Why Christ came
Joel R. Beeke and William Boekestein
Reformed Heritage Books
108 pages, £6.99
ISBN: 978-1-60178-268-7
Star Rating : 4
This is a useful little book, its value disproportionate to its size and far more appealing than its rather dull cover might suggest.
Presumably written for daily devotions, it is a series of 31 meditations on the reasons Christ came into the world. In format and purpose it is similar to John Piper’s The passion of Jesus Christ, in which he identified 50 reasons why Christ died. Beeke and Boekestein, however, focus on the incarnation of Christ.
Each chapter, less than four pages in length, is an exposition of a verse of Scripture, together with quotations from well-known Christian teachers. Frequent use is made of the Heidelberg Catechism.
Along with theological precision, there is a richness of expression and simplicity of language that will make this book useful for new Christians and long-standing believers alike. Here is a ready tool for family worship times. It could suitably be used as an ‘advent calendar’ for the days leading up to Christmas.
A pastor struggling to find fresh material for Christmas services would find this a valuable resource too, as each chapter has sufficient content to form the basis of a complete sermon. This is not to suggest that the book’s usefulness is restricted to advent; the gospel message is expounded in such a way as to make it relevant for any time of the year.
Thoughtfully read, these meditations will serve to enlarge your view of Jesus Christ and move your heart to worship him. Here are some selected quotes to encourage you to read more: ‘Not one of the Father’s expectations went unfulfilled in Christ’ (p.3); ‘Christ is the final prophet’ (p.47); ‘Jesus’ coming into the world is the irrefutable evidence of the Father’s love for it’ (p.50); ‘Jesus was born to die … we were created to live’ (p.56).
Roger March
Wolverton
