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The Resurrection Wager
When two scientists develop the ability to go back in time, there is only one place for them to go to demonstrate their new technology. After they make a wager about whether or not the resurrection of Jesus really happened, the two set out to prove their theories. They soon learn that there are others who are interested in their technology, but not for a scientific purpose. But do they really understand the implications of their discovery - and what awaits them 2000 years in the past? ★★★★★ - "I'm not a religious man. In fact I had no idea this was going to lead where it did, and I loved it. The best read of the year for me." ★★★★★ - "What an exciting premise this laid out. It was a fascinating look into history and the effects of time travel. Incredible."
230 pages, Paperback
Published May 7, 2018
40 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 17, 2021
I have nothing against religious science-fiction, but this one did not satisfy my expectations. The scientist characters jumped to conclusions too soon. If Jesus was resurrected then he was the son of God and this proves the Universe creation theory? Not necessarily. Jesus could have been an alien or a person from the far future and using technologies unknown to us. There is no strict proven correlation if you want to use a genuinely scientific approach.
Also, the book had one disturbing idea. One of the scientists thought that if they prove Jesus was just a simple man then all the Christians in the world will feel as if they have wasted their lives because of false beliefs.
I am mostly agnostic and I recognize the great value of Jesus' teachings of love and forgiveness, no matter if he was the Son of God or not. I would never think that anyone who follows these basic moral principles is wasting their time. I think you as a Christian should love people around you not because Jesus was resurrected or because of hopes of heaven and fears of hell. It's sad to see how many religious persons prioritize miracles and hopes and fears, forgetting the teachings that you can practice every day because it's the right thing to do.
Also, the book had one disturbing idea. One of the scientists thought that if they prove Jesus was just a simple man then all the Christians in the world will feel as if they have wasted their lives because of false beliefs.
I am mostly agnostic and I recognize the great value of Jesus' teachings of love and forgiveness, no matter if he was the Son of God or not. I would never think that anyone who follows these basic moral principles is wasting their time. I think you as a Christian should love people around you not because Jesus was resurrected or because of hopes of heaven and fears of hell. It's sad to see how many religious persons prioritize miracles and hopes and fears, forgetting the teachings that you can practice every day because it's the right thing to do.
December 24, 2023
When a research institute in Boston discovers how to travel in time, they decide to demonstrate the usefulness of the technology by sending a team back to first-century Palestine to record the events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus and find out whether Jesus' resurrection actually occurred. In the process, they find out firsthand the potential of time travel to alter history.
I enjoyed the plot of this short novel, which explores the possible consequences of time travel, were such a thing possible. The writing is clumsy, with lots of errors in spelling and punctuation.
This is the fourth book I have read in the "Christian time travel" subgenre. In all four, someone travels back to first-century Palestine. The others are Randy Ingermanson's Transgression, in which a man goes back in time in hopes of killing the Apostle Paul, and two others, an Israeli and an American Messianic Jew, follow to try and stop him; Amy Deardon's A Lever Long Enough, in which the Israeli government sends a team back in time to try and film the theft of Jesus' body from the tomb; Tim Ferguson's The God Portal, in which an engineer who suffers from terminal cancer goes back in hopes of being healed by Jesus. A rescue team is sent back to retrieve him. Of these, Transgression is my favorite, but all four are worth reading.
I enjoyed the plot of this short novel, which explores the possible consequences of time travel, were such a thing possible. The writing is clumsy, with lots of errors in spelling and punctuation.
This is the fourth book I have read in the "Christian time travel" subgenre. In all four, someone travels back to first-century Palestine. The others are Randy Ingermanson's Transgression, in which a man goes back in time in hopes of killing the Apostle Paul, and two others, an Israeli and an American Messianic Jew, follow to try and stop him; Amy Deardon's A Lever Long Enough, in which the Israeli government sends a team back in time to try and film the theft of Jesus' body from the tomb; Tim Ferguson's The God Portal, in which an engineer who suffers from terminal cancer goes back in hopes of being healed by Jesus. A rescue team is sent back to retrieve him. Of these, Transgression is my favorite, but all four are worth reading.
