IIIII

XII

XI

Christian ook B ummaries

JESUS AMONG OTHER GODS
The Absolute Claims of the Christian Message
The Book's Purpose
Prove that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Defend the Christian message by showing how it stands the test of truth in an age of pluralism Analyze Jesus' treatment of six key questions and compare His responses with those espoused by world religions Demonstrate the importance of establishing open, friendly dialogue with those who hold opposing views by Ravi Zacharias

IIII
III

I II

XI
IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

COUNCIL OF REFERENCE Dr. Richard Averbeck Dr. Bill Bright Dr. Paul Cedar Mr. Dave Coleman Dr. Larry Crabb Mr. Roger Cross Rev. Samuel Farina Dr. Kenneth O. Gangel Rev. Lud Golz Dr. Howard G. Hendricks Mr. Olan Hendrix Dr. David Jeremiah Rev. Knute Larson Dr. John C. Maxwell Dr. Bruce McNicol Mr. Dean Merrill Mrs. Elisa Morgan Dr. Ray Ortlund Dr. Luis Palau Dr. Gilbert A. Peterson Rev. Wes Roberts Mr. Jim Warren Dr. Rick Warren

Publishers David A. Martin John S. Martin, III Editor Michael J. Chiapperino

II

II

Volume 1 . Issue 25

A Quick Focus
Published by Word Publishing Nashville As it is contrasted with the teachings of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, the Christian message is, in fact, distinctive. It stands up to historical and intellectual scrutiny, regardless of the mood of the day. Jesus answered the significant questions posed to him in such a way that no other claimant to divine or prophetic status would have answered. Some may resist His answers, but "antagonists will not be able to challenge his uniqueness."

Seven Main Points

The Book's Message

Tolerance prevails in postmodernism. You can believe anything as long as you don't declare it to be the sole truth; and be sure to leave Jesus out of the picture. How does the Christian bear witness of God's truth when the prevailing mood is pluralistic to a fault?

VII

Foundations .............................................. 2 Where Do You Live? .................................. 2 What Sign Will You Show Us? ................... 3 How Can We Accept Such a Hard Saying?.. 4 Is God the Author of Pain and Suffering? .. 5 Arent You Going to Answer? ..................... 6 Who Is It You Are Looking For? ................. 7

The Authors Faith Story

An unpleasant confrontation with his father one night led 16-year-old Ravi Zacharias to an intense soul-searching that eventually led to Jesus Christ. The conflict reflected his inner turmoil of meaninglessness. Raised in the pantheistic culture of India, he was taught that all religious roads lead to the same destination. Although he possessed great respect for his family and a deep appreciation for his culture, it was a combination of these two standards that created difficulties. At home, young Zacharias struggled with the pressures of being an undisciplined child with a highly successful father who did not know how to help a hurting son. In society, he was haunted by his inability to excel in a highly competitive academic world. Zacharias longed to find purpose in life. One day he attended a youth event where the Christian leader spoke on John 3:16. When the speaker asked for people to come to Christ, Ravi found himself walking to the front. He didn't understand fully what he was doing, but he knew that his life was empty and he needed help. He left that meeting knowing God was the answer, but not knowing how to find Him.

Foundational Observations
Jesus Christ is who He claimed to be, the Son of God who came to save the lost. Truth is the casualty when one tries to form a hybrid of eastern and western religions. All religions are not the same. All cannot be true. Truth does matter. Every claim that Jesus made presents a challenge to the religions of the world. Because Jesus is truly who He claimed to be, the Chris-tian faith is exclusive.

His search for meaning led to despair, and this troubled 17-year-old concluded that death was the best solution. In the hospital room, following his attempted suicide, someone sat at the teenager's bed and read from John 14. The words, "Because I live, you shall live also," captured his attention. On his hospital bed, this young man committed his life to Jesus Christ; he left the hospital a transformed man.

One day he cycled past a cremation site and asked the Hindu priest where the cremated person was now. The priest responded that a person would never know the answer to that question. If a priest didn't know, Zacharias thought, then what hope could there be for him? profound statement, Andrew simply asked, "Where do you live?" In the East, a person's place of residence is a defining indicator. Everything that determines a person's identity and future is tied to his heritage. How did Jesus answer Andrew's question? He didn't give a street name~ He built intrigue by responding, "Come and see."

From then on, my longings, my hopes, my dreams, my every effort has been to live for Him who rescued me, to study for Him who gave me this mind, to serve Him who fashioned my will, and to speak for Him who gave me a voice.

