I got this new John Piper book in the mail yesterday and began reading it last night. So far it has grabbed me like no other Piper book since Desiring God (which I first read in 1996). The title of this one, What Jesus Demands from the World, is certainly provocative. Is it okay to say that Jesus makes demands of the whole world? Are his commands for all people everywhere? Yes. The premise is the fact that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus, therefore he DOES have the right to demand things of all people in the world. Yes, his commands are for everyone. In the introduction there is a section I really enjoyed, in which Piper blatantly describes how he has carefully looked at, yet still passed over all other quests to find the "historical Jesus". This means that he assumes that the four Gospels are true, unified, and sufficient for describing what Jesus aims to accomplish in the world. "It also assumes that Jesus not only does things for us but also makes demands of us. And it assumes that Jesus has authority over everyone in the entire world regardless of their religion, gender, race, income, sexuality, nationality, or culture." (Mark Driscoll)
Piper says in the introduction, p. 26: "There are no exceptions. Jesus is not a tribal diety. All authority in the universe is His, and all creation owes its allegiance to Him." Yes, He does have the right to make demands of His creation. And His commands are not just for His disciples, but for all creatures because "He does demand that all people everywhere to be His disciples. That is the point of His final command: 'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you' (Matthew 28:19-20)."
With the season of Advent upon us, and the meaning behind this season--the coming of the KING--this looks to be a good holiday read and an opportunity to develop even greater appreciation and admiration for King Jesus.
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