Christ Our Mediator: Finding Passion at the Cross (LifeChange Books) [Hardcover]

C.J. Mahaney (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1590523644 | ISBN-13: 978-1590523643 | Publication Date: September 21, 2004

WHAT’S THE KEY TO HAVING MORE PASSION FOR CHRIST, THE CROSS, AND THE GOSPEL ?

The answer is to look at the death of Christ not from our point of view, but from God’s. That’s what this book helps you do in a profound, strategic, and life-changing way.

Author C. J. Mahaney exposes our human tendency to look at the Savior’s death (and at everything else!) through our own subjective feelings and impressions, rather than from the standpoint of objective truth. By nature we always begin with ourselves rather than with God. But by following the God-first "Divine Order" in how we think—and by asking "What do I believe?" instead of "How do I feel?"—we’re freed up to embrace the right truth in the right way. The right feelings quickly follow, and they’re reliable because they’re anchored in truth.

The Secret to Sustaining Joy

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 emotionally wrenching moments of His final hours. As you better understand the true nature of His struggle, you’ll grasp more than ever the staggering significance of why Jesus died…and fully experience His sacrifice as a personal act of love for you.

Allow the deepest truths of Calvary to stir your passion for Christ our mediator into a flame that burns your whole life long.

Story Behind the Book

There’s nothing more overpowering than to climb Calvary ’s hill in childlike attentiveness and wonder, with all our distractions and wrong assumptions cleared away. This book was written that we might be gripped by gratitude and enflamed in passion for the Savior, Christ our Mediator, who suffered the Father’s righteous wrath for us.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

C.J. Mahaney is the senior pastor of Covenant Life, a thriving body of 2,500 in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. A dynamic preacher, Mahaney speaks to thousands each year at conferences around the world. He leads Sovereign Grace Ministries, a church planting support organization with more than fifty churches in North and South America, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Multnomah Books (September 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590523644
• ISBN-13: 978-1590523643
• Product Dimensions: 4.6 x 0.5 x 6.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #835,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Cross-Centered Book, August 23, 2005

By 

Tim Challies (Oakville, Ontario) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christ Our Mediator: Finding Passion at the Cross (LifeChange Books) (Hardcover)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cross-Centered, March 5, 2005

By 

Brian G Hedges (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christ Our Mediator: Finding Passion at the Cross (LifeChange Books) (Hardcover)

This short cross-centered book (you can read it in one sitting)is a helpful reminder of the glory of God's rescue of sinners from his own righteous wrath through the gift of his precious Son. Mahaney reminds us that it was our own personal sin that nailed Jesus to the cross and our own face in the crowd that cried "crucify him! crucify him!" And he points us to the joy and assurance that comes from trusting the love and grace unleashed through Jesus's substitutionary work. One piece of advice: combine your order of this book with "Songs for the Cross-centered Life," a CD produced by the ministry which C. J. Mahaney leads. Your heart will soar with the songs which express the truth of this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How to live a Cross centered life, September 23, 2005

By 

Joshua E. Garner "awakeinthelight81" (harrisburg, pa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christ Our Mediator: Finding Passion at the Cross (LifeChange Books) (Hardcover)

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.