Where Do You Live?

The Setting for the Question
Andrew, who would become a disciple, asked Jesus this question. His question took place in John 1, where Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized. John the Baptist announced that He was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Instead of probing this

of him, including his innermost thoughts, caused Nathaniel to proclaim, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel." Jesus indicated that he would see greater things and reminded them of the story of Jacob. Jacob learned that God could turn any location into His house; Jesus taught the disciples this same lesson. They judged Him based on His parentage and His hometown "He opened up to them the truth that any earthly setting at which He is present becomes the gateway to heaven."
continued on page 3

Jesus' task was to move the disciples and us to think outside our earthly boundaries; Nathaniel was brought into the picture to clarify this truth. Jesus' complete knowledge

Nathaniels Encounter

Significant Truths
The real issue behind Andrew's question is the realm of Jesus' existence. To ask where He was born is to ask the when of His existence; God transcends such categories. He had no beginning, and He does not need a place to live. No others who claim divinity can make such an assertion~ they had a point of origin and a physical location where they lived. Jesus did not introduce a religion. He introduced the truth about reality from God's point of view, challenging every culture on earth so that we might gain this eternal perspective. When we come to Him, we can do and be what we cannot do and be on our own.

2.

His Sinless Life People from all faiths acknowledge that Jesus' life was the purest ever lived. Mohammed had 11 wives, and the Koran describes heaven as "wine and women." Krishna's exploits with the milkmaids serve as an embarrassment to Hindu scholars. In the case of Buddha, his multiple rebirths are an admission of previous impure lives. Only Jesus emerges as the perfectly sinless One.

authority to do all this?" He knew they were not interested in the truth. Jesus responded, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up again in three days."

The pretext the skeptic brought with his question reveals the conflict of faith and reason. The absence of signs was not what bothered the religious authorities~it was the message behind the signs. For Jesus to prove He was For the disciples, who He claimed to be would eliminate their Jesus answer to their simple [the religious leaders'] question~Where do you authority.

The Pretext

Contrast with Other Religions

What are the evidences to support Jesus' claim of origin? 1. The Virgin Birth Talk show host Larry King once remarked that if he could choose one person across history to interview, it would be Jesus. He would ask Him one question: "Are you indeed virgin born?" Jesus' answer would explain human history for him. Credibility is given to the truthfulness of the virgin birth in that it was accurately prophesied hundreds of years previous to the event. The testimonies of Joseph and Mary and Zacharias and Elizabeth also lend credence. Perhaps the most astounding affirmation, however, came centuries later from those who adamantly opposed the Christian faith, Islam. The Koran, written 600 years after Jesus, states that Jesus was born of a virgin. Jesus' birth did not come by natural means. Can the same be said of Mohammed, Buddha or Krishna? No. It is an ironic contradiction that Islam accepts the virgin birth, but denies that Jesus is the Son of God. Islam teaches that sexual union is essential to give birth, and such a union would demean God. Yet Islam also teaches that its founding prophet had many sexual unions, all instigated by God.

live?~was to lift them beyond race and culture, beyond wealth and power, beyond time and distance to make them true citizens of the world, informed by the world to come.

"Sometimes, religion can be the greatest roadblock to true spirituality."

What Sign Will You Show Us?

categorically accept the claims of Jesus without thoroughly testing them. Many reject His claims due to scarcity of evidence; actually, their problem is suppression of evidence.

The faith the Bible speaks of is not antithetical to reason. It is "a confidence in the person of Jesus Christ and in His power, so that even when His power does not serve my end, my confidence in Him remains because of who He is." For the Christian, faith is accepting the claims of Christ, resulting in a commitment of love to Him. Naturalists like David Hume contend that anything meaningful must stand the test of mathematics or science. From the naturalist's perspective, religion does not pass the test, so it has no usefulness. The problem with this line of thinking is that the test itself does not pass the test. The world is full of skeptics who attempt to rid the planet of everything related to religious faith. They cling so hard to their skepticism that they, ignoring the Bible's verifiable claims, live in the darkness of unreason.

One should not

The second question is recorded in John 2:12-22, the account where Jesus drove the moneychangers from the temple. The religious leaders demanded that Jesus produce a sign to justify His action: "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your

The Setting for the Question

The Christians faith is not a leap into the dark, it is a well-placed trust in the light~the Light of the world, who is Jesus.
continued on page 4

WHAT SIGN WILL YOU SHOW US? continued from page 3

Jesus responded to the demand for a sign by saying, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." To rise from the dead would be the greatest sign and ultimate proof of His claim.

