50 Reasons Jesus Came to Die

Sunday we will be studying from Matthew 27:27-66 the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It remains a heated subjected today as to why Jesus came to die. In his book 50 Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die (download the ebook for free here) John Piper offers the following reasons from the pages of Scripture:

1. To Absorb the Wrath of God
2. To Please His Heavenly Father
3. To Learn Obedience and Be Perfected
4. To Achieve His Own Resurrection from the Dead
5. To Show the Wealth of God's Love and Grace for Sinners
6. To Show His Own Love for Us
7. To Cancel the Legal Demands of the Law Against Us
8. To Become a Ransom for Many
9. For the Forgiveness of Our Sins
10. To Provide the Basis for Our Justification
11. To Complete the Obedience That Becomes Our Righteousness
12. To Take Away Our Condemnation
13. To Abolish Circumcision and All Rituals as the Basis of Salvation
14. To Bring Us to Faith and Keep Us Faithful
15. To Make Us Holy, Blameless, and Perfect
16. To Give Us a Clear Conscience
17. To Obtain for Us All Things That Are Good for Us
18. To Heal Us from Moral and Physical Sickness
19. To Give Eternal Life to All Who Believe on Him
20. To Deliver Us from the Present Evil Age
21. To Reconcile Us to God
22. To Bring Us to God
23. So That We Might Belong to Him
24. To Give Us Confident Access to the Holiest Place
25. To Become for Us the Place Where We Meet God
26. To Bring the Old Testament Priesthood to an End and Become the Eternal High Priest
27. To Become a Sympathetic and Helpful Priest
28. To Free Us from the Futility of Our Ancestry
29. To Free Us from the Slavery of Sin
30. That We Might Die to Sin and Live to Righteousness
31. So That We Would Die to the Law and Bear Fruit for God
32. To Enable Us to Live for Christ and Not Ourselves
33. To Make His Cross the Ground of All Our Boasting
34. To Enable Us to Live by Faith in Him
35. To Give Marriage Its Deepest Meaning
36. To Create a People Passionate for Good Works
37. To Call Us to Follow His Example of Lowliness and Costly Love
38. To Create a Band of Crucified Followers
39. To Free Us from Bondage to the Fear of Death
40. So That We Would Be with Him Immediately After Death
41. To Secure Our Resurrection from the Dead
42. To Disarm the Rulers and Authorities
43. To Unleash the Power of God in the Gospel
44. To Destroy the Hostility Between Races
45. To Ransom People from Every Tribe and Language and People and Nation
46. To Gather All His Sheep from Around the World
47. To Rescue Us from Final Judgment
48. To Gain His Joy and Ours
49. So That He Would Be Crowned with Glory and Honor
50. To Show That the Worst Evil Is Meant by God for Good

"Make War!": Piper's Call To Fight Sin

Sunday we begin a new series looking at the Temptation of Christ. We'll begin by highlighting Mark's brief account in order to highlight the greater war behind His temptation and ours. In short, we will declare war over sin, temptation, the flesh, the world, and the devil himself.

In preparation, I strongly encourage you to listen to the following sermon by John Piper on Romans 8:10-17 called How to Fight Sin, Part 2. The money quote is:

I hear so many Christians murmuring about their imperfections and their failures and their addictions and their short-comings, And I see so little war! ‘Murmur, murmur, murmur… Why am I this way?’ MAKE WAR!” 


Listen to the sermon here.


This sermon and the quote above inspired one Christian rapper to write a song simply titled "Make War." Here's the video.




