Exalting Jesus in Daniel

Christ-Centered Exposition

by Daniel L. Akin, David Platt (Editor), Tony Merida (Editor)

Exalting Jesus in Daniel is part of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.  This series affirms that the Bible is a Christ-centered book, containing a unified story of redemptive history of which Jesus is the hero. It’s presented as sermons, divided into chapters that conclude with a “Reflect & Discuss” section, making this series ideal for small group study, personal devotion, and even sermon preparation. It’s not academic but rather presents an easy-reading, practical and friendly commentary. The series is projected to be 48 volumes.

Genres: Christian, Christianity, Theology

288 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2017

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and beautiful.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite series for bible study.

[Chase Riebel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good stuff here! I think the mission of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary is both an ambitious and a noble one: to communicate to the church that the Bible is Christ-centered book whilst staying away from "wild allegory or fanciful typology" (see the book's back for more on that). And, to many degrees, this installment of the series does a great job of showing the reader how each text in Daniel can point to Christ - even if the author is only able to scratch the surface of Christological connection. The book succeeds in making entry-level claims about the book of Daniel's larger, biblical-theological implications. It is accessible to just about anyone, and the book should be praised for that.

But, that's where the double-edged sword of accessibility comes in. In an effort to make massive, difficult, and heady concepts in Daniel more simple for everyone; challenging, complex, and beautiful passages can be boiled down and stripped of the complexity that makes them beautiful. One example that stands out is the reference to apocalyptic literature as mere "sci-fi" (pg 84) - an analogy that is used throughout the rest of the commentary. This example is pretty emblematic of how the author seeks to simplify intricate aspects of Scripture to (arguably) a fault.

That's not to say it's all bad whatsoever. Three cheers to Akin for providing a resource to the church body that allows them to be introduced to the tougher bits of Scripture in an easy and reassuring way.

[Matt Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief summary about the Book of Daniel. It gives a bird's eye view of one of the most confusing and cryptic books in the Old Testament. The narratives are usually covered well from the pulpit and Sunday School classes. Yet, the parts in between and the apocalyptical parts are often skipped over. Or they are stressed to support a dispensational or pre-trib advocacy. This commentary puts all that aside and does that Spurgeon required of all pastors, "make a beeline for the Cross." We see Christ in Daniel 7 as the Son of Man or as the Fourth Man in the furnace. But Akin shows that Christ is in every narrative and the assurance that comes with faith in Christ will be what helps us through impending doom and conflict.

[Terence Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daniel, or Danny, Akin had written a New American Commentary (NAC) on 1, 2, 3 John in 2001. This newer commentary, the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary (CCE) published in 2014 on John's epistles is a different beast. The NAC as an pure bred academic commentary delves into the minutiae of passages, especially helpful on the "water and blood" and "the sin that does not lead to death" verses. The CCE is a devotional commentary for busy pastors so it delivers a 'sermon', complete with one main idea and an outline in the beginning of every chapter.

When laid side-by-side, we see the CCE's "exalting Jesus" section coming in at the expense of more exposition. At times, the lack of exposition means the exultation comes across rushed or disconnected.

However, the CCE on 1, 2, 3 John does what it aims to do. A readable commentary for pastors for a new generation. There are light references to John Piper and Chris Tomlin, not on obscured theologians in past centuries. This means any person without theological training can pick this up and benefit from it.

Full 4,200 word review: https://readingandreaders.com/podcast...

[Steve Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this commentary on the book of Daniel is not as deep and detailed as many others, it offers a valuable Christilogical perspective. The stated purpose of the series in which this commentary appears is to show how the entire Bible is Christ-centered. The series is designed for sermon preparation and small group study. The treatment of each passage begins with a main idea written in one sentence followed by a homiletical outline. The exposition of the text follows the outline. The exposition concludes by answering the question "How does our text point to Christ?" The author then offers questions for reflection and discussion. While this commentary is insufficient for a thorough understanding of Daniel, it is a valuable supplement for sermon preparation and study.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I generally like this commentary series but was pretty disappointed by this entry. It heavily relied on Boice, Miller, and Ferguson's commentaries. It seemed to simply parrot their best insights and never added anything significant. Even the Christological connections were weak. Some seemed out of nowhere and barely connected with the text in question. They were simply tacked onto the end like a random altar call.

Overall I'd pass on this one unless you could only afford one commentary and just wanted something light. I don't recommend it for pastors, or sermon study.

[Eric Gagnon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay. I learned some things. Has corny jokes and movie references. Says Nebuchadnezzar became a believer, that's speculation in my opinion. Says not "idols are not all bad"... I'm pretty sure that was an accidental and poor use of words. Claims to be easily accessible but then the most difficult sections has to speed through all kinds of historical names and dates to keep it a short book and just isn't very helpful.

[Lisa Plunkett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the first book in this series that I’ve read as I write lectures and present on various books of the Bible. The authors do a great job giving background information and history for the book of Daniel as well as making what you’re studying applicable to your own spiritual growth. The Christ-Centered Exposition series is my favorite Bible commentary.

[Katie Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This commentary series is really great for more focused and deeper quiet time reading. I’m coming away from Daniel encouraged, convicted, and understanding more about the text than I did before. I love how each chapter ends with ways to see Christ in the passage.

[Aaron Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book last year and put it down. I picked it up again and review my notes along with my study Bible. This was good. I would recommend this book and get a study Bible to help you understand.

[Jacqueline Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Acts in this series I was excited for Daniel. It’s written by a different author but the same goal in mind: to show Christ in every chapter of the Bible. Learned so much, highly recommend!

[Maria Sprunger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is extremely helpful but not a commentary I would always recommend. It was more of a casual personal commentary rather than an exegetical commentary for research use. Would recommend for pastoral use or personal use but not in an academic setting.

[Vincent Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this commentary as it was short, concise, and really brings out the heart of the book of Daniel in a way that's simplistic. Helpful as each section always concludes with "how does this point to Christ?" which is the hermeneutical key to biblical exposition.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readable and worth acquiring. Tends to cobble together quotes from various resources and then draws own conclusion. Makes concerted Christo-centric applications at end of each chapter. Would definitely purchase the other commentaries in this series.

[Andrew Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Transparent, applicable, and informative. Daniel stands as a model for Christ followers and rejects conformity in the midst of temptation and adversity.

[Travis Agnew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This commentary on Daniel has just enough insight into the necessary issues without getting bogged down into them. I think it is helpful, readable, and useable in a variety of contexts.

[Brandon Sickling · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do love this series, and I think it is excellent for devotional content. It didn't go deep enough for my studying purposes, but I do think it is great in its own way.

[Lawren Woudenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a solid exposition that even though it may not get super in depth, always seeks to keep Christ at the center.

[Tyler Hurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did not contribute much that the other commentaries I was looking at did. I’d really recommend this for only a basic Bible study to get a bit more depth, but it wouldn’t be very helpful for anything beyond that.