The Glory of the Cross - Softcover

The Glory of the Cross : the great crescendo of the gospel is a remarkable read and the centerpiece of this series.

As we turn the pages, we follow the gospel narrative through familiar events from the Last Supper to Calvary. But soon we realize that not all is familiar. For we keep discovering new and rich truths which we had not seen as we skated over the familiar gospel verses.

These perceptive insights draw us deeper into the story. We find ourselves in an unusual blend of truth and experience. But the pace keeps us; we can’t put it down. We are seeing the human side of the Lord Jesus in a new way.

The final 24 hours of Jesus’s life are a ‘holy of holies’ in scripture. The gospel writers give us detailed accounts of people who were with him at each stage and of what was said. We also know from John’s gospel how Jesus prayed for us in the Garden of Gethsemane. Prayer of ‘fierce, costly love’ as the author describes it. We walk through these 40 pages with a deep sense of awe and reverence.

As we do so, we also see God and his ‘needs’ in a new way. The interplay between heaven and earth on that terrible Good Friday breaks through to us. Something massive was happening. God was about to find his peace at the cross, the same place where we human beings can find ours.
We all long for forgiveness; for some people it is a desperate yearning to be forgiven for sin committed years before. The pastoral application here is balm to the spirit.

Sinclair Ferguson of First Presbyterian Reformed Church, Columbia, South Carolina, writes in the Foreword:

‘From time to time a publication appears – of modest size and author – its value greater than a whole bookshelf of contemporary bestsellers. This falls into that category.

‘The fine quality of James Philip’s mind will immediately be obvious. But his writing is also full of pathos. He is at one with his subject and has clearly been more deeply impacted by it than by anything else in the world.’

The study guide at the back makes this title useful for adult Sunday Schools or midweek Bible study groups. You could use it as a Lent study.

You will find new insights here. The publisher guarantees it.