The Text

How Can We Accept Such A Hard Saying?

left Jesus embracing the insignificant but completely missing the real treasure. One obvious example lies in Jesus' words: "This is my body...Take eat." "This is my blood...Drink all of it." His utterance, once understood, stands in unique contrast to all other religions.

Jesus gave precise predictions of the timing of His death and resurrection; and He pointed to a physical resurrection, not just a spiritual one. All the authorities had to do was produce the body, and His claims would have been refuted.

Jesus' response took their thoughts to a higher level than the mere stones and mortar of the temple structure. He was talking about the temple of the body, the place where God seeks to dwell. We learn more in this context what it means to be human; the body is to be treated with respect and reverence. All pantheistic religions, including New Age thinking, see the body as an extension of the universe. Deepak Chopra is a good example. He teaches a material commonality with the universe and that in this cosmic oneness we find our being and spiritual goals. His thinking defies logic and violates the disciplines of science and religion. The bodily resurrection of Jesus teaches us the value of every human life, born and unborn. When this value is lost, the result is society's free fall into the degradation of pornography, abortion and violence. The resurrection reminds us that the body matters in the eternal realm, as well as the temporal. This context also reminds us that worship rises above physical location. No other religion makes this connection between the body and the temple. We are God's temples. We do not go to the temple to worship; we take the temple with us. No higher compliment can be paid to the human body than that it is the dwelling place of God.

Je Among Go
Too often the masses
In another account, Jesus conversed with a Samaritan woman. When the disciples invited Him to eat, He indicated that His food was to do the will of the Father, a mission that exceeded appetites of the flesh. He offered the woman Himself, the bread of life. "The transaction was fascinating. She had come with a bucket. He sent her back with a spring of living water. She had come as a reject. He sent her back being accepted by God Himself."

The Context

The crowds challenged Jesus to match the feat of Moses who fed the people manna from heaven. His response amazed them. They asked, "How can we accept such a hard saying?" Jesus' words are repeated in virtually every language; yet the teaching is still difficult for many to accept. His response was intended to lift them to a higher understanding about a deeper hunger-filled by different bread.

The Setting for the Question

The disciples missed the significance.

Lessons on Hunger

What prompted this crowd to demand that Jesus call down food from heaven (John had already recorded several miracles)? After the miracle with the bread and fish, the multitudes followed Him in hopes of attaining the same power. Their longing for this power prevented them from seeing the need for soul nourishment.

Once again, in John 6, Jesus dealt with the issue of hunger. People possess many different hungers: for truth, to belong, for significance, etc. No one thing will satisfy all these appetites; however, feeding on the bread of life that Jesus offers is the starting point for true satisfaction.

Two Previous Accounts of Bread

In the wilderness Satan tempted Jesus to turn the stones into bread. The ability to provide food certainly would be a relevant power. What good was religion if it didn't feed the hungry? Satan stalked Jesus with this temptation throughout His ministry. It's called the politics of power through abundance.

In every religion, there is a distinction between the teacher and his teaching. Buddha does not deliver you; his Noble Truths instruct you. For Mohammed, it is the Koran. For Zoroaster, it is his ethics. Herein lies the major difference with Jesus~He and His message are identical. In Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead. He doesn't just proclaim the truth; He is the truth. He doesn't just offer life's bread; He is the bread.

Our Greatest Hunger

Published by Christian Book Summaries, Inc., 850 Morrison Road, Gahanna, Ohio 43230, August 2000. Published monthly. Subscription $59.95 in the United States; $64.95 in Canada; and, by airmail, $79.95 in all other countries. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Christian Book Summaries, 1550 Lewis Center Rd., Suite G, Lewis Center, OH 43035-9925

"Our greatest hunger, as Jesus described it, is for a consummate relationship that combines the physical and the spiritual, that engenders both awe and love, and that is expressed in celebration and commitment."

sus g Other ods

The broken piece of bread represented His impending death. It would be in His brokenness that true mending would be possible; we would be able to reconnect with God, with one another, and with ourselves. It was only after the resurrection that the significance of the bread became clear to His followers. To this very day, believers sit down with one another to share the broken bread and cup. All of history finds its meaning in this simple transaction. Every barrier between God and man is broken. and suffering have been around for centuries. Although providing an adequate explanation is a most daunting task, the Christian faith affords the most comprehensive answer. "Answering the questions of the mind while ignoring shredded emotions seems heartless. Binding the emotional wounds while ignoring the struggle of the intellect seems mindless."