For more:
Sermon - December 20., 2009 - Worship the King:  The Folly of Misplaced Allegiance 
Sermon - November 22, 2009 - Self-Control in the Face of Temptation
GBC - Still Surviving The Storm


More on Piper:
GBC - Repost | "A Sweet & Bitter Providence" by John Piper 
GBC - Repost | The Critical Question For Our Generation: Piper on Heaven & the Satisfying Presence of Christ 
GBC - Bloodlines: A Documentary About Racism 
GBC - The Gospel Animated

Repost | "A Sweet & Bitter Providence" by John Piper

Why does God allow the righteous suffer? Perhaps no other question has been asked more than that one. John Piper in his newest book, "A Sweet & Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God" seeks to provide an answer to that question. As the title suggests, in moments of despair, we must turn to God's Sovereign Providence. Despite what we want to be true, God's Providence is both sweet and bitter. At times we rejoice in God's providence, while at other times we suffer in bitter despair.

Piper looks at the story of Ruth, verse-by-verse, as an example of sweet and bitter providence. Ruth and Naomi was in a dire situation. Husbands and sons had died. They were alone. They were in dire poverty. And it seemed that God's providence had turned against them. But that is only the beginning.

Piper walks the reader through this fascinating, yet neglected, story with incredible insight. I have never read a better book on Ruth or on Providence than this. Piper reminds us the unique advantage we have as readers: we can skip to the end. As we read Ruth, we know what happens in the end. Marriage, a son, a king, and a Messiah. But Ruth and Naomi remained ignorant of these things until they happened. What we see is God's providence, what they experienced was God's providence. The issue is one of perspective. Let us not forget that though we suffer, God is sovereign and good, He is provident and is working all things for His glory. Let us have a more correct perspective.

This is a fascinating book that is timely. In an age of economic turmoil, terrorist attacks, deaths, and scandals, we need to be reminded of God's providence. Piper is known for his firm belief in the sovereignty of God and Piper shows how practical such a doctrine is. It gives us comfort in the midst of bitter despair and gives us joy in the midst of wondrous sweetness.

I read this book through a audio download attained at christianaudio.com. Audio books have allowed me to use my time at my desk or in my car more wisely. The reader is Grover Gardner who has read several books in his career and has one of the best voices I have heard in the industry. I therefore recommend both the print and the audio version of this book.

This is a message we all need to hear, especially as Christians. Ruth is more than about widows, marriage, and a baby. Its about God, His providence, Jesus Christ, and the gospel. Piper shows us how.

Repost | The Critical Question For Our Generation: Piper on Heaven & the Satisfying Presence of Christ

I came across the following quote from John Piper recently and felt it needed to be passed along.  I realize that this is a well known quote from Piper, but it is timely in my own life and ministry.  Piper challenges both the believer and their shepherd.

The critical question for our generation - and for every generation - is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?

He goes on to challenge Christian ministers and preachers:

And the question for Christian leaders is: Do we preach and teach and lead in such a way that people are prepared to hear that question and answer with a resounding No? How do we understand the gospel and the love of God? Have we shifted with eh world from God's love as the gift of himself to God's love as the gift of a mirror in which we like what we see? Have we presented the gospel in such a way that he gift of the glory of God in the face of Christ is marginal rather than central and ultimate? . . .

Can we really say that our people are being prepared for heaven where Christ himself, not his gifts, will be the supreme pleasure? And if our people are unfit for that, will they even go there? Is not the faith that takes us to heaven the foretaste of the feat of Christ? . . .

Nothing fits a person to be more useful on earth than to be more ready for heaven.  This is true because readiness for heaven means taking pleasure in beholding the Lord Jesus, and beholding the glory of the Lord means being changed into his likeness (2 Cor. 3:18). Nothing would bless this world more than more people who are more like Christ. For in likeness to Christ the world might see Christ.


-John Piper, God is the Gospel: Meditations of God's Love As the Gift of Himself, 15-16.


For more:
Blogizomai - "Salvation Brings Imitation": Piper on Christus Exemplar
Blogizomai - Did You Hear?: Piper Interviews Warren
Blogizomai - John Piper on His Support of Minnesota's Marriage Amendment
Blogizomai - Piper: 15 Things to Consider about Abortion
Blogizomai - "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper
Blogizomai - Repost | "Thinking. Loving. Doing." by John Piper & David Mathis
Blogizomai - Theology Thursday | Piper On Hellless Preaching

Bloodlines: A Documentary About Racism

I really enjoyed this documentary of John Piper released in anticipation of his new book Bloodlines.  I want us to consider what Piper has to say here.  Racism is a curse that Christians must be cleansed of and Piper shows us how the gospel does just that.



