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What Jesus Demands from the World

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"What Jesus Demands From the World" is not the right title for this book.

Instead, Crossway should re-title it:

The Demand-Driven Life:
Finding a Life of Incredible Joy by Following the Demands of Jesus

Why? Because living a life of incredible joy is the result of reading this book and following it.

What does it really mean to be a follower of Christ? You would think it would simply mean looking at what Jesus commanded us to do and then doing it. And this is what Piper does in 400 pages: taking what Jesus actually said in the gospels, and then simply but profoundly expounding on why and how Jesus demands that we live it out.

Starting with Jesus' demand to Nicodemus "You must be born again" and then continuing through loving and abiding in Him, taking up our cross, praying, humility, service, marriage, witness, and others, in fifty short chapters Piper covers all of Christ's demands upon our lives.

I've read hundreds of fine books that gave me valuable insights into the Christian life, but this magnum opus brings it all into one volume. Truly, if you could give a person only one book in his entire life besides the Scriptures, only one book that would tell him all he would need to know to understand what Christianity is and then how to walk with Jesus, this would be the book. Seriously. This book, like no other, lays everything out, in impeccable theology but brought down to a rubber-meets-the-road level. Chapter after chapter will have you saying stuff like, "Well, that's the best short explanation of what prayer should be in a Christian's life that I've ever read."

It really is not hype or my typical John Piper fervor to say to you that this book needs to be read by every Christian. Read it as a devotional, use it as a group study, give it to a new Christian, or go through it with your family: buy this book.

I think John Piper is one of the uniquely prophetic voices in our day (in the forth telling sense). I like Piper a lot and I believe he has made a number of unique contributions to the modern evangelical church at large. However I'm not what some would call a "Piperite". I would agree with the man himself who has said on many occasions that if you have read one of his books then you've read them all. My favorite book up to this point has been "Brothers, we are not professionals". In the age of the CEO-styled pastor, this book needed to be written and its message heard. I hope it continues to enjoy a wide readership. Buy it for your pastor and make him read it.

However, Piper has turned a corner in his latest offering that doesn't smell like warmed-over "Christian Hedonism." Not that the "hedonism" line of thought doesn't ring true for me, it does, it only took one book for me to get what he was saying. His latest book, "What Jesus Demands from the World" is a home-run and major work exalting the rightful Lordship of Jesus Christ over all things but especially over His own sheep. This book has a different feel that doesn't come off novel or "cutting edge." Could it be due to the fact that Piper is now a well-seasoned pastor with battle scars and deeper life experiences (e.g. cancer)? Whatever the background, I think the message of this book rings true because it drips with the words of the Evangel.

There are fifty chapters which summarize what Piper calls the "demands" of the Gospel. Every chapter forces the reader to come face to face with Jesus' Lordship and the daily demands of following Christ. The book's message doesn't seem like it's forced into a pre-conceived mission statement but it just flows in thoughtful prose and penetrating exposition of the Gospel. This is Piper at his best and at his most biblical. I greatly appreciate this offering from this immense evangelical leader and hope that more volumes like this one will be forthcoming from his prolific pen.

On a side note, one of the more interesting features of this book is the chapter entitled "A Word to Biblical Scholars (And to those who wonder what they are doing)". Piper realizes that most of what goes on in the name of "Jesus scholarship" is a large waste of time and resources that has confused the Christian masses and helped very few if any. His thesis is that the most radical Jesus to be found is not one forged in the rallies of progressive revolutionaries or critical patch-works. The most radical Jesus is the one who is encountered in the pages of the Gospel. With this Jesus, there is no room for passing thoughts like "what Jesus means to me" or "most scholars believe". No, the Jesus of the gospels calls us to embrace Him and bow to His rightful Lordship over all creation because Jesus says, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me".

Readers of John Piper's other excellent books (for example, three of his earlier works: Desiring God, Future Grace, and The Pleasures of God) will appreciate the way in which the solid foundation which he has set forth in those prior works has now been applied to the commands which Jesus gives in the four gospels. Having read almost all of John Piper's dozens of other books over the years, this one now ranks at the very top of my list of "Piper Favorites." Here we have a pastor who is extremely well-read and who writes from a solid scholarly perspective, and yet who has composed an extremely practical book on the teachings of Jesus as they address the main issues of life.

