| Title | : | Kings Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0525952101 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780525952107 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 250 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 2011 |
In it, Keller shows how the story of Jesus is at once cosmic, historical, and personal, calling each of us to look anew at our relationship with God. Like Keller's other books it has tremendous crossover appeal, but it is also ideal for the faithful, those who are looking for a closer connection to Jesus and Christianity.
bestselling author and nationally renowned minister Timothy Keller unlocks new insights into the life of Jesus Christ.
Kings Cross: The Story of the World in the Life of Jesus Reviews
-
I'm all kinds of happy with this book. I've either liked or loved all of Keller's books. But this one is my favorite. It carries all of Keller's popular themes: justice, idols, gospel critique of religion, and worldview challenge. But they are all brought out from the text of the Gospel of Mark. The strength of this book is that it helped me trust in and love Christ more. Also, it's a wonderful example of reading the gospels. It's a wonderful book to read for devotions or hand to a skeptic.
-
I cannot recommend "King's Cross" highly enough. There were so many parts that spoke to me, that brought me to new awareness of the gift of Jesus to the World.
How can it be that we have lost the urgency, the joy, the passion that is the real and true story of Jesus. Like C.S. Lewis, Timothy Keller opens my brain to new pathways of understanding of just how significant the death of Jesus on the cross is.
I know this seems weird to say. I'm a Christian - one would think I'm feeling this all the time. But, I'm not. Honestly, sometimes I think I am more worried about hurting a person's feelings, or offending a person by sharing the story of Jesus. Keller explains gospel means "news that brings great joy"--why in the world wouldn't I be eager to share that with someone?
How have we lost that? How have we let the world convince us that sharing Jesus' news of great joy is not a good thing?
I'd like to entice you with excerpts, but I practically have to quote the whole book! I'll give you some pictures of the essence.
In Chapter 1, we learn that the Trinity (the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit) are
"each centering on the others, adoring and serving them . . . this makes God infinitely, profoundly happy . . . if it's true that this world has been created by the Triune God, then ultimate reality is a dance . . . if this world was made by a Triune God, relationships of love are what life is really about . . . He must have created us not to get joy, but to give it".
The author then goes on to the story of Jesus temptation in the wilderness. He explains the wilderness is a battleground, and Satan is wanting to tempt us away from the dance. Using the story of Adam, Keller explains that God said to Adam
"because you love me, don't eat from the tree--just because I say so. . . Obey me about the tree and you will live".
We know that Adam didn't live up to his end of the bargain.
Now Satan goes to Jesus in the wilderness - Satan comes to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane,
"the ultimate antigarden to the Garden of Eden. . .God said to Jesus, 'Obey me about the tree',--only this time the tree was a cross--and you will die. And Jesus did. He has gone before you into the heart of a very real battle to draw you into the ultimate reality of the dance. What He has enjoyed from all eternity, he has come to offer to you".
In the afterward of the book, Keller tells us that "Steven Spielberg was refused any Oscars until he stopped making movies with only happy endings, yet his fairy tale-ending movies are his most popular. . . critics observe this and scowl that, of course, "escapist" stories will always be popular".
He (Keller) goes on to say that Tolkien argues that
"people sense that such stories point to some underlying Reality. As we read or watch them, we are being told that the world is certainly filled with danger . . . nonetheless there is a meaning to things, there is a difference between good and evil, and above all there will be a final defeat of evil . . .the gospel story of Jesus is the underlying Reality to which all the stories point. . . it is the true story; it happened".
Keller also shares the words of theologian Robert W. Jensen who argues that
"our culture in in crisis because the modern world has lost it's story. We once thought that life had a purpose, that there was something to live for, and that there was hope for a resolution to the sufferings of the world. Now, many say, none of these things are true".
What a sad statement.
If ever there was a time for sharing "news of great joy", it is now, don't you think? We as Christians have the antidote--the only question is, are we applying it? -
THERE IS GOOD NEWS!
"God is the source of all love, all life, all light, all coherence. Therefore exclusion from God is exclusion from the source of all light, all love, all coherence. Jesus began to experience the spiritual, cosmic, infinite disintegration that would happen when he became separated from his Father on the cross. Jesus began to experience merely a foretaste of that, and he staggered."