December 27, 2021
The plot is quite good though there are some obvious holes. But the writing was clumsy and irritating.
If you want a really good book along these lines I recommend Mission by Patrick Tilley. I've been rereading it every Easter for years.
If you want a really good book along these lines I recommend Mission by Patrick Tilley. I've been rereading it every Easter for years.
May 5, 2019
This was a really good story. There were some editing errors and the story was written in a rather stilted fashion (no contractions were used), but it was still worth reading.
March 4, 2020
If you had the chance to go back in time, how would you use it? Would you save someone's life? Would you buy a winning lottery ticket? Would you visit a historic event to see it from your personal perspective?
This book follows a group of scientists, led a man named Paul, who is a non-believer in Jesus, and his longtime friend, Tom, who is a faithful Christian. Paul's Institute has developed the ability to travel back in time. At first, a machine called Clyde is sent back, then Paul does a few experiments to prove that time travel is possible.
But, with this great discovery comes the possibility of someone abusing the technology. First, someone gains a great deal of money by using Clyde, then another hapless man tries to transport himself back to do the same with unexpected consequences.
Paul and Tom finally decide to make a wager: travel back to the time of Christ's death and resurrection. Tom is eager to see the Lord and Paul wants to prove that the whole thing is a hoax. The book details their preparations to try to blend in with the people of Palestine 2000 years ago and the author does a good job in this area.
I have always been intrigued with the concept of time travel and this book raises a lot of the same questions that I have always had. Could you go back and avoid changing history? Could you go back and somehow convince your younger self to change something in a good way? What would happen if you changed too much and people in the future disappeared?
I enjoyed this book a lot and thought that the author did a good job in retelling the story of Jesus without being preachy. As a Christian, I appreciate this and I don't think that non-believers would be put off by this aspect of the book. I also liked the depiction of Tom's trying to come to terms with his lack of faith as he prepared to go back in time.
The narrator, Chris Monteiro, did an excellent job in his performance and added a lot to my enjoyment of the book. I will definitely be looking for more books that he has narrated. I was given a chance to listen to the audiobook version of this book by the author/narrator/publisher and chose to review it.
This book follows a group of scientists, led a man named Paul, who is a non-believer in Jesus, and his longtime friend, Tom, who is a faithful Christian. Paul's Institute has developed the ability to travel back in time. At first, a machine called Clyde is sent back, then Paul does a few experiments to prove that time travel is possible.
But, with this great discovery comes the possibility of someone abusing the technology. First, someone gains a great deal of money by using Clyde, then another hapless man tries to transport himself back to do the same with unexpected consequences.
Paul and Tom finally decide to make a wager: travel back to the time of Christ's death and resurrection. Tom is eager to see the Lord and Paul wants to prove that the whole thing is a hoax. The book details their preparations to try to blend in with the people of Palestine 2000 years ago and the author does a good job in this area.
I have always been intrigued with the concept of time travel and this book raises a lot of the same questions that I have always had. Could you go back and avoid changing history? Could you go back and somehow convince your younger self to change something in a good way? What would happen if you changed too much and people in the future disappeared?
I enjoyed this book a lot and thought that the author did a good job in retelling the story of Jesus without being preachy. As a Christian, I appreciate this and I don't think that non-believers would be put off by this aspect of the book. I also liked the depiction of Tom's trying to come to terms with his lack of faith as he prepared to go back in time.
The narrator, Chris Monteiro, did an excellent job in his performance and added a lot to my enjoyment of the book. I will definitely be looking for more books that he has narrated. I was given a chance to listen to the audiobook version of this book by the author/narrator/publisher and chose to review it.
