Good News of Great Joy: Daily Readings for Advent

I decided to order two different John Piper books for my husband and I to use for Advent. Matt Chandler has talked about John Piper for years, and since I am fond of his style of preaching I thought I would try this out. I am 17 days in and just really not impressed. It isn’t bad content, but I feel his writing voice is just monotone. This will not be one I keep to read again.

Easy-to-read. Edifying. Eloquent. Encouraging. “Good News of Great Joy” begins by telling us what Jesus wants for Christmas, and then gives us 25 succinct meditations, starting with December 1, to help us prepare our gift. Here is a sampling:*Oh, may we see Christ with the eyes of God and savor Christ with the heart of God. That is the essence of heaven. That is the gift Christ came to purchase for sinners at the cost of his death in our place.*Let every loss and every delight send your hearts a-homing after heaven.*Christmas was God’s most successful setback.*The incarnation was God’s locking himself into death row.Read. See & Savor.

Although the Biblical accounts of the birth of Jesus Christ are well-known to many, Jogn Piper's daily explication of the various scriptures offers insights far beyond the often superficial accounts. He provided meaningful thoughts that challenged me and had me reflecting through the days preceding Christmas. I highly recommend this book. i plan to use it again as a reminder of the impact of the Incarceration in my life and the world I live in.

I plan to use this book for Advent again this year.

I looked forward to reading this as the days of advent approached the birth of Jesus. John Piper’s writing is easy to read and pleasant to the soul . He will prepare you for the special day of Christmas . We remember in humility the birth of our Savior and what it means to us .

I would recommend it as an advent reading in preparation for Christmas. It gives biblical insight into the purpose of Christ coming to earth.

Advent is my favorite time of the year. I love reading every day on the glory of Christ as hinted in the Old Testament. I love having laypersons reading from Emmanuel texts on Sundays. But the veteran believer will quickly begin seeing recurring texts uttered ever year.Piper takes the advent tradition and employs often overlooked texts in an effort to liven a tried, but true, tradition. In Good New of Great Joy, Advent becomes new again, without abandoning the foundational truths so often discarded in the contemporary pursuit of being relevant.Get this for next year.

John Piper's "no fluff" writing style is what draws me to anything he has written. I read this as an advent devotional and it greatly enriched my entering into the Christmas season. I look forward to reading it again next year as his books stand the test of time. In a world where changes are happening at breakneck speed, it is so good to know that the Good News John speaks about is one thing that will not change.

An excellent study book for advent. Short chapters for each day. Using Biblical verses gives thought provoking interpretations.

Excellent book for Advent. Many Old Testament scriptures are used as well as the well known “Christmas story” texts in Matthew and Luke. I look forward to reading it again next year!

My husband and I have only read this in 2014, as we ordered it a bit late for the beginning of December 2013. It is an inspirational set of readings which we would expect from John Piper and has complimented our normal morning readings well. Will read again in 2015.

This has been a real blessing and I can highly recommend it to anyone who wants to give serious thought to Christmas. Thank you John Piper - again.

An excellent read, helpful and supportive throughout the Advent period, written in a style that was easy to follow throughout.