Pastor Kellers thoughts about the written word of God are at times staggering to me. I can think of no one that moves me in the same way he does. He uncovers aspects of the bible that are momumental in depth of insight, and this book is no exception.
Taken from his sermons on Mark this book does a lot to answer the questions of WHY God loves us, WHAT he came to accomplish, & HOW aspects of his life can be the blue print for the direction we should live ours. Keller never assumes we can accomplish this(live as Christ did). Our love for Christ should propel us to that end, but never with a sense that moralism will accomplish this, rather the good news of the one who lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died.
The chapters of this book correspond to the chapters of the book of Mark, there is a constant theme of selfless love that Keller is trying to get the reader to think deeply about. Preeminent Love of the triune God is always the missing ingredient in a humble success of the christian life. The reasons to read this are clear. You will see Jesus clearer than you presently do, you will see yourself clearer than you presently do, and you will most likely finish this book wanting to surrender. -
This was a brilliant book, very theologically meaty but also easily read. Keller takes you through key passages in Mark, highlighting who Jesus was, what He did, and why. Very clearly thought out and well written. Highly recommended!
-
One of the best commentary’s on a gospel I have ever read. Literally couldn’t put the book down. Keller, you’ve done it again.
-
So much great food for thought to apply to your daily life!
-
I. Before
Book "is an extended meditation on the historical Christian premise that Jesus' life, death, and resurrection form the central event of cosmic human history as well as the central organizing principle of our own lives" (x).
1. A true life story: Keller goes through Bauckham's arguments about the gospels as oral histories.
2. The Gospel of Mark: Peter mentioned in basically every episode--shows that Mark was writing Peter's testimony.
Jesus has come--anything can happen now. Coming of Jesus calls for decisive action.
Mark is divided into two acts: Jesus' identity (1-8) and Jesus' purpose (9-16).
Chapter 1: The Dance
Jesus is Christ. Jesus is Son of God. Jesus is YHWH. All in the first couple verses!
The dance of reality: The Spirit as dove is unique to Mark, connects with Gen 1:2. Same three parties at both creation and beginning of new creation.
C.S. Lewis--trinity is kind of dance.
Glorify: you glorify something when you find it beautiful for what it is in itself.
If reality has been created by Triune God, then ultimate reality is a dance. Trinity is characterized by mutually self-giving love. If this world was made by a triune God, relationships of love are what life is really about (9). But if from all eternity...ultimate reality is a community of persons knowing and loving one another, then ultimate reality is about love relationships (9).
Keller agrees with my interpretation on wild animals--inserted for sake of early Christians being thrown to wild animals.
Garden of Gethsemane is antigarden to Garden of Eden.
We are stationary when we do things to benefit us, out of a concern for us, in order to somehow help us.
God said to Adam: "Obey me about the tree--and you will live." And Adam disobeyed.
God said to Jesus: "Obey me about the tree--and you will die." And Jesus did. -
This is a must read for anyone, Christian or not. For those already with a strong faith, it will solidify the core beliefs of Christianity and bring a greater level of intimacy with and understanding of Jesus himself. Walking through Jesus' ministry and life, with a focus on the facts, which Keller is so spectacular at, is a powerful way of rationalizing Christian practices and beliefs.
For those still seeking, this book is beautiful in that it deals with the core of Christianity. Jesus' life is full of hope and his message was one of peace, acceptance and love, and Keller does and incredible job of focusing on these large concepts, while examining all the small details that make it so indiscriminately true. -
This book greatly broke me then healed me. It showed me how to dance for Him.
-
I loved this book! So many great points and illustrations. I will be going back it again and again. A clear, thorough guide through Mark and all the miracle of the gospel. Can't recommend it enough.
-
If you ever question the character of God, read this book. Keller expertly works through the book of Mark breaking it down and explaining context and meaning that point to the character of the one who died on a criminals cross to bring to life those condemned to die. Highly recommend. This book will lead you to worship God, rejoice in being His child if you have surrendered your life to Him, and desire to obey Him because of who He is.
