“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” —Matthew 13:31–32 When Jesus began his ministry, he announced that the kingdom of God was at hand. But many modern-day Christians don’t really understand what the kingdom of God is or how it relates to the message of the gospel. Defining kingdom as the King’s power over the King’s people in the King’s place, Patrick Schreiner investigates the key events, prophecies, and passages of Scripture that highlight the important theme of kingdom across the storyline of the Bible—helping readers see how the mission of Jesus and the coming of the kingdom fit together. Part of the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series.

The Paschal Triduum is the heart of the liturgical year. This sacred season brings us more deeply into the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ—the Paschal Mystery. This inspiring booklet provides a spiritual journey through the Three Days by exploring the rituals that take place on Holy Thursday evening, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. The questions at the end of each short chapter will help readers to glory in our Lord’s Cross and live it in their lives.

The kingdom of God and the atonement are two of the most important themes in all of Scripture. Tragically, theologians have often either set the two at odds or focused on one to the complete neglect of the other. In The Crucified King, Jeremy Treat demonstrates that Scripture presents a mutually enriching relationship between the kingdom and atonement that draws significantly from the story of Israel and culminates in the crucifixion of Christ the king. As Israel’s messiah, he holds together the kingdom and the cross by bringing God’s reign on earth through his atoning death. The kingdom is the ultimate goal of the cross, and the cross is the means by which the kingdom comes. Jesus’ death is not the failure of his messianic ministry, nor simply the prelude to his royal glory, but is the apex of his kingdom mission. The cross is the throne from which he rules and establishes his kingdom. Using a holistic approach that brings together the insights of biblical and systematic theology, this book demonstrates not only that the kingdom and the cross are inseparable, but how they are integrated in Scripture and theology.

Just a few days before His crucifixion, Jesus said concerning His approaching death, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:23-24). In this statement, Christ presented the Cross as the means of showing with great power and glory what He accomplished for those who believe in His death, burial, and resurrection. In it He also set the pattern for all those who would follow Him by denying themselves, taking up their cross daily, and following Him. The riches of Christ's spiritual achievement for all who believe are manifest on the Cross as it is explained in the New Testament in all its dimensions. In The Glory of the Cross-Our Life Through His Death, the author explains in thirty-one concise chapters all that Christ did accomplish and will continue to accomplish for us through His Cross. Understood fully, these truths will lead to a heart overflowing with the truth of Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Read and rejoice!

The principal liturgies of Holy Week underwent a series of revisions between 1951 and 2011. In this book, noted liturgist Paul Turner charts the rubrics and prayers of the current rites paragraph by paragraph, explaining the historical development of individual components, how and why the post 'Vatican II liturgical reform made its revisions, and where the Roman Missal, Third Edition has added nuances. This book will help ministers, liturgists, catechists, and all the faithful enter more deeply into the mystery of the cross of Christ, their glory and their hope.