Piper is a man who knows the meaning of grace, and thus as he expounds on Jesus' commands ("the demands" as Piper calls them), he does so in such a manner that the beauty of the teachings of Jesus shine forth on every page. This is a book to savor ... and one which the reader will likely want to re-read many times due to the comprehensive approach which the author has employed in gathering together everything Jesus taught by way of timeless commands.

The format of this book lends itself to being used as a daily resource for personal growth. Its profound and yet easily understood insights on such everyday realities as prayer, forgiveness, and faith (among 47 other topics) make it relevant to all of life, regardless of one's background. What could be more important than understanding what Jesus says we are to be doing in our lives? And who can better help us to grasp the rich meaning of what Jesus says, than this wise, humble, and extremely gifted writer -- John Piper? This is a must-read book. Get it and let it take you to the heart of Jesus' message to your life.

A feature of the book which many will appreciate is the way in which Piper has purposely crafted his material into 50 relatively brief chapters, each of which can be read without a big investment of time, and then reflected upon. The writing style is extremely reader-friendly, and the content is superb.

One final bonus is the quality of its binding. By being published as a hardback this is a book which has the potential of becoming a resource for a lifetime of growth. The focus of this book is so relevant to everyday life issues that it is one which the reader will want to keep close at hand for regular use. It really is that good!

This book is a testament to John Piper's commitment to honor God. I think the word zeal accurately describes his attitude.

John arranges the precepts found in the gospels into fifty categories. He devotes each chapter in the book to a category. He explains the precepts with an eye toward revealing the intent Jesus had in giving the commands. Then, he exhorts us as Jesus did in the Sermon on the Mount to observe these commands with hearts dedicated to loving God and each other.

Approximately half of the scriptural references in the book are found in the four Gospels and most of the remainder in the Old Testament. There are only two references to Pauline epistles. Relying heavily on Jesus' own explanations also adds weight to our Savior's commands.

I found the discussions contained in the following chapters to be especially edifying:

* 33 - Love Your Neighbor with the Same Commitment You Have to Your Own Well-Being
* 34 - Love Your Neighbor as Yourself and as Jesus Loved Us
* 37 - Lay Up Treasures in Heaven - "It is Your Father's Good Pleasure to Give You the Kingdom"
* 38 - Do Not Take an Oath - Cherish the Truth and Speak it Simply
* 39 - Do Not Take an Oath - Let What You say be Simply "Yes" or "No"
* 41 - What God Has Joined Together Let No Man Separate, for Whoever Divorces and Marries Another Commits Adultery
* 42 - What God Has Joined Together Let No Man Separate - One Man, One Woman, By Grace, Till Death
* 47 - Let Your Light Shine Before Others that They May Glorify Your Father Who is in Heaven
* 48 - Let Your Light Shine Before Others - The Joyful Sacrifice of Love in Suffering
* 49 - Make Disciples of All Nations, for All Authority Belongs to Jesus
* 50 - Make Disciples of All Nations, For the Mission Cannot Fail

Generally, I liked these chapters because they enabled me to obtain a deeper understanding of the precepts. This was especially the case with chapters 33 and 34; "Love Your Neighbor..." To me these were the most edifying chapters in the book. John explains how Christians should love themselves. This love is not selfish, but should be the outgrowth of our desire to have a relationship with God where we enjoy honoring Him. This helps us see more clearly how we are to love others. Our acts of love are supposed to encourage others to share this same desire.

There were other chapters that appealed to me, because they underscored things I had learned; not necessarily mastered. They had the effect of bolstering my faith. I found this to be the case with chapters 47 and 48. John does an excellent job of exhorting us to glorify God and explains how this can only be done if we maintain a joyful relationship with Him.

Having said this, I must take issue with a point John Piper makes in chapter 25, titled "Your Righteousness Must Exceed That of the Pharisees, for it was Hypocritical and Ugly." Refer to the section in this chapter labeled "What the Pharisees Loved: Praise, Money, Sex." John interprets a statement that Jesus makes in Matthew 12:39, in which our Lord calls the Pharisees members of an adulterous generation. John Piper states, "But it is natural to assume that the word `adulterous' implies that the alternative `husbands' include not just money and human praise, but also illicit sex." His interpretation is without basis. Apparently, he didn't examine the context of this section of scripture, nor did he do an analysis of the word `adulterous'. Saying "it is natural to assume" is inadequate, especially for a pastor.