-
Eu confesso, amo Keller!
Já li alguns de seus livros, mas essa exposição do livro de Marcos é simplesmente espetacular! Já quero começar a ler os outros livros com essa pegada de comentário bíblico. Não dá nem pra começar a falar aqui do meu sentimento ao terminar esse livro. Eu não queria terminá-lo. Se não leu, leia! -
(I enjoyed this as an audio book and it was very listenable)
Tim Keller is the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, and I have listened to his audio sermons for quite a few years - in fact, he is one of a very short list of preachers whose sermons I will actually pay to listen to. I'm familiar with his style and some of the flow of his thought, but this was by far the longest thing I've consumed of his to date. I was not disappointed.
Keller is an incredible communicator. He has an uncanny knack for taking a floating idea, snatch it from the atmosphere by way of scholarship, place it in it's theological and sociological framework, and then in incredible ways apply these truths like a pastor. Keller is unique in his ability to say things you understand while retaining a strong sense of intellectual and spiritual integrity.
"King's Cross" is basically a devotional and pastoral commentary of the Gospel of Mark. I will, in the future, use it as such and I would highly recommend it to anyone for the same purpose. He doesn't exhaust the text, that wasn't his intention, but he doesn't leave anything out that needs to be in this book. His approach is creative, but in a familiar way; by that I mean that he will offer perspectives that you may not have heard before, but he does it in a way that causes you to think, "surely I've heard this before". This is the genius of the book. The insights he offers are things that, after hearing them, you feel like you should have known. But, to be clear, I don't believe that he is merely exploiting "low hanging theological fruit", it is more the way he presents these things than the harvesting of them that makes them so easy to digest.
Highly recommended is my review of this book. Whether for a pastor or just someone who wants to understand Jesus' life and the timeless, glorious message of the Gospel of Mark better - this is a definite gem in the Christian archives.
"Mark has given the story of Jesus and declared that this is actually the world's true story as well. Jesus, the King, created all things in love. He has the power and beauty to see His vision for the world through to its glorious end; to undo everything we have been able to do to harm it. To accomplish that He had to come and die for it. Three days later He rose again, and one day will come back again to usher in a renewed creation. The Gospel is the ultimate story that shows victory coming out of defeat, strength coming out of weakness, life coming out of death, rescue from abandonment. And because it is a true story it give us hope because we know that life is really like that." (from chapter 19) -
O livro é uma espécie de comentário de Evangelho de Marcos. Mas não um comentário do tipo que estamos habituados a ler. Nas palavras do próprio autor, esse livro trata-se de "uma extensa meditação sobre a histórica premissa cristã de que a vida, morte e ressurreição de Jesus constituem o evento central da história humana a cósmica, assim como o princípio organizador central da vida de todos nós. Dito de outra forma, toda história do mundo — e o modo como nós encaixamos nela — é mais claramente compreendida quando analisamos de forma direta e atenta a história de Jesus". "Meu propósito aqui", continua, "é mostrar, por meio das palavras e atos de Jesus, a forma maravilhosa como a vida dele dá sentido à nossa vida" (p. 12). Para tal, ele estruturou o livro em duas partes. A PRIMEIRA se ocupa da identidade de Jesus, que abrange os capítulos 1 a 8 de Marcos — Jesus é o Rei sobre todas as coisas (o mal, a natureza, o pecado, etc). A SEGUNDA se ocupa do propósito para o qual Jesus veio à terra, o que abrange os capítulos 9 a 16 — é um Rei que se despiu da sua glória para salvar pecadores.
Analisando as histórias que julgou mais pertinentes ao propósito do livro, Keller navega por temas como trindade, Queda, amor, justiça, ira, religião x Evangelho, graça, lei, pecado original (e as consequências da sua negação por parte dos esquerdistas — p. 99), cobiça, idolatria, sofrimento e uma miríade de outros temas analisados a partir da sua convicção de que a história de Jesus confere sentido à nossa. Todos os pontos convergem para Cristo. Keller deixa isso muito evidente.
