In the spirit of the Easter holiday, we’ll be sharing quotes from our new release The Glory of the Cross by James Philip that reflect on the major stages of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Visit our previous posts—The Last Supper & Gethsemane and Reflections for Good Friday—for sneak peeks into this intellectual and moving book, as well as thoughtful passages to prepare our hearts for Christ’s resurrection. Our final blog post, on the glorious rising of Christ from the dead, will be posted tomorrow so don’t forget to check it out!

“In the early chapters of Romans, Paul is comparing two scenarios. The first is a somber and dark depiction of human beings; the image in which we were created has been marred; we are now a travesty, a caricature of what God had planned. But Jesus Christ as ‘the second Adam’ is all that we are not.

Let’s not miss the sheer drama of the comparison. On the one hand we have ‘the many’—humankind as a whole, in the first Adam—guilty before God; on the other hand we have ‘the One’ who is perfect.

Christ came to substitute his humanity, in all its excellence and perfection, for our sinfulness. Nothing about us is acceptable to God. From our conception, we have all been sinners (see Psalms 51 and 139).

Christ identifies with us from that very point: he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born for us; he was baptized for us; he was tempted for us; he lived for us; he stood trial for us, taking on himself the charges that were against us; he suffered and died for us, going into the outer darkness for our sakes; and he rose again for us.”

The Glory of the Cross takes us through a series of meditations on the last hours of Jesus’ life, from the Last Supper to Calvary. James Philip, Scottish theologian and pastor, brings unusually perceptive insight into Christ’s “fierce, costly love.” This book is intended to be read in both personal devotion and together with others.

A blend of doctrinal instruction and pastoral application, poetically and intelligently written. A foreword by Sinclair Ferguson emphasizes Philip’s depth of feeling and clarity of expression. A study guide in the back of the book makes this book useful for Bible studies, Sunday schools, and church small group settings.

For more information or to purchase, visit this link.