Our greatest hunger is for worship, to love and reverence God. Jesus invited His followers to a communion with Him through the breaking of the bread. Jesus brings the real answer to all of our brokenness. After claiming to be the living bread from heaven, He said, "This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of this world...I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:51, 53).

Is God the Author of Pain and Suffering?

Questions about pain

The Setting for the Question

In John 9, Jesus encountered a blind man. The disciples asked, "Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus responded, "Neither," and indicated that the blindness had a higher purpose that the work of God could be displayed in this man's life.

The best beginning point of such a discussion is to determine the very purpose of life. Until that issue is resolved, any effort to solve the mystery of evil has no value. Why do we exist? The skeptic argues that there is no actual purpose for life.

Contrast with Other Religions

"Communion" is the term used by Christians for the sharing of the bread and the cup. God comes near. This act of worship signifies a life filled with purpose. Comparing this practice with other faiths, one notices a diametric contrast.

The biblical worldview is the only one that accepts the reality of evil and suffering while giving both the cause and the purpose, while offering God-given strength and sustenance in the midst of it.

First, the skeptic argues that God cannot exist because there is too much evil in the world. However, if evil exists, then good must exist also; and to admit that good exists implies that there is a moral lawgiver who has created the world as such. The skeptic's argument is filled with illogic.

Two Faulty Arguments of Skepticism

Hinduism teaches that we are part of the divine universe; therefore, we are to seek unity with the divine. We must discover that unity and live it out. This system is self-deification at its core. This union with the impersonal absolute does not satisfy one's inner longing for communion. Islam represents the other extreme, a religion that teaches a vast distance between God and man. It is a system made up of hundreds of meticulous rules designed to bring the worshiper close to God; but even if the rules are followed, one's destiny in heaven is never certain.

The Issue in Perspective

The skeptic usually begins challenging the existence of God by bringing up the "problem of evil." The argument goes like this: "evil exists; therefore, God does not exist." The Christian sees evil more as a mystery than a problem. A problem seeks answers, but a mystery strives to find explanation.

Second, the skeptic asks, "Why couldn't God have made us all to choose good?" This argument exposes a faulty view of omnipotence. Just as God cannot make square circles, neither can He contradict His character. Love compelled is not really love; for love to be love, it must have the freedom to choose not to love. To be forced to choose good leads to a non-human existence.

Contrast with Other Religions

At the heart of the mystery is the question: How can a good and righteous God allow so much suffering in the world? Any suitable answer must deal with the anguish of the heart and the reasoning of the mind.

Hinduism sees evil as an illusion, thereby making it impossible to deal with the problem of evil. Nonetheless, denying evil does not decrease wickedness' effects. Hindu worship is steeped in purification rites decontinued on page 6

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.CHRISTIANBOOKSUMMARIES.COM

IS GOD THE AUTHOR OF PAIN AND SUFFERING? continued from page 5

signed to win God's favor. It seems contradictory that this passion for purity is perceived as real. Through the stages of reincarnation, one attains absoluteness, an existence in which infractions have been paid for. The Bible teaches the contrary; after death, opportunity ends, and God brings judgment Reincarnation also dominates the Buddhist belief system. The Buddhist answer to the question about the blind man would be that both the man and his parents sinned. He suffered because of sin in his past life; his parents inherited this situation. To abolish evil, one must obliterate desire. Buddha himself claimed that his life would be his last existence because he had reached complete desirelessness. "But if desirelessness is the ultimate nirvana, would it then be safe to say that in that state there is not even the desire to see evil come to an end?"

Only when holiness and worship meet can evil be conquered. For that, only the Christian message has the answer.

"It is only the one who died for our sin who can explain to us what evil is, not the skeptics."

(5) Evil is an internal reality.

The skeptic may deliver tirades about all the evil in the world. Is he just as concerned about the evil within his own heart? The problem of evil begins with the individual.

(6) Blindness to the sacred is at the root of all evil.

Meaninglessness does not come from the onslaught of pain. It comes from futility of pleasure. When one resists God's holiness, he becomes engulfed in spiritual blindness. The only solution is the transformation of the human heart~and that begins at the cross. Often it is through the experience of evil and suffering that God restores spiritual sight and one is able to understand the mystery more clearly.

(4) The cross is the centerpiece of the story.

