What do you think?
Rate this book
The Cross of Christ
The work of a lifetime, from one of the world's most influential thinkers, about the heart of the Christian faith. "I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. . . . In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?" With compelling honesty John Stott confronts this generation with the centrality of the cross in God's redemption of the world -- a world now haunted by the memories of Auschwitz, the pain of oppression and the specter of nuclear war. Can we see triumph in tragedy, victory in shame? Why should 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? Now from one of the foremost preachers and Christian leaders of our day comes theology at its readable best, a contemporary restatement of the meaning of the cross. At the cross Stott finds the majesty and love of God disclosed, the sin and bondage of the world exposed. More than a study of the atonement, this book brings Scripture into living dialogue with Christian theology and the twentieth century. What emerges is a pattern for Christian life and worship, hope and mission. Destined to be a classic study of the center of our faith, Stott's work is the product of a uniquely gifted pastor, scholar and Christian statesman. His penetrating insight, charitable scholarship and pastoral warmth are guaranteed to feed both heart and mind.
380 pages, Hardcover
First published October 16, 1986
1007 people are currently reading
11673 people want to read
About the author
John R.W. Stott
305 books567 followersJohn R. W. Stott is known worldwide as a preacher, evangelist, and communicator of Scripture. For many years he served as rector of All Souls Church in London, where he carried out an effective urban pastoral ministry. A leader among evangelicals in Britain, the United States and around the world, Stott was a principal framer of the landmark Lausanne Covenant (1974). His many books, including Why I Am a Christian and The Cross of Christ, have sold millions of copies around the world and in dozens of languages. Whether in the West or in the Two-Thirds World, a hallmark of Stott's ministry has been expository preaching that addresses the hearts and minds of contemporary men and women. Stott was honored by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 493 reviews
March 31, 2026
A classic in the vein of “Knowing God” by Packer. Stott is so clear and thorough but also worshipful. The theological explanations and biblical expositions are profound both in depth and wonder. Put this in the short list of books every Christian would benefit from reading.
February 13, 2023
It is hard to overstate how much I enjoyed this book. It was hard work, shouldering through the dense material. It's not impossible reading, but it does requires careful thought. Stott shows the significance of the cross and why certain doctrines are important, and he outlines many implications stemming from those doctrines. Lots of brilliant insights.
One of the chapters I especially enjoyed was the one where Stott covers four images of salvation: shrine, market, court of law, and home. They are different facets of one truth. As DeYoung points out, "substitution" is not a fifth image added to the others—it's essential to all of them.
See more comments here.
One of the chapters I especially enjoyed was the one where Stott covers four images of salvation: shrine, market, court of law, and home. They are different facets of one truth. As DeYoung points out, "substitution" is not a fifth image added to the others—it's essential to all of them.
See more comments here.
February 20, 2012
Since John R. W. Stott’s death in July 2011, interest in The Cross of Christ has been revived, particularly through the 20th anniversary edition (2006). Although it’s only been around 25 years since first published, The Cross of Christ has already been recognized as a Christian classic. It was on my list of Christian classic to-reads, along with older authors as Athanasius, Augustine, and Luther.
Like a skilled jeweler carefully examining and detailing the many facets of a gem, John Stott goes the cross and carefully inspects, details, and elaborates the many facets of the cross of Christ. Only in this case, he is not merely examining some diamond in the rough, but the crown jewel of Christianity.
While books with titles of “Cross-Centered-____” or “Christ-centered-____” practically compete for space on the new-release theology shelves of Christian bookstores these days, The Cross of Christ is undoubtedly the most comprehensive book on the centrality of the cross. Academic and practical in it’s coverage, this work is both scholarly and heavily devotional. Stott interacts with and draws from a wealth of philosophers and theologians past and present, and also delicately draws from Scriptural texts with his skills as a practiced exegete.
