The Cross of Jesus

My aim is to read as many books as I can on the death and resurrection of Jesus. In the last couple of years I have read quite a number because I believe in 1 Corinthians 15:1-6 that the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection is of “first importance”. I want to regularly plumb the depths of “the good news that Jesus Christ is the sinless sin bearer of all who are united to him by faith” so that I will keep believing it and preaching it.

Today I began The Great Exchange by Jerry Bridges & Bob Bevington (PDF preview). It’s a book all about 2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Below is a snippet from Sinclair Ferguson’s Preface to the book:

If you want to judge how well a person understands the gospel, ask him what he makes of the death of Christ, and what the message of the cross is. The real Christian answers that while the message of the cross is foolishness to some and a stumbling block to others, to Christians it is the saving wisdom and power of God (1 Cor. 1:18–24). The confession of the real Christian is, “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14).

We need to understand that the cross stands at the center and heart of the gospel. Without it there is no gospel. That is why the message of this book is potentially so important for us and for our Christian living, and for the shape, style, and ethos of our church life. It is a book about what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. It takes us to the heart of the gospel.

Here’s their introductory description of the cross:

The Cross—where the God-man,
Jesus Christ, traded places with the sinners he redeemed,
exchanging his perfect righteousness
for their sin, condemnation, and death.

Have you read many books on the cross? If not, do it, do it now.