The Murder of Jesus: A Study of How Jesus Died

by John MacArthur

In this volume, John MacArthur follows Jesus from the initial conspiracy to kill Jesus through his death in great detail, spending chapters on the conspiracy, the Passover, Jesus’ warning to his disciples, Gethsemane, the betrayal, the trial, Peter’s denial, Pilate’s verdict, the crucifixion, the seven sayings, and creations reaction to its Creator’s death.

On occasion, MacArthur made a point that was new to me, but much of what is said in this volume will be known by someone who has grown up in the church and has listened to sermons on the subject or carefully studied these matters on his own. Even so, it is probably a worthwhile read, to reacquaint yourself with the Passion if it has been a while since you looked at it in detail. If nothing else, it’s worth reading for his points on Peter’s denial alone.

As with all MacArthur books, this one comes with the standard caveat. MacArthur is an unashamed Calvinist, even though it directly conflicts with what he believes (try to get your mind around that!). This quirk is most evident in this volume during the chapter on the seven sayings on the cross. He notes that “The sinner is required to contribute nothing to earn forgiveness or a right standing with God; the merit of Christ alone is sufficient for our full salvation” (223). Of course, we would not argue with the point that man cannot earn his salvation, but this statement seems pretty strong in contrast with what he wrote in The Gospel According to Jesus, an entire volume devoted to what is required of man in order to be saved.

Nonetheless, you’ll probably want to pick this volume up and read it sometime, especially if you’ve never studied this subject in great detail. If you have, grab it and refresh yourself on some things that you may not have thought about in a while.

The Editors do not advocate everything taught by the authors of the books we review. Like us, these authors are fallible humans and those who choose to read these books should measure them by the bible, the one true standard.