Jesus Himself
Tags
Summary
Jesus Himself presents Jesus Christ as the Son of God who, in obedience to God's will, gave himself as an offering for sin and died to fulfill God's righteousness. In him the mercy and love of God are made visible, and his sacrifice is the ultimate expression of that love. Through his suffering, death and resurrection for our sins we are justified, and the glory of the cross reveals a love beyond compare.
Editor's review
Andrew Murray's short book focuses on a single central thesis: how Jesus Christ, in obedience to the Father's will, offered Himself as an atoning sacrifice, thereby fulfilling God's righteousness and revealing God's love and mercy to the fullest at the cross. The book is brief but densely argued, typical of devotional theology: it combines doctrinal exposition with exhortation aimed at personal faith. Readers will find a clear thread—Christ's passion, death, and resurrection are not only events in redemptive history but also an entry point for believers to understand self-denial, obedience, and love. Its value lies not in offering new historical material or academic investigation, but in presenting the message of the cross plainly and concentratively; it is suited to slow reading and meditation in quiet moments. For sermon preparation, small-group leadership, or personal devotional practice, this book can serve as a concise reference; readers seeking a complete systematic theology framework or detailed historical background will need to consult more specialized works alongside it.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Christian readers who wish to focus their meditation on the cross and redemption
- Those who need short devotional material for daily Bible-reading practice
- Small-group leaders or sermon preparers who want concise theological points
- General readers interested in the Christian view of redemption and willing to learn basic doctrine
Not a good fit for
- Professional researchers expecting a systematic theology textbook or academic theological treatise
- Readers hoping for historical investigation and background details of Jesus's life
- Readers sensitive to religious exhortative language who prefer neutral narration
Reading tips
- Read one short section a day, pause after finishing, and turn the main point into a sentence of your own prayer.
- First read through to grasp the overall thread, then on the second pass mark the passages on obedience and love section by section.
- Read alongside the Gospel accounts of the passion and resurrection to avoid staying at the level of abstract concepts.
- If used in a group, choose one paragraph each time and pose two or three discussion questions about self-denial and obedience.
Contents
- Copyright information
- PREFACE.
- Part 1
- "Jesus Himself."
- Part 2
- "Jesus Himself."
FAQ
Is this book better suited to reading straight through or to slow meditation?
It is better suited to slow reading. The argument is concentrated, and reading it in one sitting tends to leave only a general impression; proceeding section by section and leaving time for meditation and prayer after each will better capture the author's thought around the cross.
Can readers without a theological background understand it?
Basically yes. The author's language is mainly exhortation and exposition and does not depend on a large technical vocabulary; but when concepts such as atonement and justification arise, beginners would do well to read alongside Scripture or materials such as church confessions for a steadier understanding.
Does the book discuss the events of Jesus's life?
Its focus is not the narrative of Jesus's life but the redemptive event of Jesus obeying the Father's will, offering Himself as an atoning sacrifice, and the love and righteousness revealed at the cross. Readers who want biographical detail should turn to the Gospels or biographical works.
Can it be used for small-group leadership or sermon preparation?
It can serve as a concise reference. Its arguments are concentrated and its length manageable, making themes easy to extract; but sermons that need illustrations, background, or a fuller scriptural context should also draw on commentaries and other reference materials.
Comments
Find this book
This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the author
Andrew Murray
Author · South African · 1828–1917
Andrew Murray (1828–1917) was a pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa and a devotional writer. Public information about his early life and education is limited, but he served the church throughout his life and deeply influenced later generations of Christians through his writing. His works center on themes such as humility, prayer, and union with Christ; his style is plain and inward-looking, stressing believers' obedience and dependence in daily life. His representative work, Jesus Himself, guides readers in simple language to consider the presence and indwelling of Christ, and is often classified as inspirational growth reading. He also wrote Humility and Abide in Christ, which remain widely read and hold a place in the tradition of devotional literature.