The book is divided into four sections, comprising thirteen main chapters:
I. Approaching the Cross
1. The Centrality of the Cross
2. Why Did Christ Die?
3. Looking below the Surface
II. The Heart of the Cross
4. The Problem of Forgiveness
5. Satisfaction for Sin
6. Self-Substitution of God
III. The Achievement of the Cross
7. The Salvation of Sinners
8. The Revelation of God
9. The Conquest of Evil
IV. Living Under the Cross
10. The Community of Celebration
11. Self-Understanding and Self-Giving
12. Loving Our Enemies
13. Suffering and Glory
Conclusion: The Pervasive Influence of the Cross
There were some statements and conclusions on which I found myself conflicted or coming to an alternate conclusion, but even given the length of the book, such occasions were very few and did not detract from the overall theme and importance of the book.
The book is somewhat lengthy and not necessarily light reading, but it is one that I would recommend, and perhaps consider as a must-read for Christians.
Here are some quotes from the book (random: there are countless that are worthy of being framed and wall-mounted):
“Life in a Christian home, which should in any case be characterized by natural human love, should be further enriched by supernatural human love, that is, the love of the cross. It should mark all Christian family relationships, between husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters. For we are to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:21), the Christ whose humble and submissive love led him even to the cross. Yet it is especially husbands who are singled out” (281).
(Reading the above section, I was greatly reminded how grateful I am for a husband, in particular, who has loved me in this way.)
“The spirit of James and John lingers on, especially in us who have been cushioned by affluence. It is true that inflation and unemployment have brought to many a new experience of insecurity. Yet we still regard security as our birthright and ‘safety first’ as a prudent motto. Where is the spirit of adventure, the sense of uncalculating solidarity with the underprivileged? Where are the Christians who are prepared to put service before security, compassion before comfort, hardship before ease? Thousands of pioneer Christian tasks are waiting to be done, which challenge our complacency and call for risk. Insistence on security is incompatible with the way of the cross. What daring adventures the incarnation and the atonement were! What a breach of convention and decorum that Almighty God should renounce his privileges in order to take human flesh and bear human sin! Jesus had no security except in his Father. So to follow Jesus is always to accept at least a measure of uncertainty, danger and rejection for his sake. . . ” (288)
“The cross lies at the very heart of mission. For the cross-cultural missionary it may mean costly individual and family sacrifices, the renunciation of economic security and professional promotion, solidarity with the poor and needy, repenting of the pride and prejudice of supposed cultural superiority, and the modesty (and sometimes frustration) of serving under national leadership. Each of these can be a kind of death, but it is a death which brings life to others.” (283)
Like a skilled jeweler carefully examining and detailing the many facets of a gem, John Stott goes the cross and carefully inspects, details, and elaborates the many facets of the cross of Christ. Only in this case, he is not merely examining some diamond in the rough, but the crown jewel of Christianity.
While books with titles of “Cross-Centered-____” or “Christ-centered-____” practically compete for space on the new-release theology shelves of Christian bookstores these days, The Cross of Christ is undoubtedly the most comprehensive book on the centrality of the cross. Academic and practical in it’s coverage, this work is both scholarly and heavily devotional. Stott interacts with and draws from a wealth of philosophers and theologians past and present, and also delicately draws from Scriptural texts with his skills as a practiced exegete.
The book is divided into four sections, comprising thirteen main chapters:
I. Approaching the Cross
1. The Centrality of the Cross
2. Why Did Christ Die?
3. Looking below the Surface
II. The Heart of the Cross
4. The Problem of Forgiveness
5. Satisfaction for Sin
6. Self-Substitution of God
III. The Achievement of the Cross
7. The Salvation of Sinners
8. The Revelation of God
9. The Conquest of Evil
IV. Living Under the Cross
10. The Community of Celebration
11. Self-Understanding and Self-Giving
12. Loving Our Enemies
13. Suffering and Glory
Conclusion: The Pervasive Influence of the Cross
There were some statements and conclusions on which I found myself conflicted or coming to an alternate conclusion, but even given the length of the book, such occasions were very few and did not detract from the overall theme and importance of the book.
The book is somewhat lengthy and not necessarily light reading, but it is one that I would recommend, and perhaps consider as a must-read for Christians.