December 24, 2023
Time-travelers go back to the Crucifixion to find out the truth. This book is based on such an intriguing premise that it's almost impossible not to plunge into it, feeling compelled to keep reading, despite the unfortunate fact that the book is very poorly written w/many embarrassing usage, syntax & spelling errors abounding (ie; "we have to be sure that a change takes places" "wonder around for a day" "Catherine's interest was peaked" "they were in a big hurray" "the Boing 737" "the driver...was not able to touch the breaks" "the driver was pressing the brake peddle" "he almost rear-ended the Herse" etc..). The author writes in a plain, concrete style, with a misquided focus at times (ie; spending unnecessary time detailing things like what the characters are eating, wearing & driving). This seems to be written by an amateur, w/inadequate editorial support. The writing-style comes across as childish: reminiscent of a middle-schooler writing an overly ambitious assignment for his teacher. The writing issues detract substantially from the credibility & effectiveness of this book, which centers ironically around a team of PhD scientists trained in quantum mechanics (a sad counterfoil to the clumsy skills of the narrator). Had the writing been better (within the acceptable range), I would've given this book a higher rating. It's unfortunate that so many things detract from the storyline, because it's certainly a compelling plot, w/an unusual but satisfying closure at the end.
February 25, 2020
This is an intriguing time travel story. I think both Christians and non-Christians will enjoy it.
The characters are interesting and well-developed, and the author provides a good sense of their personalities and motivations.
The way the wager turns out is not the most important conclusion. Rather, the novel provides good insights for those of us who hope time travel will someday become possible. It’s not what you might expect from a time travel novel.
One thing I found a bit distracting is that the author seems to avoid using contractions. This made the language sound a bit stilted at times, especially in the audiobook. But it does not (or doesn’t 😃) detract too much from enjoying the story.
The audiobook is narrated by Chris Monteiro. This was the first time I’ve listened to something he narrates. He did a great job and I would definitely choose another book narrated by him. 
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
The characters are interesting and well-developed, and the author provides a good sense of their personalities and motivations.
The way the wager turns out is not the most important conclusion. Rather, the novel provides good insights for those of us who hope time travel will someday become possible. It’s not what you might expect from a time travel novel.
One thing I found a bit distracting is that the author seems to avoid using contractions. This made the language sound a bit stilted at times, especially in the audiobook. But it does not (or doesn’t 😃) detract too much from enjoying the story.
The audiobook is narrated by Chris Monteiro. This was the first time I’ve listened to something he narrates. He did a great job and I would definitely choose another book narrated by him. 
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
September 2, 2021
I have read a lot of time travel books, its by far my favorite genre and as such I have imagined scenarios if I had the ability to travel in time and I have to say I think I would immediately travel to the time of Jesus Christ to see it for myself. This book is about someone who decided to do the same, one person who was a believer and one who was not. They made a wager about what they would see (kind of strange since wagering is against the teaching of the bible but no one is perfect) This book is in the Christian Science Fiction genre, I understand there are others similar to this and I plan on reading them as well. This was very well done and gives some plausibility to how they could go and see this but not bring back undeniable evidence. I don't really need to tell you what they see, its in the bible after all. Several things in this book hit me in the feels a lot harder than I thought possible, bravo Christopher Coates, please write more like this!
July 27, 2025
What an odd book.
There's a moment that occurs during the story. They've gone back in time to see Jesus (the title gives this away). When they do see him, something happens that is extraordinary, spine-chilling, baffling. If this happened to you, it would change your life completely. But in the hands of Mr Coates, the incident is described in the same way he describes the characters making an evening meal later that day. The characters aren't changed in the slightest. They speak about it in the same tone they speak about the most everyday things.
That's the thing. There's great imagination in the story, especially in the problems and world-changing nature of time travel. But seeing literal miracles is handled in the same way as walking down the street. They travel to Jerusalem at the time of Jesus and none of it is described.
Read if you like big ideas. If you want something that will transport you to another world, this isn't it. Sorry to be so negative.
There's a moment that occurs during the story. They've gone back in time to see Jesus (the title gives this away). When they do see him, something happens that is extraordinary, spine-chilling, baffling. If this happened to you, it would change your life completely. But in the hands of Mr Coates, the incident is described in the same way he describes the characters making an evening meal later that day. The characters aren't changed in the slightest. They speak about it in the same tone they speak about the most everyday things.
That's the thing. There's great imagination in the story, especially in the problems and world-changing nature of time travel. But seeing literal miracles is handled in the same way as walking down the street. They travel to Jerusalem at the time of Jesus and none of it is described.