The cross demonstrates evil at its worst, and the ability to withstand suffering even when it is undeserved. It teaches how God changes hearts from evil to holy. One must see in the cross and beyond it in order to put evil in perspective.

The Christian Response to Evil: Six Elements

(1) God is the author of life.
In Him all goodness dwells. He is not only good; He is holy. The opposite of absolute evil is absolute holiness. All purity finds its reference in Him. Every life is sacred and is important, even when pain and suffering are present.

Arent You Going to Answer?

The religious leaders were caught between their own laws and the laws of Rome. In order to accomplish their desired objective~crucifixion~they would have to convince Pontius Pilate that Jesus represented a serious threat to Caesar. The court proceedings for Jesus' trial made a mockery of justice. Flung from Annas to Caiaphas to Pilate to Herod and back to Pilate, Jesus refused to speak in His own defense. Pilate marveled at His silence. "So again Pilate asked Him, 'Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of!' But Jesus made no reply, and Pilate was amazed." Previous to His silence, Pilate asked if He was really the King of the Jews. Jesus countered with a question, in essence asking him if he sincerely sought the truth. Neither the religious leaders nor Pilate were interested in the truth. Skeptics today reject truth because of their own prejudices. Tens of thousands of university students have been trained to disbelieve in God without considering the evidences. On the trail to the cross, the Gospels record four distinct instances of Jesus remaining silent before His accusers; God teaches us wonderful lessons in them.

The Setting for the Question

(2) God has a script.

Otherwise, we live in a sea of nothingness. Every event in life must be interpreted in light of the bigger picture of God's story for our life. Once the bigger picture is understood, the smaller subplots make sense.

(3) Love is wedded to the sacred. Love that is not tied

to the sacred is insufficient to carry us through life's trials. Goodness and love alone do not make up life's goal; the goal is worship even when life is filled with pain.

Four Occasions of Silence

(1) The silence of goodness amidst orchestrated evil.

Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin and heard conflicting testimony. Yet He remained silent. continued on page 7

ARENT YOU GOING TO ANSWER? continued from page 6

"Anytime evil becomes organized, its ferocity breathes the air of hell...It cannot be stopped until it has accomplished its purpose."

(2) The silence of perception.

In the presence of Pilate, as the high priests continued their charges of treason, Jesus remained silent. Evil wore the cloak of morality. Nothing that Jesus could have said would have changed their minds. They were experts at manipulating the law for their own ends.

(3) The silence of consistency. Jesus appeared before Herod and a mob of mockers who hoped to see a sideshow. Herod pumped Him with questions, but Jesus remained silent. By His silence, He demonstrated that the most effective means of combating slander is to simply refuse to provide answers. (4) The silence of fulfilled mission.
Pilate was afraid when he heard Jesus claim to be the Son of God. When he asked where Jesus came from, He remained silent. His silence throughout the unjust trial fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (Isaiah 53:7). He was silent for our sake, and now on our behalf He stands before the Father.

Who Is It You Are Looking For?

The Setting for the Question

the question is actually posed on behalf of Jesus to His followers.

In this final chapter,

Contrast with Other Religions

Jesus' silence reveals three very significant differences that make the Christian faith unique. The first is conversion. The only way a person can know God is by a personal choice to allow Jesus to rule in his life. In our world of tolerance, many get angry when a believer indicates that people are "lost" if they are not Christians.

When Mary went to the garden where Jesus' tomb was located, she encountered someone she thought was the gardener. He asked, "Why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Through the years, philosophers have used parables of gardens to discuss the issue of God's existence. With the garden representing the universe, the underlying question is this: Is there a gardener responsible for the garden? The uniqueness of Jesus can be summarized around the discussion of four garden scenes.

To ask the The second difference is compulsion. To compel Christian not someone to become a Christian goes contrary to reach out ot to the teaching of Jesus. anyone else who is His method was to touch the heart so that one refrom another faith sponds out of a willing love. There are Islamic is to ask that countries where it is ilChristian to deny legal to proclaim Jesus Christ; one runs the risk his own faith. of death if he rejects Islam. Christianity must not resort to the sword in order to spread its message. Contrast this with the practice of Mohammed, who promoted the use of warfare as an integral part of Islamic faith.
The third difference is revelation. Although Jesus was silent, still He spoke. He has spoken in His Word, the Scriptures. To the Muslim, the Koran is the perfect revelation of Allah. Yet the many grammatical flaws and variations have sent even the best of Islamic scholars scrambling. Hindu revelation also stands on shaky ground. Many authors wrote the Bible over a period of 1500 years. Their message pointed to the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's Son. To have a unified message over that span of time is miraculous.