Here are some quotes from the book (random: there are countless that are worthy of being framed and wall-mounted):
“Life in a Christian home, which should in any case be characterized by natural human love, should be further enriched by supernatural human love, that is, the love of the cross. It should mark all Christian family relationships, between husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters. For we are to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph. 5:21), the Christ whose humble and submissive love led him even to the cross. Yet it is especially husbands who are singled out” (281).
(Reading the above section, I was greatly reminded how grateful I am for a husband, in particular, who has loved me in this way.)
“The spirit of James and John lingers on, especially in us who have been cushioned by affluence. It is true that inflation and unemployment have brought to many a new experience of insecurity. Yet we still regard security as our birthright and ‘safety first’ as a prudent motto. Where is the spirit of adventure, the sense of uncalculating solidarity with the underprivileged? Where are the Christians who are prepared to put service before security, compassion before comfort, hardship before ease? Thousands of pioneer Christian tasks are waiting to be done, which challenge our complacency and call for risk. Insistence on security is incompatible with the way of the cross. What daring adventures the incarnation and the atonement were! What a breach of convention and decorum that Almighty God should renounce his privileges in order to take human flesh and bear human sin! Jesus had no security except in his Father. So to follow Jesus is always to accept at least a measure of uncertainty, danger and rejection for his sake. . . ” (288)
“The cross lies at the very heart of mission. For the cross-cultural missionary it may mean costly individual and family sacrifices, the renunciation of economic security and professional promotion, solidarity with the poor and needy, repenting of the pride and prejudice of supposed cultural superiority, and the modesty (and sometimes frustration) of serving under national leadership. Each of these can be a kind of death, but it is a death which brings life to others.” (283)
July 3, 2020
Just like IKEA: classic, colossal and always an interesting visit. So expansive are the halls to roam that to make the most of it you need to take a sit down on your trolley, rest up and consider.
So expansive is the range of material that it takes a good while to reach the goal, but when you do reach it it's all the more satisfying. Don't forget the meatballs.
Stott has helped shore up many aspects of the cross I hadn't considered, and provoked many a thought on how the cross does completely effect the Christian's view God, others, life, and the self, the latter of which I found the most absolutely fascinating.
Combining much theology with historical, societal, and psychological observations, he's weighty like an anvil, but also as robust. A fine forge for further unfurling the firm foundation for faith.
So expansive is the range of material that it takes a good while to reach the goal, but when you do reach it it's all the more satisfying. Don't forget the meatballs.
Stott has helped shore up many aspects of the cross I hadn't considered, and provoked many a thought on how the cross does completely effect the Christian's view God, others, life, and the self, the latter of which I found the most absolutely fascinating.
Combining much theology with historical, societal, and psychological observations, he's weighty like an anvil, but also as robust. A fine forge for further unfurling the firm foundation for faith.
August 4, 2022
I've really struggled to read for many months but periodically coming back to this book I've learned a huge amount about keeping the main thing the main thing. The book is incredibly in depth and clear, with a huge amount to chew on and mull over. I'd say a high recommendation for any Christian, new or ancient. May we all have lives marked and following the Cross of Christ
Read
June 8, 2019A remarkable book! A blend of accessible yet historical, theological, and devotional material. No wonder this is a classic.
July 2, 2023
4.5 Stars
John Stott’s “The Cross of Christ” is a classic on the centrality of the cross in Christian faith and life. The immense value of this book is that it not only presents a comprehensive theology of the cross, but that it also shows how the cross is utterly fundamental to Christianity – without the cross we have no Christian faith or hope at all.
Stott divides his book into four parts: (1) approaching the cross, (2) the heart of the cross, (3) the achievement of the cross, and (4) living under the cross. In the first part, Stott focuses on the centrality of the cross. That the cross was essential to the teachings of Jesus and the early church. As well, that on the cross Jesus was not forced against his will to give up his life but gave himself up for us willing. In part two Stott dives down deep into the heart of the cross. Here Stott examines the theology of the cross, cogently presently an argument for penal substitutionary atonement. In part three Stott shows what the cross accomplished, which was the salvation of sinners, the revelation of God himself, and the defeat of evil. And lastly, in the fourth part, Stott presents some practical implications of the cross. Mainly, that Christian community is a community of the cross, and that Christian suffering presents the glory of the cross.
