A review of Why Christ Came: 31 meditations on the Incarnation by Joel Beeke & William Boekestein

Why Christ Came: 31 meditations on the Incarnation by Joel Beeke & William Boekestein

Publisher's description:

"When thinking about Christ’s birth, we often focus our attention on Luke’s detailed gospel account. But to appreciate the main point of the story—that the eternal Son of God assumed our flesh-and-blood human nature—we need to learn from the rest of the Bible why Christ came to earth. Why did Christ come? In this book, thirty-one thoughtful meditations answer this vital question, and the answers encourage us to celebrate Christ’s birth more deeply, see more clearly how it is connected with the rest of His ministry, and recognize its importance for our lives."

When we think of the incarnation and why Jesus came to earth, how many of us really get past "born in a manger" and "died on the cross for our sins"?  After Christmas is over, how much do we think about it?  How often do we ponder the incredible truth of the God man, Immanuel, God with us?

The authors of this book do something of immense importance.  In 31 short meditations they show us why Jesus came to earth.  If you look at the list below you can see what I mean: 

1. To Do the Will of the Father
2. To Save Sinners
3. To Bring Light to a Dark World
4. To Be Made Like His People
5. To Bear Witness to the Truth
6. To Destroy the Works of the Devil
7. To Give Eternal Life
8. To Receive Worship
9. To Bring Great Joy
10. To Demonstrate True Humility
11. To Preach the Gospel
12. To Bring Judgment
13. To Give His Life a Ransom for Many
14. To Fulfill the Law and Prophets
15. To Reveal God's Love for Sinners
16. To Call Sinners to Repentance
17. To Die
18. To Seek and Save the Lost
19. To Serve
20. To Bring Peace
21. To Bring a Sword
22. To Bind Up Broken Hearts
23. To Give Us the Spirit of Adoption
24. To Make Us Partakers of the Divine Nature
25. To Reign as King
26. To Restore Human Nature to Holiness
27. To Be a Faithful and Merciful High Priest
28. To Be the Second and Greater Adam
29. To Satisfy Our Deepest Thirst
30. To Be Loved by God's Children
31. To Reveal God's Glory

What is unique about this book is that it is designed as a devotional and as you can see above, is divided into 31 short meditations, each one expounding on one of the reasons Christ came.  This book is perfect for personal or family devotions, especially as we get closer to Advent.  What a great tool to use with your family this Christmas season, and though it is a short book, it packs a lot of spiritual food within it's pages.  That being said, you could also just use it for study, it is perfect for someone wanting to learn more, but not ready for a systematic theology type of book.  This book is easy to read and packed with Scripture references for further study.

As I read these meditations I was reminded anew how I could study and think upon the incarnation for the rest of my life and still never plum the depths of grace and gospel that are there.  This book opened up to me afresh God's love for sinners, God's love for me.  Truly to meditate on the incarnation is to fall down flat upon your face in reverence before such a merciful and gracious God.

Highly recommended, five stars.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.