Bloodlines Documentary with John Piper from Crossway on Vimeo.


HT: Justin Taylor

The Gospel Animated

The following video is an animation that presents the gospel.  The "preacher" is Dr. John Piper, a very well known author and pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Michigan.  If you want to understand the gospel, watch this.





HT: Between Two Worlds 

Desiring God Ministries:

I found this blog post insightful for those in a relationship and to those considering getting married. Marriage should not be first discussed after the couple gets engaged. But prior to the engagement, the couple should discuss the various issues surrounding marriage. The following list of questions is a good guide on what sort of questions to ask. I hope this is helpful. To read the original post, click here. Desiring God Ministries is the ministry of John Piper.

Theology

• What do you believe about...everything?
• Perhaps read through the Desiring God Affirmation of Faith to see where each other is on various biblical doctrines.
• Discover how you form your views. What is the reasoning-believing process? How do you handle the Bible?

Worship and Devotion

• How important is corporate worship? Other participation in church life?
• How important is it to be part of a small accountability/support group?
• What is the importance of music in life and worship?
• What are your daily personal devotional practices? Prayer, reading, meditation, memorization.
• What would our family devotions look like? Who leads out in this?
• Are we doing this now in an appropriate way: praying together about our lives and future, reading the Bible together?

Husband and Wife

• What is the meaning of headship and submission in the Bible and in our marriage?
• What are expectations about situations where one of you might be alone with someone of the opposite sex?
• How are tasks shared in the home: cleaning, cooking, washing dishes, yard work, car upkeep, repairs, shopping for food, and household stuff?
• What are the expectations for togetherness?
• What is an ideal non-special evening?
• How do you understand who and how often sex is initiated?
• Who does the checkbook—or are there two?
  

Children

• If and when, should we have children? Why?
• How many?
• How far apart?
• Would we consider adoption?
• What are the standards of behavior?
• What are the appropriate ways to discipline them? How many strikes before they’re...whatever?
• What are the expectations of time spent with them and when they go to bed?
• What signs of affection will you show them?
• What about school? Home school? Christian school? Public school?

Lifestyle

• Own a home or not? Why?
• What kind of neighborhood? Why?
• How many cars? New? Used?
• View of money in general. How much to the church?
• How do you make money decisions?
• Where will you buy clothes: Department store? Thrift store? In between? Why?
  

Entertainment

• How much money should we spend on entertainment?
• How often should we eat out? Where?
• What kind of vacations are appropriate and helpful for us?
• How many toys? Snowmobile, boat, cabin?
• Should we have a television? Where? What is fitting to watch? How much?
• What are the criteria for movies and theater? What will our guidelines be for the kids?

Conflict

• What makes you angry?
• How do you handle your frustration or anger?
• Who should bring up an issue that is bothersome?
• What if we disagree both about what should be done, and whether it is serious?
• Will we go to bed angry at each other?
• What is our view of getting help from friends or counselors?
  

Work

• Who is the main breadwinner?
• Should the wife work outside the home? Before kids? With kids at home? After kids?
  What are your views of daycare for children?
• What determines where you will locate? Job? Whose job? Church? Family?

Friends

• Is it good to do things with friends but without spouse?
• What will you do if one of you really likes to hang out with so and so and the other doesn’t?

Health and Sickness

• Do you have, or have you had any, sicknesses or physical problems that could affect our relationship? (Allergies, cancer, eating disorders, venereal disease, etc.)
• Do you believe in divine healing and how would prayer relate to medical attention?
• How do you think about exercise and healthy eating?
• Do you have any habits that adversely affect health?

Previously posted as "Topics for Conversation When a Man and a Woman Are Considering Marriage."