Rev. Samuel Asare Antwako Launches New Book Exploring Lesser-Known Biblical Images of Christ

Author Rev. Samuel Asare-Antwako has officially launched his latest book, The Messianic Images of Jesus, The Christ, revealing that the inspiration for the work emerged unexpectedly during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Speaking in an interview with Info Radio on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at a ceremony to launch the book, Rev. Asare-Antwako recounted how a casual moment of hymn-singing with his sister, who is married to a Presbyterian minister, sparked the idea for the publication.

According to him, the turning point came while they sang a Methodist hymn, particularly its fourth stanza, which describes Jesus as “my shepherd, brother, friend, my prophet, priest and king.” He said the words deeply moved him, prompting him to pause and reflect. He believes the experience was a divine prompting to begin writing.

Rev Asare-Antwako admitted that transforming the inspiration into a manuscript was challenging, noting that he initially questioned whether the project was worth the effort. However, he said he felt compelled to continue and ultimately structured the book around the stanza that inspired him.

The nine-chapter work begins with a section titled “Jesus, My Shepherd” and concludes with “Heaven Wants to Celebrate You.” Each chapter draws from a phrase within the hymn’s verse, examining what the author calls “messianic images” of Christ's relational portrayals, such as Jesus as friend or elder brother, rather than traditional theological titles like Son of God or Messiah.

He explained that the aim is to highlight dimensions of Christ’s identity that he believes have received little scholarly attention. He also expressed hope that the book will serve both academic and devotional purposes, revealing plans to submit copies to Trinity Theological Seminary for use as reference material by trainee pastors.

In addition, he intends to develop a workbook edition to support Bible study, prayer sessions, and church devotions, as well as incorporate the text into his own weekly teaching services.

Launching the book, Rt. Rev. Isaac Justice Arhin-Yorke, Bishop of the Wa-Bolgatanga Diocese of The Methodist Church, Ghana, praised the concept, describing it as uncommon for theological writing to be built around hymnody.

He commended Rev Asare-Antwako for crafting a work that encourages Christians to embrace Christ as their shepherd, reiterating that aligning with Jesus, he said, brings spiritual nourishment and comfort.