Jesus the King: Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God

The C.S. Lewis of the twenty-first century? That is the statement that Newsweek so boldly proclaimed concerning Tim Keller. Nonetheless, he has lived up to the description. I first read Tim Keller when I picked up his book The Prodigal God. Since that day, I have listened to countless sermons and read countless articles by him. I quickly picked up a few of his other books Counterfeit Gods and Generous Justice. You can imagine the excitement when I picked up The King's Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus.From the inside of the cover: "The most influential man to ever walk the earth has had his story told in hundreds of different ways for thousands of years. Can any more be said?"The answer is absolutely. Written by a scholar with a pastor's heart, Keller looks at the life of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of Mark. Masterfully written, Keller speaks to both believers and non-believers. Each step of the way, Keller is drawing us to a deeper understanding of Christ and therefore a deeper relationship.The book is divided into two parts: The King and The Cross. In the first part of the book, Keller examines the identity of Christ through specific stories from the Gospel of Mark. He explains and applies scripture in a way that stirs the affections and produces a deeper love for Christ. The second part of the book begins to look at the mission of Jesus. Following the outline of Mark, Keller explains and examines Jesus' journey to the cross. Concluding his book, Keller explains the story of Christ can be our story too. Keller states, "It can be your story as well. God made you to love him supremely, but he lost you. He returned to get you back, but it took the cross to do it. He absorbed your darkness so that one day you can finally and dazzlingly become your true self and take your seat at his eternal feast".As a masterful storyteller, Keller draws us deeply into every story. The story of Jesus comes alive and fresh as we journey through Mark together. The book is of tremendous value. I have already recommended it and given it to a few friends. Anyone seeking to pursue Jesus will benefit from greatly from this book.

This book has such an amazing approach! Love using it for individual growth but also a great book for your next group study

I am half way through and Tim did a great job explaining the meaningfulness of the life of Jesus. I feel like I know god more since I started reading this book.

King's Cross is a study of the Gospel of Mark designed for both followers of Christ and would-be followers of Christ. Tim Keller's expertise is that he is always able to take a passage of Scripture and show how it's all about Jesus. The Bible is not about us, but always finds its purpose in every story in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.This work is not an exhaustive study of the Gospel of Mark, rather it highlights the two primary themes of Mark: Chapters 1-8 - Christ the King - highlighting His teachings, miracles, and authority as God ; and Chapters 9-16 - Christ the Servant - highlighting His sufferings that culminate in His death on the cross.Keller throughout this book manages to weave in and out how Jesus is the answer to all of the major questions, needs, and realities of life. This book is an excellent reminder for the Christian that all of life only makes sense with Jesus at the center of it. For the non-believer Keller makes a cogent case for the necessity of Christ in his or her life. King's Cross would be an excellent gift to give to college students, co-workers, friends, acquaintances, and family members who are unfamiliar with the main story lines of the Bible.The gospel in the life of Jesus is presented clearly, articulately, and compellingly in this concise presentation of Mark's Gospel. The Gospel of Mark gives more than just information about Jesus. It is the account of the person that every human being longs for. We all desperately need Jesus and Keller brilliantly shows us why. One cannot read this book without desiring to have a deeper connection with the Triune God through a personal and intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Got this for my Bible study group on the book of Mark, Keller does awesome work breaking down the passages. Great read and a good conversation starter, I would highly recommend.

The title tells the story. Jesus the King Understanding the Life and Death of the Son of God. This is an in-depth look at the book of Mark. The Gospel of Mark is almost certainly the eye witness testimony of Peter, as written by his translator and secretary. Peter of course is one of the original twelve. In the book of Mark he identifies Jesus as king over all things and then discusses his purpose in dying. Keller who has written many Christian books has brought about some new thoughts and even a new fact or so. I did not know, although others I am sure did know that the darkness at Jesus time on the cross was three hours, from noon till three O'clock. The drama, the sadness and the sorrow of Jesus life and death is portrayed wonderfully by Timothy Keller. There is one teeny tiny thing in this book that bothered me. This story of Jesus is so BIG, that when Keller refers of Anne Rice, Tolkien, Fran Kafka, Emile Cailliet, Lisa Miller of Newsweek and Nanei Helmich, of USA Today. ..and numerous other writers I have to ponder,....... J.K. Rowling and even Solzhenitsyn? C S Lewis, Jonathan Edwards, Josephus, these did not make me pause. Probably just me.

As a former Catholic looking to understand my religious roots better, I was highly disappointed with this book. Every paragraph from the scriptures is followed by several pages of “authoritative interpretation” that didn’t resonate with me at all. There are many ways to look at Jesus’s teachings, but the thread I found in this book did not make me feel more connected to Him. The author does a good job of selecting relevant passages from the Bible though.Having studied and practiced different religious traditions over the past few years, I also did not appreciate the author repeatedly saying things like “Remember, ALL other religions are basically advice, while Christianity is this and that”.I was looking for a more objective or analytical work, this book seemed highly preachy to me.

Tenia algunas nociones sobre la historia de Jesús pero muy sutiles. A través de este libro he podido entrar en profundidad en su figura, de una manera sencilla y siempre con un gran contexto que me ha permitido seguirlo de maravilla. Muy recomendable.

Timothy Keller always brings us news insights about known texts and subjects. Reading a book written by him is always a good and blessing experience.

Great exposition of Mark's gospel. A fresh perspective on the person of Christ and the gospel. Blessed beyond measure through this book.

EXCELLENT exposition of the Gospel of Mark. Its truths challenged and encouraged me as I used the book as part of my daily devotional reading. Keller is well read and draws insights from contemporary works to underscore the application of the biblical text. The way he handled the text helped me in my preaching style. He covered much ground in each sermon-chapter.