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Allow me to try to unpack the latest book from John Piper, Come, Lord Jesus. This isn’t an easy review to write as this book is not about a simple subject. This is not a book about the timeline or an argument for when the tribulation happens versus the rapture. This is a book about our heart’s readiness for the return of the savior of the world.
This book is arranged into three parts:
- Part One: Reasons to Love Christ’s Appearing
- Part Two: The Time of His Appearing
- Part Three: How Then Shall We Live?
“The aim of this book is to help you love the second coming of Jesus Christ. The contents and title were inspired partly by the biblical prayers “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20) and “Our Lord, come! (1 Corinthians 16:22). But mainly the book was inspired by the heart affection beneath these prayers which Paul expressed in 2 Timothy 4:8: There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. A crown of righteousness is promised to those who love the second coming of Christ. We pray for his appearing, because we love his appearing.”
John Piper, Come, Lord Jesus
In Part One, John Piper is trying to establish an excitement for the return of Jesus Christ that is authentic, biblical, and based on the reality we know of the first coming of Christ. Self-Humbling, Christ-Exalting Love for His Appearance.
John Piper’s meditations reveal that Jesus Christ’s return may not look to us, as we expect. But we should still be excited about it. Our expectations have to be based on biblical reality, or we take a chance, as the Jewish leaders did, in missing the entire point of Christ.
“But many in Christ’s day loved the appearing of the Messiah in a way that made Jesus’s goal in coming seem abhorrent. It contradicted their love of human praise. It contradicted their view of God as one who approved of their selfexaltation in rightousness (Luke 18:11-14). It made belief in the true Jesus impossible (John 5:44).”
John Piper, Come, Lord Jesus
John Piper argues in Come, Lord Jesus that we should look forward to Jesus Christ’s return as the most pressing thing in our lives. Every day we should think about glorifying God and watchfully waiting with hopeful anticipation.
In Part Two John Piper talks about the timing of his appearance. He defines and explains the context of why Christians believe in the “rapture” and his stance on the timing of it (I won’t spoil it for you). Although this book is not written for that purpose I did enjoy reading his scripture-based argument for when and how a rapture could take place.
In Part Three John Piper makes the argument, again, for being watchful and having heartfelt love for the Lord’s appearance. We should be patient, steadfast, and confident in our awaiting the second coming of Jesus Christ.
This book is heavy with scripture references and references to John Piper’s other written works for further study. I didn’t take this as a plug for other books as much as a call to investigate how the author has been saying this all along and his earlier works will more or less prove his thinking.
John Piper makes the argument for being watchful and having heartfelt love for the Lord’s appearance. We should be patient, steadfast, and confident in our awaiting the second coming of Jesus Christ.
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I’ve highlighted so much of this book on my e-reader that the highlights themselves could be a book. This book was as much a book for reading through as it was for study. This book got me excited about the second coming of Christ for reasons the world has glossed over and completely missed.
About the book:
Bestselling Author John Piper Examines End-Times Theology and Scripture’s Command to Love the Second Coming of Christ
Many people are curious about the second coming of Christ―what it will be like, when it will happen, and what signs will come first. In his latest book, Come, Lord Jesus, John Piper addresses all these issues, but stresses that those who love the second coming of Christ will receive a crown of righteousness (2 Timothy 4:6–8).
Piper examines key biblical texts around the second coming while encouraging readers toward a Spirit-awakened affection for Jesus’s return. He also explores important questions such as, Could Jesus come at any moment, or must certain events happen first?; What does it mean to “Watch, for you know neither the day nor the hour”?; and What should we be doing when he comes? With a special focus on the teachings of Jesus, Paul, and Peter, Come, Lord Jesus portrays not only the glory of the revealed Savior, but also the glorification of the resurrected saints.
- Essential, Christ-Exalting Eschatology: Piper guides Christians to examine whether they long for the appearing of Christ, and what this event will mean for Christians, non-Christians, and for Christ himself
- Careful Exegesis: Piper pays close and precise attention to the words of Scripture, especially with a view to showing how Jesus and Paul were of one mind about the second coming
- Practical: The final 5 chapters are devoted to how Christians should live in this age between the first and second appearing of Christ
- Written by Bestselling Author John Piper: Author of Don’t Waste Your Life, Desiring God, and Providence
About the author:
John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For 33 years, he served as senior pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.), and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years, he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem.
John is the author of more than 50 books and more than 30 years of his preaching and teaching is available free at desiringGod.org. John and his wife, Noel, have four sons, one daughter, and twelve grandchildren.