Hitting the ground running Murray starts chapter one with two simple questions: First, did Jesus have to die to forgive us our sins? and Second, if Jesus did have to die why did he die on the cross like the most deplorable criminal?
Murray's book reminds us of the gravity of our sins as a whole. No matter the type of sin, Romans 3:23 is clear: For we all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. Every sin is an utter failure to live up to God's perfect standard. If you understand the gravity of our sin to be so severe, it only makes sense that God's plan of redemption has to be equally extreme.
Within this short, 10-page essay on the Necessity of the Atonement, Murray shares a number of Scriptures that suggest that Jesus did in fact have to suffer and die - even be removed from relationship with God (we can't forget that during the crucifixion God actually turned from His Son for a time) - to give us the chance to spend eternity with Him.
I'd encourage you to give the classics a chance. Redemption, Accomplished and Applied is a great book to remind us of the extreme price that Jesus paid to bridge the chasm that keeps us from our Father in Heaven. But don't take my word for it, check out the first couple of chapters as a free sample over at Google Books and remember to join the conversation on Tim's site here.