O livro é de leitura fácil e cativante, tanto para o mais letrado quanto para o mais indouto dos crentes. A habilidade com que Keller contextualiza a mensagem da Escritura — da qual estamos separados por todo um abismo cultural — é extraordinária. Ele identifica os ídolos modernos e os expõem à luz da linguagem que a Escritura utiliza para denunciar os ídolos daquela época. Por isso mesmo, é um livro ideal para evangelização. O descrente não poderá negar a força da argumentação do autor, ainda que não se debruce sobre a mesma.
Fica aí uma excelente dica de leitura e de presente para esse natal. -
I have just finished reading The King's Cross by Tim Keller, and I find myself (as is usually the case when I read Tim Keller) wanting more.
Keller does a fantastic job of inviting his readers to join with him on a journey through the book of Mark. The pace is natural, the insights and teaching phenomenal. I felt as if I was right there, immersed in the first century as an eyewitness to the life of my Jesus. The nuances, the details, the tremendously multi-faceted story--all are written about with clarity and an underlying palpable urgency---it's as if Keller is saying to his readers, "Do you see? Do you see what is truly happening here?"
I learned so much. The answers to questions I have held for decades were patiently answered through the pages of this book: What made Jesus' death so unique? What was the purpose behind Jesus cleansing the temple? Why did he curse the fig tree? And what's more---I was reminded again through Keller's writing, that God is a God of mercy and justice, grace and sovereignty.
I certainly do hope that Keller will pursue writing in similar fashion about other books of the Bible. -
Timothy Keller is being lauded as the next C. S. Lewis, and it's pretty easy to see why. He's got a distinctive writing style--intellectual, but not complicated. While his thoughts aren't as complex as Lewis's, his prose is much more enjoyable.
King's Cross (just in time for Easter) is essentially a commentary on the Gospel of Mark. Keller focuses on the actions of Jesus, and he cites Mark's journalistic approach as the reason he chose to center King's Cross around that gospel.
Keller's premise is that the cross of Jesus is the turning point of all of history. As you can tell from the cover, he claims that the story of the world was and is being told through the life of Jesus. His argument is compelling, as he weaves a narrative of reconciliation, not of just the world, but also of individuals. This is the story of the world, says Keller: reconciliation, to God and to each other. And the King's Cross accomplished this. -
This is a marvellous, easy to read book that has its origin in a set of Sermons the Author did on the Gospel of Mark. Thus rather than a scholarly exegesis (and there is nothing wrong with that), we have a more intimate journey through Mark - full of illustrations and references from the likes of CS Lewis and Tolkien.
This could easily be used as a devotional book or as a basis of a Bible Study group. An excellent book I believe for a new Christian, or even someone who wants to know more about what Christianity is all about :)
But don't get me wrong - as a life-long Christian, who has been preaching for over 30 years, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is good to be reminded of the beauty and wealth of Mark's Gospel. -
I love this book! Second time reading it through and had to change my rating from 4 to 5 stars. Tim communicates the depth and weight of Christ's love for us so well. Jesus's life and death is so other worldly that it demands a dramatic response. Either "yes you are my Lord," in which case your entire life is centered around him and transformed, or "no, you are not my Lord," in which case following his way makes no sense. When we really examine his life through the Gospel of Mark, we find that there is no room for a half hearted, watered down response.
-
Excellent! What else can I say about a Time Keller book. I am very glad that I selected this as a textbook for the Mark course I am teaching this fall.
-
One of my aims in reading Christian works these days is to read from authors who would be slightly outside my normal purview. I want to hear the message of Jesus in a refreshing, but orthodox way.
I'll just come out and say it: Jesus the King is a magnificent book that does just that.
Keller states his intended goal at the outset:
My purpose here is to try to show, through his words and actions, how beautifully his life makes sense of ours.
His aim is to take two looks: one at Jesus, and then one at us. Using the book of Mark as material, Keller walks the reader (or maybe I should say, "worshipper") through the dramatic events of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. At regular stops along the way, his pastor's heart pauses the story-line to ask penetrating questions and of the reader. The book was a freshwater fountain of BIG truths understandably stated.