Read if you like big ideas. If you want something that will transport you to another world, this isn't it. Sorry to be so negative.
April 30, 2024
I feel like I missed something. They established that Jesus existed, that he survived/was resurrected from his crucifixion, and then just ignored that whole thing (which is also the title of the book!)? And eventually decided to completely undo everything, even time travel?
Good time travel is hard to write, very hard. And I thought Coates was doing okay, with the consideration of how any travel into the past will inevitably alter the future. But the whole "Son of God" thing, the reason they went back, was completely dropped almost as soon as they answered it.
I'm confused and totally wondering what I missed.
Good time travel is hard to write, very hard. And I thought Coates was doing okay, with the consideration of how any travel into the past will inevitably alter the future. But the whole "Son of God" thing, the reason they went back, was completely dropped almost as soon as they answered it.
I'm confused and totally wondering what I missed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2021
Interesting read
I enjoyed this book. In fact I read it in a day. Traveling through time! What a concept. The things I could change. Maybe not get married at 19. But then 3 of my children wouldn't exist. That is the concept of this book. Do we want to travel to the past or the future? What will change if we do? These men in this book decide to make wager about Jesus' resurrection. A really interesting story.
I enjoyed this book. In fact I read it in a day. Traveling through time! What a concept. The things I could change. Maybe not get married at 19. But then 3 of my children wouldn't exist. That is the concept of this book. Do we want to travel to the past or the future? What will change if we do? These men in this book decide to make wager about Jesus' resurrection. A really interesting story.
November 20, 2021
A nice story focused around the invention of time travel. Nothing crazy or wild. It's a shorter read that doesn't stray away of thinking too much. I liked how the author kept things simple and didn't convolute the story with any other advanced sci-fi tropes. All the focus is on the main characters and their connection to the plot.
April 22, 2019
Great story
I loved this story. In the first half there were a few mundane moments that I felt weren't necessary however the rest of the book made up for it. What an exciting premise this laid out. It was a fascinating look into history and the effects of time travel. Incredible!
I loved this story. In the first half there were a few mundane moments that I felt weren't necessary however the rest of the book made up for it. What an exciting premise this laid out. It was a fascinating look into history and the effects of time travel. Incredible!
July 27, 2023
I loved his writing in other books,but I greatly enjoyed the story he is telling in this book. So creative, and a mixture or time travel. the danger of time travel and Jesus Christ. It definitely held my attention.
November 25, 2023
What is faith?
Christopher Coates tells an engaging story about faith. Believing without seeing. He transports us to the time of Jesus. We follow Jesus in His last days and ultimately we are called to believe in the Resurrection on faith. Highly recommend!!
Christopher Coates tells an engaging story about faith. Believing without seeing. He transports us to the time of Jesus. We follow Jesus in His last days and ultimately we are called to believe in the Resurrection on faith. Highly recommend!!
February 26, 2025
Good Book.
I don’t read a lot of books but I like this author Christopher Coats. I have read three of his books and I don’t read a lot of books because I lose interest and some books I never finish. Didn’t lose interest in his books.
I don’t read a lot of books but I like this author Christopher Coats. I have read three of his books and I don’t read a lot of books because I lose interest and some books I never finish. Didn’t lose interest in his books.
March 28, 2025
Slightly incoherent story about three time travellers who go back in time to witness the death and resurrection of Christ. Don't understand the near ending, where one of the travellers does not return home, at all. Good idea though.
February 15, 2020
A beautiful well written story
A very well written beautiful story and it should get a thousand stars rating.
The best story I have read in a long time
A very well written beautiful story and it should get a thousand stars rating.
The best story I have read in a long time
March 4, 2020
Interesting material for a book, but too much information given too slowly in the first half. Keep reading, it gets better! The narrator did a very good job!
May 21, 2020
A great book! Hard to put down.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. A different twist on time travel, believable characters, and good coordination with bible time line.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. A different twist on time travel, believable characters, and good coordination with bible time line.
August 6, 2021
Qick read
A lovely quick read novel that leaves you feeling good and happy!
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A lovely quick read novel that leaves you feeling good and happy!
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews