Review-Charles Martin-The Reason for Jesus

 

The Reason for Jesus by Charles Martin

Published October 13, 2026

Why did Jesus come to earth?

 Most Christians would answer that He came to save us from our sins and make eternal life possible. But Charles Martin invites us to look a little deeper. In The Reason for Jesus, he asks us to consider not only what Jesus came to save us from, but what He came to bring us into: a restored relationship with God the Father.

 That distinction matters. It is possible to think of salvation primarily as a transaction—we were sinners, Jesus died for us, and now we have the promise of heaven. All of that is important, but is that the whole story?

 Martin reminds us that the gospel is also an invitation to know God personally. Jesus did not come simply to change our eternal address. He came to bring us home to the Father.

 One of the book's most meaningful themes is the character of God. Many people struggle to believe that God truly loves them, especially when their own experiences of love have been marked by disappointment, rejection, or conditional acceptance. Martin's emphasis on God's fatherly love offers a different picture. We do not have to earn our way into God's favor. Through Jesus, we are invited to receive the grace and forgiveness that God freely offers.

 Yet this emphasis raises an important question: Why was the cross necessary? God's love is wonderful, but the Christian message is not simply that God loves us and wants us to feel close to Him. Sin has genuinely separated us from God, and Jesus came to deal with that separation through His sacrificial death and resurrection. The cross reveals both the seriousness of our sin and the extraordinary lengths to which God was willing to go to redeem us. Our restored relationship with the Father is possible because of what Christ accomplished for us.

 I appreciate the reminder that Christianity is about more than religious rules, outward appearances, or the hope of a better life after death. It is about knowing God, trusting His grace, and allowing that relationship to change the way we live. As Jesus says in John 17:3, eternal life is knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

 Ultimately, The Reason for Jesus points us toward a truth that can become easy to overlook: the greatest gift of salvation is not simply that we get to go to heaven, but that through Jesus we can know the God who made us and loves us. That relationship begins now and continues into eternity.

 Martin's emphasis on the Father's love and the relational purpose of salvation is a worthwhile reminder for Christians who may have reduced the gospel to a set of beliefs or a promise about the afterlife. The cross remains at the center of that message, for it is through Christ's sacrifice that the way back to the Father has been opened. The good news is not merely that God has a place for us someday. It is that, through Jesus, He welcomes us into His presence today.

Review-J.R. Hudberg-Unto Us a Child is Born

Unto Us a Child Is Born by J. R. Hudberg

Published October 6, 2026

Advent is one of my favorite times of the year. There is something special about slowing down, remembering why Jesus came, and preparing our hearts for Christmas. J. R. Hudberg's Unto Us a Child Is Born is a devotional designed to help us do just that.

The book is built around four familiar Advent themes: hope, peace, joy, and love. Hudberg takes each of these themes and connects them with people and stories from Scripture. This is something I try to do when I am writing an Advent sermon. What I especially appreciated is that he doesn't simply retell the Christmas story. Instead, he helps us see how the coming of Jesus meets some of the deepest needs we experience as human beings.

One of the strengths of the book is the way Hudberg connects the Old Testament with the life of Jesus. Stories involving people such as Adam and Eve, Job, Jacob and Esau, and Hagar are brought alongside events from Jesus' life. At times, people tend to forget that the Bible is one connected story and that it points us to Christ. This book does a good job of reminding us.

I particularly liked the emphasis on the fact that Jesus doesn't just give us hope, peace, joy, and love, He is the source of those things. We can look for peace in our circumstances, happiness in our possessions, or hope in the things happening around us, but those things can disappear. The hope and peace Christ gives are different because they are rooted in Him.

Another thing I appreciated is that Hudberg doesn't leave Advent looking only backward. The book also points us toward Christ's return. We celebrate the first coming of Jesus while looking forward to the day when He will come again. That is an important part of Advent that can sometimes get lost in all the Christmas activity.

The devotional format makes the book easy to use. It is divided into four weeks, with short daily readings that can easily fit into a busy December schedule. I can see this working well for personal devotions, but it could also be useful for a small group or even a family reading through Advent together.

What I came away with most was a renewed appreciation for the simplicity of the Christmas message. We all have needs, sometimes needs we can't fix ourselves. We need hope. We need peace. We need joy. We need to know that we are loved. And Advent reminds us that God didn't simply tell us He cared about those needs. He sent His Son.

Unto Us a Child Is Born is a warm, accessible, Christ-centered devotional that would make a good companion for the Advent season. It encourages us to slow down, look beyond the decorations and busyness of Christmas, and remember the One whose birth we are celebrating.