Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came To Die has almost that many reasons why you should read it. This multi-purpose book grabs your attention from the moment you open it. Quoting from Isaiah 53, John Piper dedicates this book to Jesus Christ. Immediately demanding thought with an introduction that knocks you off your balance and sets you into Gods balances, Piper opens his subject by looking at Christ and at Christians sin, including an apology for the heinous way many Christians have acted through the centuries. His aim is to answer the most crucial questionWhy did Jesus come to die? Not why in the sense of cause, but why in the sense of purposeWhat did God achieve for sinners like us in sending his Son to die? (17) Each of the fifty reasons covers only 2 or 3 pages. But each of those reasons and their Scripture proofs are guaranteed to make a Christian sweat, apologize, marvel, and pray. You will find familiar and not so familiar reasons herein. Just a few include: To Absorb the Wrath of God; For the Forgiveness of Our Sins; To Bring Us to Faith and Keep Us Faithful; To Heal Us from Moral and Physical Sickness; To Free Us from Slavery; To Give Marriage Its Deepest Meaning; To Free Us from the Fear of Death; To Disarm Rulers and Authorities; To Destroy the Hostility Between Races; and To Show That the Worst Evil Is Meant by God for Good. Closing materials include a valuable bibliography of books about the historical reliability of the Bible. Prolific Christian author, Piper has poured his heart into this book, using his winsome, straightforward style to once again turn a spotlight on his Lord. Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die is a wonderful book for private devotions, but its uses dont stop there. Among other things it is also a good reference for group study, homilies, and sermons; a fine source for family discussions; a wonderful gift; and a witnessing tool. This is a book Ill keep on my reading stand! -- Donna Eggett

I was so impressed with this book I purchased 10, and gave 9 copies away. Do you need a concise explanation for why Christ needed to die? This is for you.

John Piper,one of the foremost theologians in our day, is the pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis MN. Pastor Piper offers reasons why Jesus came to die that I had never thought of in the way that he has. I have a tendency to miss the joy that is supposed to be the hallmark of living for Christ, and sometimes forget that Jesus is living His life through us - it is no longer our own. As the apostle Paul states in Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.I loved Reason # 15 To Make Us Holy, Blameless, and Perfect - One of the greatest sources of joy and endurance for the Christian is knowing that in the imperfection of our progress we have already been perfected and that this is owing to the suffering and death of Christ (p. 49). I need to be reminded that, when I accepted Jesus, I became perfected in Him, as my life is now His life. What a blessing!I find Dr. Pipers perspective to be refreshing. He focuses on the person of Jesus Christ. And he brings to the forefront the supremacy of Jesus. There is no one more important in the world, and no one who should be so esteemed, as the Savior and Messiah of the world. Sometimes I have a tendency to forget that in the clutter and in the distractions of life. But Dr. Piper directs me back to where I need to fix my gaze on Jesus Christ. I also appreciate his perspective that we are to live a joy-filled life; that is the Lords delight for us!This book was provided to me for review purposes by Crossway Books.Reviewed by Andrea Schultz Ponderings by Andrea http://andrealschultz.blogspot.com

We hear that he came to save us from our sins, but it is so much more then that

My wife and I received this book as a wedding gift when we got married back in 2004. John Piper is my favorite author and in his 125-page book, he answers the most important question that each of us must face (in 50 different ways): Why did God send his Son Jesus to suffer and die on the cross? Although the book can be easily read in one evening, it might be better read as a 50 day devotional. A revised and updated version of this book (now called Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die) can be downloaded for free at the Desiring God website.