Herein is the genius of Jesus the King, using language that everyone uses, Keller takes us to the feet of Jesus, to show us the unique excellency of the Son of God. It's beautifully done, and highly recommended.
Let me close with a quote that's typical of the kind of wonderful thoughts Keller calls us to,
Nobody can give anyone else the kind or amount of love they’re starved for...What we need is someone to love us who doesn’t need us at all. Someone who loves us radically, unconditionally, vulnerably. Someone who loves us just for our sake...Who can give love with no need? Jesus. -
It’s hard for me to not give a book like this five stars. Tim Keller is known for his highly intellectual way of reasoning that makes Christianity and the gospel easy for people at any stage of life to understand. This book takes you through the gospel of Mark and provides clear and articulate chapters to show exactly who Jesus was and is. While there are many things I could quote here is one of my favorite.
“The kingdom of God also seems unnatural psychologically. When you hear Jesus say that he prizes weakness, poverty, suffering, and rejection, you say, ‘That’s masochism. It’s psychologically unhealthy. It’s impossible to live like that.’
And guess what, it is kind of impossible to live like that. When you see Jesus caring for the poor, forgiving his enemies without bitterness, sacrificing his life for others, living a perfectly loving and perfectly sinless life, you say ‘I can’t do that.’ You’re right - you can’t. Jesus Christ as only an example will crush you; you will never be able to live up to it. But Jesus Christ as the Lamb will save you.” -
Keller is a refreshing note for Christian writing, managing to maintain a biblical theology perspective without becoming turgid, whilst sustaining a practical aspect without descending into Christian self help. He also stays fairly abreast of the current voices criticizing Christianity, offering conservative but thoughtful responses to these when the context (in the case Marks gospel) allows it. And while this is a solid exposition of this style, I found myself zoning out about halfway through. I think it's because of the pattern that seemed to develop in each chapter - introduction, exposition of a text or two, gospel take home. Somehow this format seemed repetitive and 'old' despite being an approach I like a lot, in principle. So, I'd reckon this would be good to read as an accompaniment to a study of Mark, or in sporadic doses as a commentary of sorts, but I'm not sure it works so much as a book. This said, if you've never read Keller, this is worth picking up, as I doubt the zone out I had would kick in so strongly for a new reader.
-
Of the four Gospels, the book of Mark has always seemed the least likely to make a stellar study. Mark is short, to the point, and usually you have to look at the other gospels to get more details. King’s Cross changed my mind. This book was based off Keller’s sermon series about Mark but you can’t really tell. This is not an exhaustive study of Mark but instead a broader journey through select passages in Mark to show the kingship of Jesus and the beauty of the cross. Each chapter flows into the overall story and is packed with application. I wasn’t really looking to study Mark, but this would be so helpful if you were teaching on the subject or just wanting to get a good overview of Jesus’ life. Keller doesn’t shy away from headier theological concepts or Greek words, but manages to still be down to earth and easy to understand. Would highly recommend! Probably not suitable for a small group or study because there are no questions at the end, but with some creativity maybe.
-
Power-packed & engaging unpacking of the Gospel of Mark. Keller does a great job and is thoroughly readable. He does a magnificent job of pointing to the central point of Jesus' life--the cross--and all that it means for all us humans who were ousted from the Garden, where a flaming sword barred further entrance. Until someone worthy went under the sword--and spilled their blood--to open the way again to a relationship with our Creator.
-
I know some people get pretty touchy about T.K. but what can I say, I think he communicates well in a way that makes the Bible real while also appealing to your intelligence. I really enjoyed this book as it's a sweep of the Gospel of Mark. It doesn't cover every story, but most, and added some great context and insight that I really appreciated. I think my fav insight he gave was on the Last Supper, which was the Passover meal, but there was no lamb but instead The Lamb. I had never had that pointed out before. I'd def recommend this!
-
Timothy Keller writes about the incredible news of Jesus and the gift of salvation in this commentary-like overview of the book of Mark. It was incredibly detailed, and I throughly enjoyed it! I read it alongside my own personal study of the book of Mark, and it brought about great insight. I highly recommend, especially for newer believers who are trying to grasp the depth of Christ’s redemption through His death and resurrection!