The Greek word that Bible scholars translated into the word `adulterous' can mean something other than physical adultery. The word was `moichalis' and it was invoked in several places in the New Testament. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words provides clarification. It states that the word can refer to physical adultery. However, it cites several references (including Matthew 12:39) in which it is meant to refer to Israel's spiritual idolatry. In this vein it was used to describe how the Israelites turned their hearts away from worshiping God and cultivated friendship with the world instead.

John goes on to say "When the heart is not deeply entranced by the glory of God, it is usually driven along by the pitiful powers of money and the praise of man." I believe this is true, but it would be fallacious to conclude that this inevitably leads to sexual immorality.

I am particularly concerned with this lapse in John Piper's normally rigorous manner of examining scripture. We need to be on guard to preserve the integrity of Scripture as Paul exhorted his disciple Timothy (reference 2 Timothy 1:13-14). There are several books on interpretation. I would refer to Robertson McQuilkin's "Understanding and Applying the Bible." Chapters 7 through 12 address this issue.

In his zeal to honor God John went too far in his criticism of the Pharisees. In a general sense I'm concerned with an apparent propensity many theologians have for making caricatures of the Pharisees, because they refused to honor Jesus as God. The truth is that we are all guilty of not glorifying God in our lives. That in essence is the definition of sin. Jesus judged the Pharisees strongly because they had refused to fulfill their duty as spiritual shepherds of the Jewish people. They were not concerned with learning Scripture with intentions to honor God; nor were they concerned with accurately teaching the people. If they had done so, they would have seen Jesus as the Son of God and the fulfillment of prophecy. Consequently, Jesus categorized the teachers of that time as hirelings as opposed to good shepherds (John 10:12).

Even so, this doesn't mean that our sins are less than the Pharisees (Romans 3:23). Any tendency to think that way brings us to a precarious place of self-righteousness (Romans 12:3). Jesus was not inviting us to join Him in a mass condemnation of the Pharisees. I think it's more accurate to say His intent was for us to examine ourselves for any tendencies we might have to emulate them. It's extremely important to handle the word correctly here. A zeal for God that is not anchored in truth can bring us to a precipice of falsely judging others.

I must note that John Piper didn't show a propensity for repeating this mistake anywhere else in his book. Therefore, I believe the book is a valuable resource and recommend it to others.

It's usually not popular for leaders to make demands of their followers, but Jesus made many demands of his disciples. John Piper, author of the bestselling Don't Waste Your Life and When I Don't Desire God, believes that the teachings of Jesus are filled with demands that show not only who Jesus is but what He expects from us.

Piper is intentional in the use of his word "demands." He explains:

"I am aware the word `demand' is jarring to many modern ears. It feels harsh, severe, strict, stark, austere, abrasive. The reason I choose that word is to confront some of the underlying reasons for why it would feel offensive to portray Jesus as demanding."

In this 400-page book, Piper explores 50 demands of Jesus. They cover a wide variety of topics beginning with "You must be born again" and concluding with "Make disciples of all nations, for the mission cannot fail." In between, readers find the demands of "Abide in me," "Strive to enter through the narrow door, for all of life is war," and "Do this in remembrance of me, for I will build my church."

Often a given demand will be divided into two and even three or more chapters that explore different facets of the main idea. For example, "Do not be angry" is examined from two angles: trust God's providence and embrace mercy and forgiveness. The result is a thorough examination of each demand.

In the chapter "Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me," Piper writes:

"He did not die to make this life easy for us or prosperous. He died to remove every obstacle to our everlasting joy in making much of him. And he calls us to follow him in his suffering because this life of joyful suffering for Jesus's sake shows that he is more valuable than all the earthly rewards that the world lives for. If you follow Jesus only because he makes life easy now, it will look to the world as though you really love what they love, and Jesus just happens to provide it for you. But if you suffer with Jesus in the pathway of love because he is your supreme treasure, then it will be apparent to the world that your heart is set on a different fortune than theirs."

These kinds of rich nuggets of wisdom and insight line the pages of What Jesus Demands FROM the World. The result is a deeply impactful book that will challenge readers to reflect not only on what they know about Jesus but what they have yet to discover. Piper actually designed the book so that it doesn't need to be read in order. Chapters can be enjoyed and savored at the reader's discretion, making it a deep devotional read or book for personal study.

