Christ Our Mediator: Finding Passion at the Cross

by C.J. Mahaney

Book Overview

Do you desire more passion for Christ? Then learn to see His death not from our point of view, but from God's. Author C. J. Mahaney puts you at our Savior's side-and into His soul-during the most... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590523644
• ISBN13: 9781590523643
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Multnomah Books
• Length: 94 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.9" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

Focusing on the Cross...

This little book is a very powerful one. The book is summed up in one of C.J. Mahaney's quotes when asked by a Starbuck's barista, "How are you doing?" C.J.'s response? "Better than I deserve." This quote is the essence of this book. C.J.'s focus is entirely on the cross and what Christ went through spiritually as He prayed in the garden and left alone and forsaken on the cross. C.J. hammers home the point of quite the opposite of what is usually focused on: Christ's physical suffering to refocusing us on Christ's spiritual suffering. C.J. then applies this to the reader's suffering in life, joy and proclamation of the Gospel. There is absolutely no fluff in this book, it keeps coming straight at you over and over again. One quote I absolutely loved is: "If one were to weigh their suffering in this life, their sin would far outweigh it." C.J.'s point is that when we go through suffering we should not focus on ourselves but in the redemption and suffering at the cross. I whole heartily recommend this book to all. Return to the cross

How to live a Cross centered life

CJ is one of my modern day heroes. Through his humility and teaching, the Lord has given me a new vision of the Cross. This book can help you no matter where you're at in your spiritual life. Whether a new believer (easy to understand), someone who doesn't believe (life changing), someone who doesnt like to read (only 95 pages), or a scholar who thinks this is below him (very deep and penetrating). If you're serious about God, this is the kind of book to help you love your Saviour more. "Let the cross always be the treasure of your heart, your best & highest thought...and your passionate preoccupation." page 94.

Editorial Review has it right!

I won't try to add much to what the Editorial Review says, because it really does cover a lot. Mr. Mahaney's book certainly does approach the cross of Christ from a God-centered viewpoint, not a man-centered one, which is exactly right (cf. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' pamphlet called The Cross: The Vindication of God). What Mahaney does so well is to walk the reader through Gethsemane and onwards to Calvary; to evoke a sense of some of the physical and spiritual pain Christ was experiencing as he took these steps towards his substitutionary death on our behalf. It's a book that demands many more re-reads than Mahaney's little book The Cross-Centered Life, as good as that one is. Christ Our Mediator must be read many times in order to soak in all the subtle nuances of our Saviour's sacrifice on the cross.

Another Cross-Centered Book

Having written The Cross Centered Life, in which he exhorted believers to keep the gospel the main thing - the central focus of the Christian life - C.J. Mahaney now stops to reflect on Christ's sacrifice. Christ Our Mediator follows hard on the heels of many similar books timed to coincide with the popularity of The Passion of the Christ. Mahaney begins the book by asserting (correctly, it seems) that a visual presentation of Christ's crucifixion simply is not enough - we must also be told about the content of the story of the gospel. "The gospel message isn't visual; it's truth. It is truth to be believed, not simply a collection of images to be viewed" (page 10). Knowing that many people have seen the how of Christ's death, Mahaney sets out to bring sense to the why of it. To explain the cross, Mahaney presents a handful of reflections or meditations on Christ's suffering and death. Drawing on Scripture and the teachings of great Christians of our day and days past, he presents the gospel in all its force and power. He presents the message that people hate to hear, yet so badly need to hear. This message is the only thing that can save the soul, and Mahaney presents it with that sort of urgency. This little book, weighing in at only 95 pages, will stir your heart with renewed love for Christ. We could wish that it was a little bit longer, but clearly it was meant only as an introduction to this important topic. Mahaney is sure to recommend, as further reading, other excellent books dealing with the subject. He recommends The Gospel for Real Life and The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges, The Cross of Christ by John Stott, Saved From What? by R.C. Sproul, The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper and The Message of Salvation by Philip Ryken. To that list I would add The Cross He Bore by Frederick Leahy, a wonderful book of meditations upon the cross. Another challenging little book by C.J. Mahaney, Christ Our Mediator is a welcome sequel to The Cross Centered Life and one I heartily recommend. It provides a great introduction to the importance of the cross and will lead the reader not only to understand why Christ had to die, but to want to know more.

An enrapturing look at the Cross and what it means for you

C.J. Mahaney is all about the Cross of Christ, and why shouldn't he be? It is the only way to salvation, and it is the only thing that enables us to please God. In this book, C.J. will take you to Gethsemane and to the Cross and show you the agonies that purchased our glory. This book will help you to appreciate the reason behind the death of Christ.