The Gospel According to God by John MacArthur was for me a book that transformed my prior perceptions of Isaiah 53. Although I thought I had already recognized the significance of the verse, the book thoroughly showed me how little I thought I knew. There were so much more truths within that chapter which I did not yet understand. What a magnificent revelation I had received, that this singular chapter could contain within itself entire gospel truths about the salvation plan of God, as well as the life and sacrifice of Jesus. This is indeed a book that everyone should read, for it will surely fill you with awe once again at who God is and all that Jesus has done and endured for us.
In fact, Isaiah 53 is so significant that the book states that should we not have the New Testament, Isaiah 53 would be all-sufficient for us to preach the gospel of salvation. A quote by Charles Spurgeon used in the book goes, “This fifty-third of Isaiah is a Bible in miniature. It is the condensed essence of the gospel.” Such is the mystery and awesomeness that lies behind the powerful Word of God, that a prophecy from seven centuries before the birth of Christ could bear such striking resemblance to the actual events and represent the gospel so accurately.
MacArthur also further expounds on the on-going redemptive work of Christ for His chosen people, the Jews, with numerous descriptions of their rejection of Jesus and their ultimate restoration at His second coming. Despite its explicit reference to the Jews, I believe everyone else can also find their own applications within this display of God’s saving grace as I have for my own spiritual life. Layered throughout this narrative, one can clearly witness the amazing grace of God and His everlasting faithfulness to the people that have continually rejected Him. Truly the love of God is greater than we can ever imagine!
This book is available for loan from the TWPC Resource Library.
This book review was written by LeRoy Lim, October 2018.