If you're a fan of John Piper or Desiring God Ministries, you won't want to miss this book.

--- Reviewed by Margaret Oines

This title is a different style for Piper. While I read it from cover to cover with few stops, it would be best used as a devotional or a reference resource. Each of the 50 demands of Jesus listed by Piper can stand alone, so there is no need to read them one after another. His words are not quite as passionate as in other books he has written, but his theology is sound and the application is timely. While not vintage Piper, this title is still well worth the money and time spent.

"I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." ~ Luke 15:17

For Christians who take their salvation lightly, this book may shock them into reality. "What Jesus Demands from the World" is based on the words of Christ and for the most part the author takes them literally. He speaks out against divorce and shows how Christ sets an even higher standard for marriage.

I've read quite a few books on Jesus and this is one of my favorites. By reading this book you can see how many of Jesus' demands you are observing in your daily life. There are familiar and not so familiar verses so it is possible to learn many new things in each chapter. If you thought you only had to pray a salvation prayer to get into heaven, then this book might seem a little shocking to you.

Does your love for Jesus need to be an emotion or is this type of love more of an act of the will?

Is there really a hell and how can you avoid going there?

How can you love God and fear Him at the same time?

Could a selfish spirit keep you out of heaven?

Why is it more difficult for a rich man to enter heaven?

John Piper answers these questions and more. His insight is superb and the way the book is organized makes it very easy to read. Each chapter begins with relevant verses and this is followed by a brief explanation. You can read each chapter like a devotional or read the book in a matter of days. As you read this book you will notice the demands that apply to you and in this way you can become more like Christ as you decide on how to put Christ's words into action.

~The Rebecca Review

Praise God for Pastor Piper. He brilliantly and honestly expounds the gospels revealing Jesus Christ as He is decisively revealed in His infallible Word. This book will awaken its readers to, as Piper has said in the past, "the absolute claims of the Lordship of Christ over the universe." This is the best book that Piper has written because it reads almost like a devotional commentary on the gospels. It is not some guys' idea with the name "Jesus" slapped on it. It is Jesus Christ as the all-powerful, all-majestic, all-sovereign, all-loving, all-wise, all-gracious Lord of Heaven that He is. This is something lacking in most of the Christian literature that is out there today. This is a book about the centrality and the supremacy of God in reality. It is very helpful for those wanting to know the God of the Scriptures. I would also recommend reading John MacArthur's excellent book, "The Gospel According to Jesus." MacArthur and Piper are two of today's best Bible teachers-preachers whom the Lord has used greatly in my life via their books and sermons. Read these books along with your own study of the Bible. It is worth it.

A prophetic call to radical obedience to Jesus Christ. Brilliant, classic Piper! Whatever this book lacks in literary flourish, it makes up for in content. Piper excels at keeping the glory of God the center of all his writing. Through the pages of this book, he succeeds in keeping all who claim to be Christ's disciples accountable to the truth of Christ's demands as seen in the Gospels.

As an (unintended?) side effect, this book also addresses the suggestion that systematized Christian theology is largely derived from the epistles of the Apostles (primarily, Paul). If this were true, it would still achieve nothing of value because the entire canon of Scripture is the Word of God to man. Claiming that a particular doctrine can only be found in the writings of Paul and not in the words of Jesus is a pointless exercise based on a wrong presupposition that the words of Jesus are, somehow, "more Scriptural" than the canonical writings of Paul. All that being said, Piper demonstrates how all the foundational doctrines of grace and the Christian life can be systematically derived using only the text of the Gospels. A must read!!

John Piper's aim is to promote God-glorifying obedience to Jesus. Taking his cue from Matthew 29:20, "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you", Piper writes fifty chapters drawn from the commands & demands of Jesus.

Piper does not moralize the commands or create a justification by works paradigm. Rather, he shows verse-by-verse how the commands of Jesus are vitally connected with the life and gospel of Jesus. He says, "The obedience he demands is the fruit of his redeeming work and the display of his personal glory."

This is not a book meant to be read cover-to-cover. Instead, each chapter reads like a devotional of 6-8 pages. As always, Piper writes with energy and passion, utilizing a conversational tone throughout.

Although it would be hard to suck all the marrow from this book in just a week or two, those who find it on the shelf of their church library will be grateful.

Highly recommended.