Why should the cross—an object of Roman distaste and Jewish disgust—be the emblem of our worship and the axiom of our faith? And what does it mean for us today? In the centennial edition of this study of Scripture, theology, and contemporary issues, John Stott brings you face to face with the centrality of the cross in God's plan of redemption.

Why should the cross--an object of Roman distaste and Jewish disgust--be the emblem of our worship and the axiom of our faith? And what does it mean for us today? In this thoughtful, comprehensive study of Scripture, tradition and the modern world, John R. W. Stott brings you face to face with the centrality of the cross in God's plan of redemption.

John Stott presents Bible studies based on his book The Cross of Christ on the meaning and purpose of the cross in our lives. These thirteen-session LifeGuide® Bible Study provide the ever-increasing understanding of the cross needed by every believer.

The Cross of Jesus, by Father Louis Chardon, O.P. is a two-volume spiritual masterpiece from the seventeenth century. Published in 1647 after Father Chardon had spent many years as a theologian, master of novices and director of souls, this expert theologian explains the Christian's imitation of Christ and transformation in grace by faithfully suffering the crosses which constitute the active and passive purifications of the senses and spirit, leading the soul to consummate holiness. By considering the dark night of the spirit and the soul's progress in perfect charity and contemplation in the light of the mysteries of the Hypostatic Union in Our Lord Jesus Christ, the soul's incorporation into the Mystical Body of Christ, the life of Our Lady, the indwelling of the Holy Trinity and the sublime missions of the Divine Persons into the baptized soul in the state of grace, Father Chardon's work richly complements the writings of the Mystical Doctor, St. John of the Cross. Thus, he contemplates in the light of divine revelation and traditional Catholic doctrine the mysterious relation of ineffable divine peace and voluntarily-embraced suffering, a dynamic which is manifested supremely in the life and Passion of Our Lord and mirrored in a measure in the lives of His saints--as well as in the life of any interior soul striving towards the perfection of the transforming union.To bear and make satisfaction for sin and its terrible effects and to make reparation to God's perfect justice and infinite holiness, the incarnate Word, sent in the greatest mercy as man's Redeemer, was in His Soul ever inclined by His love for God and man towards suffering and the Cross. However, the privations and sufferings which He voluntarily embraced in His consuming love for His Bride, the Church, were means to the rich and complete union which God wills to effect with souls faithful to the Savior and His Cross. Guided by Father Chardon's masterful application of traditional Catholic doctrine, the devout soul can contemplate and adore the mysteries of grace in the Blessed Trinity, Our Lord and Our Lady and strive likewise to conform themselves, thus proceeding more generously and surely in the path of prayer, love and suffering that leads to the highest beatitude and union with the thrice holy God.

In this small gem of theological reflection, North America's foremost "theologian of the cross" offers a profound and compelling contemplation on the relevance of the church's most fundamental confession. Hall ponders what confessing Jesus as crucified means in today's context, one that is postmodern, pluralistic, multicultural, and in some respects post-Christian. A digest of his monumental trilogy, this book lays out in brief compass the heart of Hall's theology of the cross, contrasting it sharply with the theology of established Christianity, showing how it reframes classical Christology and soteriology, and drawing the implications for what it means to be human, for Christian ethics, and for the church.

Until we understand what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we will not understand the Christian faith. God is holy, so He cannot simply overlook our sin. That means we all stand condemned before His righteous judgment. In order to find deliverance from the wrath we deserve, we must look to the Savior who has paid the penalty of sin for those who trust in Him. In this book, Dr. R.C. Sproul surveys the Bible's teaching about the cross of Christ and the grace of God in redeeming His people.