The First Garden

The Bible begins with "In the beginning." In God's order, man and woman lived in a context of beauty, relationship, and stewardship. To the atheist, the idea of God's creation is a mockery because of the absence of scientific verification. "On the other extreme is the theist who tries to make the record of creation look like a cosmologist's dissertation and then struggles to defend it." No portion of Scripture was ever designed with the purpose of satisfying the scientific mind. Genesis was not written to prove how long it took for God to create
continued on page 8

WHAT IS IT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR? continued from page 7

In the first garden, God spoke and humanity denied that He had, Humanism was born and Man became the source of meaning.

He came to lay down His life so that the very ones who killed Him, who represented all of us, could be forgiven because of the price that He paid in the hell of a world that does not recognize His voice.

The Fourth Garden

After Jesus died, His enemies, tuned in to His prediction that He would rise again, placed a 24-hour sentry around the tomb. John 19-20 reports how the disciples discovered the body was gone. After they left, Mary lingered and wept. Jesus appeared to her and called her name, "Mary." What a moment that must have been; the resurrected Lord of the universe called Mary by her name. It is understandable why she reached out to touch Him~God is relational and personal. Mary thought she had found Jesus. Actually Jesus had come looking for her. Only those who have experienced the bondage of sin and a life devoid of meaning can fully comprehend the liberating power of the cross in the moment when Jesus finds them. "Perhaps if our naturalists would stop looking only for a gardener, they might be surprised at who they would find, or should I say, at who finds them. They might actually hear Him call them by name also...."

The Second Garden

Whereas in the first garden the question was whether or not God had actually spoken, the second garden deals with whether what He said could be construed to mean something other than what He meant. The setting is the garden of the wilderness where Satan tempted Jesus. With each temptation, Satan challenged Jesus to play God and do things His own way. Eden gave birth to humanism; the wilderness gave birth to religion without truth. Society cannot exist without moral law. If God has not spoken, then man creates his own morality, attainable by one's own efforts. This is exactly what the New Age Movement has done~"a personalized religion with an impersonal God."

Editor Michael J. Chiapperino Christian Book Summaries is published by Christian Book Summaries, Inc., 850 Morrison Road, Gahanna, Ohio 43230. U.S. Copyright C 2000 by Christian Book Summaries, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any form without the copyright owner's written permission is prohibited. The mission of Christian Book Summaries is to enhance the ministry of thinking Christians by providing thorough and readable summaries of noteworthy books from Christian publishers.
The opinions expressed are those of the original writers and are not necessarily those of Christian Book Summaries or its Council of Reference. Customer Service: Annual subscription rate is $59.95 U.S. for 30 issues. Address new subscription requests, change of address notices, questions about billing or missed issues to: Christian Book Summaries Subscription Services 1550 Lewis Center Rd, Suite G Lewis Center, OH 43035-9925 To order a subscription, call toll-free 1-877-560-9900. The author: Ravi Zacharias is president of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. Born in India and educated at Cambridge, he has lectured in several of the world's most prominent universities, as well as in more than 50 countries. He broadcasts a weekly radio program, "Let My People Think." Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias, copyright C 2000 by Ravi Zacharias. Summarized by permission of the publisher, Word Publishing, Nashville, TN. ISBN 0-8499-1437-X. $19.99. This book is available at most bookstores, at any online bookseller (such as Amazon.com or Parable.com) or by calling Word Publishing at 1-800251-4000. You may also visit the Word website at www.wordpublishing.com.

The Third Garden

At a desolate moment in His mission, Jesus knelt in Gethsemane. There was no easy way out. His mission would lead to a cross.

To Our Subscribers:
Issues 23, 24, and 25 will be the final Christian Book Summaries published in print form. We are pleased to announce that the printed version will be replaced by a downloadable e-mail version, offered free of charge, this fall. Log on to our website at www.christianbooksummaries.com for more details about this exciting new development.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIII

II

II

the universe. It was written to show: God is the Creator; the world was formed with intelligent, spiritual human beings in mind; life is designed to be lived through companionship; and man is a moral entity.

He suffered the cruelest death possible. But Jesus did not die as a martyr would die for a cause; He died to forgive.

IIIIIIII

XII

XI

Christian Book ummaries

II

II

XI

III

Volume 1, Number 25 Publishers David A. Martin John S. Martin, III