Monday, December 21, 2020

106. Why Christ Came


Why Christ Came: 31 Meditations on the Incarnation. Joel R. Beeke and William Boekestein. 2013. Reformation Heritage. 108 pages. [Source: Bought]

If someone asked YOU "Why did Christ come?" what would YOU say? Could you share the why of the gospel message? 

Why Christ Came is a wonderful, little book that I would strongly encourage every believer to read and perhaps even read often. It is a gem of a book that from start to finish focuses on the WHY. It isn't the only Christian living book that focuses on the why, of course. But it is concise and so Christ-centered that it may just be the BEST book you'll ever read about the why. (I'll amend that to read the best book outside the Bible itself.) 

Why Christ Came could easily be considered a devotional book. There are 31 readings on WHY Christ came. One could easily read one a day in any month with 31 days and benefit from it using it as a traditional devotional. But it isn't only a devotional book. One could easily read it over a period of a day or two and benefit just as much. 

You might be tempted that this is a seasonal book. That it is a devotional book for the month of December, perhaps, or maybe March or April--whatever month Easter happens to be. But, in my personal opinion, that would be silly--foolish--to think that the incarnation was relevant only once or twice a year. Every single day is a day to CELEBRATE the fact that Jesus came to dwell among us. 

I think that believers should preach the gospel to themselves daily. Believers need to dine daily--find refreshment--from the gospel. The gospel may seem basic and simple at first, but, there is depth, substance, a certain RICHNESS to it that leaves one speechless. 

Each chapter states one reason why Christ came. That one reason may be drawn from one text of Scripture--or several verses. Each chapter directs readers back to the heart of the gospel.

I love that each chapter starts with a couple of Scripture texts. The whole book--cover to cover--is saturated in Scripture. The thirty-one reasons Beeke has chosen to highlight come straight from Scripture and are backed up by additional Scriptures. 




© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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