Seeing And Savoring Jesus Christ

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Summary: Christology at it's best
Review: I read this book during a pretty dry and seemingly unfruitful time in my life (part of which I am still going through). If nothing else, God has used Piper to remind me that all of life is about the glory and supremacy of Christ. It is very easy for us to forget Christ as the focal point of all of history, and to look to ourselves or other means for satisfaction. John Piper, a man who is in a singular pursuit of God's glory by the means of revealed truth (the Bible), uses the same scripture to paint a portrait of Jesus Christ that we might leave both seeing and savoring Him more than we ever had before.

This book is nowhere near as difficult a read as many of Piper's other books are, but it exudes the sweetness of Christ in a most extraordinary way. None of the chapters are over ten pages in length, and as one reviewer already noted, each one ends with a prayer. For me, this book has been a great supplement to my pursuit of God in the Word. As always, Piper doesn't skimp on the scriptural meat and brings out verse after verse reflecting on the character and person of Christ. This is a great read for anyone who wants to know more about whom Christ is or even for those who want to be reminded of the sweetness of their Savior.

Including the indices, the book is only 146 pages long. Each paragraph is fairly short, and there is a ton of room at the end of each chapter to journal any thoughts or questions that you might have. Piper offers us two different kinds of indexes at the end of his book, the first is a scriptural index (6 pages long) with the second being a subject index (3 pages long). I've been reading it along with the Pleasures of God [Piper] and The Body of Divinity [Thomas Watson], which has worked out well to (again) emphasize that God is ultimately about His glory and praise from the farthest reaches of the world.

Rating:
Summary: The Jesus I Never Knew
Review: Okay, so I stole the title from Phil Yancey! Get over it! Seriously though, this book presented a view of Christ that consistently amazed and terrified me. It's so pleasing to my soul to know that Jesus isn't the mamby-pamby, good-buddy hippie that the modern Benny-Hinn-inspired "church" has made Him out to be. No, He's sooo much better than that! Piper does an amazing job of showing Our Lord in all His wonder, love, and majesty. He isn't afraid to show us the less popular side of Jesus that isn't afraid to turn over some tables and curse some fig trees too! The prayers that end each chapter are always uplifting and can easily reduce one to tears. All Christians should pick this book up and read it at least 100 times. Don't be fooled by it's size though: it's appropriately heavy stuff that requires meditation and prayer virtually after each sentance. In conclusion, if I believed in reincarnation (which I don't) I'd suspect that John Piper is Jonathan Edwards on his second tour of duty. Read it and grow wise. And don't forget to worship too!

Rating:
Summary: Powerful Christ Center and Prayerful Book
Review: This book is, more or less, a collection of essays from Piper pertaining to the work, glory, person and power of Christ. The preface is used as a type of 'apologetic' for the person of Christ. Following the preface are chapters which cover certain attributes of Christ, namely his glory, deity, excellence, power, wisdom, but also Christ's desecration, anguish, and saving sacrifice.

The book is a very powerful Christ-centered work demonstrating to its reader just who Christ is and why that is so important. At the end of each chapter is a prayer, and at the beginning of each chapter is either a Scripture verse or quote from someone (e.g. Isaac Watts).

Piper details the person of Christ, His work, His being, His actions and takes these and applies them to our lives in a very powerful way. Christ's death and resurrection are detailed and the significance these acts have upon our lives, the purpose of these acts and how these things speak out to us and tell us that what occurred is true, who Jesus is and what He has done is indeed truth.

If you are wanting a theologically solid exposition of Christ then this is the best book you could own. What is more, the book is a wonderful devotional work which will help to strengthen your prayer life as well as your time with God. Moreover, this is a very powerful work to give to those who are nonbelievers, since Piper seems to have written in such a way that the nonbeliever can benefit from the truths of these pages. I highly recommend this book!