Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper

Author:John Piper
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Tags: Biblical Studies, Religion, Christology, Christian Theology, General
ISBN: 9781581347883
Publisher: Crossway
Published: 2006-01-14T22:00:00+00:00

the Bible says, “In him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily”

(Colossians 2:9). The presence of God does not come and go on

Jesus. He is God. Where we meet him, we meet God.

God met the people in the temple through many imperfect

human mediators. But now it is said of Christ, “There is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). If we would meet God in worship, there is only one place we must go, to Jesus Christ. Christianity has no geographical center like Islam and Judaism.

Once when Jesus confronted a woman with her adultery, she

changed the subject and said, “Our fathers worshiped on this

mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus followed her on the detour: “Woman,

. . . the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in

Jerusalem will you worship the Father.” Geography is not the

issue. What is? Jesus continued, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:20-23).

Jesus changes the categories entirely. Not in this mountain or in that city, but in spirit and in truth. He came into the world to explode geographical limitation. There is no temple now.

Jerusalem is not the center. Christ is. Do we want to see God?

Jesus says, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John

14:9). Do we want to receive God? Jesus says, “Whoever receives me receives him who sent me” (Matthew 10:40). Do we want to

have the presence of God in worship? The Bible says, “Whoever

confesses the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23). Do we want to honor the Father? Jesus says, “Whoever does not honor the

Son does not honor the Father who sent him” (John 5:23).

When Christ died and rose again, the old temple was replaced

by the globally accessible Christ. You may come to him without

moving a muscle. He is as close as faith.

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