the history so much clearer. He always has a way of making the known new and informative. I think even non-Christians may enjoy this series.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this beautiful series!! It helped me understand a lot of the setting for the new testament and helped me feel like I was at the foot of the Savior listening to His teachings. It offers a lot of contextual insights to the parables and teachings of Jesus Christ.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this series! Gerald Lund really did great research of the time period of Jesus and puts you right into Jerusalem. It puts you in the mind of the Romans, the Jews, and had me asking what would I have done if I lived at that time. Would I have accepted that Jesus was the Messiah?

[Edy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I loved this series. For me, historical fiction puts historical events in a context that helps me more fully appreciate how the event was perceived, how those there felt, and the impact that it had. I highly recommend this series.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book best of all the series. We follow Christ closely in his last week on earth. There are tender moments, when he washes the disciples feet. We witness how it must have been when His closest friends experience His death. It is powerful.