In Suffering & Glory, Lexham Press presents the best of Christianity Today’s meditations for Holy Week and Easter. With contributions from Esau McCaulley, Tish Harrison Warren, Nancy Guthrie, Jeremy Treat, and more -- this collection has a variety of voices and personal perspectives. Each writer has their own characteristic style, but the book flows well as it follows the Passion narrative.
The 17 chapters are short, and the book is less than 200 pages. Each chapter corresponds to a day in the Biblical story, starting with Palm Sunday and ending with Pentecost. They are meant to be read devotionally, but I found them hard to resist reading them through in one sitting.
Learn to Hope
There were several standout selections. Philip Yancey has the honor of writing for Easter Sunday, and he tells a tragic childhood story of how he learned that death is irreversible. But in the grief, he learned to hope, and Yancey turned my heart to the resurrected Christ.
J. I. Packer takes us on the road to Emmaus, showing how Jesus was the perfect counselor, explainer of Scripture, and ultimately revealed his presence. It helped me imagine what it would be like to have Jesus appear after his death, speaking amidst my pain and confusion.
Christ is Superior and Sovereign
The four Gospels are each given their due by Eugene Peterson as he explains how each is unique and ultimately provides a true and clearer picture of Christ. I reflected on how each of us has a story to tell of Christ’s saving work on the cross as well as in our lives.
By the time the book got to Christ’s ascension, I wasn’t ready to put it down. I wasn’t ready for Jesus to leave us. Bruce M. Metzger shows how Jesus entered a higher sphere of spiritual existence, and this is significant to show his superiority and sovereignty. I felt comforted knowing that Christ sends us the Spirit.
Exclaim the Good News
The book ends with John Stott showing us in Acts 2 what a Spirit-filled church should look like. A Spirit-filled church studies the Scriptures, shares a common fellowship, and worships. Furthermore, the worship is both formal and informal, reverent and rejoicing. Finally, a Spirit-filled church evangelizes.
As churches begin to reopen and as the world begins to reopen, I actually find myself wanting to spend more time alone with Christ. While that is certainly a possibility, I am also energized to exclaim the Good News. Christ is risen. Christ is King. And Christ is returning -- coming back in terrible, uncontainable glory.
I received a media copy of Suffering & Glory and this is my honest review.