How Jesus Saves - by Joshua M McNall (Paperback)

About the Book

In How Jesus Saves, Joshua McNall unpacks the meaning of Jesus' life and death for everyday people. Taking readers on a journey through Scripture, McNall brings together the primary models of atonement doctrine making the latest theology accessible.

Book Synopsis

"How does Jesus save us by dying on the cross?"

One night, as Josh McNall was talking with his young daughter before bedtime, she asked him this seemingly simple question. How would you answer?

The fact that "Jesus saves" is perhaps the most basic claim of Christianity. Theologians and scholars refer to the way Jesus saves us as the atonement. the follow-up question--How does he save?--demands the attention not just of theologians but of every Christ follower. How exactly does a brutal and shameful crucifixion bring salvation? Why does the Bible call it good news, and why should we?

In How Jesus Saves, McNall--professor and host of the podcast Outpost Theology--answers common questions and resolves misunderstandings that many people have about the atonement. You'll explore questions like:

• If Jesus conquered death, why doesn't it look like it?
• How could an innocent person justly pay the penalty for the guilty?
• Why couldn't God simply forgive apart from the cross?
• Doesn't following Jesus' sacrificial example actually enable abuse?

Through Scripture, story, and real-life applications, McNall addresses this great Christian doctrine with simplicity without sacrificing the nuance it demands.

Clear and readable, How Jesus Saves will deepen your faith and commitment as a Christian, giving you the comprehension and confidence you need to explain the atonement not only to your curious loved ones but also to skeptics who might challenge your faith.

This book includes reflection questions at the end of each chapter.

Review Quotes

'For two millennia, Christians have wrestled with the question: How does Jesus save us? This question is no doubt complicated and has led to polarized debates, accusations of heresy, and myriad theories. Joshua McNall cuts through the noise by offering an answer that incorporates the depth and breadth of Scripture's teaching on Jesus's atonement for our sins. In doing so, readers are able to better understand the multifaceted beauty of God's love for us through Jesus's life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.'-- Brandon D. Smith assistant professor of theology and New Testament Cedarville University co-founder of the Center for Baptist Renewal

'I'm so grateful for a book that helps Christians go beyond simply singing 'Jesus saves' with gusto and fervor, and offers a framework to grasp how and why Jesus saves. McNall takes one of the greatest theological complexities and gives us simple and memorable handholds to understand Jesus's salvific work on the cross without losing the mystery of it all. How Jesus Saves points us back to a moment in human history when God's love was poured out for everyone, and points us forward toward deeper holiness and a fresh spiritual awakening.'-- Andrea Summers campus pastor/dean of spiritual formation Indiana Wesleyan University

'Josh McNall has done it again! Of all topics he could have covered in this book, the atonement is one of the toughest. And yet Dr. McNall has a gift of making tough topics so much more accessible. Even as a pastor of twenty-plus years, there were simply things in this book I needed to hear. Thanks for this great resource!'-- Phill Tague lead pastor Ransom Church

'Josh McNall isn't just an academic who can bestow his knowledge to us. He is a teacher in the true sense of the word. And an excellent writer. How Jesus Saves is a question that is not left merely for the classroom, nor can it be reduced to oversimplified evangelical slogans. Everyone must wrestle with this question and its implications. McNall doesn't shy away from the objections and tough questions surrounding what happened on a Roman cross more than two thousand years ago when Jesus died and rose again. What is it that we need and how does God give that to us? This will be a go-to book to communicate to ordinary people the multifaceted ways that Jesus brings salvation to all who believe.'-- Aimee Byrd author of The Sexual Reformation and Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood

'McNall has written an engaging introduction to important questions about the work of Christ on our behalf. This is a wonderful resource for the church with clear explanations brought to life through consistent cultural references.'-- Madison N. Pierce associate professor of New Testament Western Theological Seminary

'People say 'Jesus saves, ' but actually do not know the depth of its meaning. Josh McNall takes the power of the theological meaning of the atonement not only in an intellectual pursuit but also to the depths of one's soul. The reader is taken to new freedoms in his or her personal life as a result of the healing presence of the atonement. Using down-to-earth illustrations of conversations with his children, as well as engaging in stories from Medieval times, McNall weaves together the transforming power of 'Jesus saves.' Each chapter presents personal exercises for the reader and group to truly engage the text--to get it into daily living and thinking.'-- Jo Anne Lyon general superintendent emerita the Wesleyan Church

'The power of language isn't only in what it makes us feel, but also in how it helps us live the days we are given. McNall successfully provides enough explanation and captivating creativity to help us understand the gravity of what Jesus has done. This book is soaked in potential. Read it and allow the detail that Jesus loves you to move from your head to your heart.'-- David Kinnan author and pastor Fountain Springs Church

'We live in a world of mouths that seeks to create our own pathways to eternal salvation and righteousness. Despite of all this, the fact remains, Jesus Christ alone can save. We cannot save ourselves no matter what we attempt or how hard we try. We need the atoning work of Jesus on the cross of calvary to have the opportunity to be forgiven and obtain eternal communion with God in heaven. Dr. Josh McNall brilliantly walks through the various doctrinal understandings of the atonement in a way that is practical and applicable to any audience in this work. Put aside the distractions related to saving yourself and learn from a book that proclaims the fullness of God's greatest gift of reconciliation--How Jesus Saves!'-- Dr. Jim Dunn president Oklahoma Wesleyan University