Stott’s book is a masterpiece, and its strengths are numerous. First, is its sheer accessibility. Although it is a lengthy book, it does not reach the unattainable heights of a scholarly theological tome. Not only is Stott’s treatment of the theology of the cross accessible, but it is pastoral and practical as well. Stott skillfully shows how the cross is the foundation of all Christian life, and the reader is blessed to see how their community, sanctification, suffering, and evangelism are all empowered by the theology of the cross. Also, Stott’s treatment of alternate theological viewpoints throughout his book is both balanced and generous. Stott avoids mischaracterization like the plague, often picking neither side on a theological issue, but showing how both hold portions of truth. Lastly, what makes this book absolutely necessary is its treatment of the doctrine of atonement. In an age where the wrath of God, the necessity of atonement, and the death of Christ are considered uncivilized and repugnant, Stott’s book is a clarion call to return to the glories of the cross. If we abandon the cross, we have no faith at all – the strength of Stott’s arguments is in displaying the beauty and the majesty of the cross.
There were a few weaknesses in the book, but they are barely worth mentioning. The first is that because the book is comprehensive Stott often delves farther into the implications of the theology of the cross than he needs to. At times he explains theological topics that are simply not required for understanding a theology of the cross and could have been left out. Secondly, his chapter on “The Substitution of God” was my favorite chapter but I also felt like Stott creeps a bit too closely to Patripassianism. Even though he denounces Patripassianism, some of his statements in that chapter are not clear enough in emphasizing that it was the incarnate Son of God that was crucified on the cross and not the Father.
Overall, this is an excellent book and a must-read for every believer. If there are foundational books that every believer must read, like “Mere Christianity”, “The Holiness of God”, or “The Cost of Discipleship”, then this book is near the top of the list. Stott’s book reminds every Christian what is at the precious center of their faith. It is Christ Himself – Christ crucified for us! May we never forget this glorious and wonderful truth!
John Stott’s “The Cross of Christ” is a classic on the centrality of the cross in Christian faith and life. The immense value of this book is that it not only presents a comprehensive theology of the cross, but that it also shows how the cross is utterly fundamental to Christianity – without the cross we have no Christian faith or hope at all.
Stott divides his book into four parts: (1) approaching the cross, (2) the heart of the cross, (3) the achievement of the cross, and (4) living under the cross. In the first part, Stott focuses on the centrality of the cross. That the cross was essential to the teachings of Jesus and the early church. As well, that on the cross Jesus was not forced against his will to give up his life but gave himself up for us willing. In part two Stott dives down deep into the heart of the cross. Here Stott examines the theology of the cross, cogently presently an argument for penal substitutionary atonement. In part three Stott shows what the cross accomplished, which was the salvation of sinners, the revelation of God himself, and the defeat of evil. And lastly, in the fourth part, Stott presents some practical implications of the cross. Mainly, that Christian community is a community of the cross, and that Christian suffering presents the glory of the cross.
Stott’s book is a masterpiece, and its strengths are numerous. First, is its sheer accessibility. Although it is a lengthy book, it does not reach the unattainable heights of a scholarly theological tome. Not only is Stott’s treatment of the theology of the cross accessible, but it is pastoral and practical as well. Stott skillfully shows how the cross is the foundation of all Christian life, and the reader is blessed to see how their community, sanctification, suffering, and evangelism are all empowered by the theology of the cross. Also, Stott’s treatment of alternate theological viewpoints throughout his book is both balanced and generous. Stott avoids mischaracterization like the plague, often picking neither side on a theological issue, but showing how both hold portions of truth. Lastly, what makes this book absolutely necessary is its treatment of the doctrine of atonement. In an age where the wrath of God, the necessity of atonement, and the death of Christ are considered uncivilized and repugnant, Stott’s book is a clarion call to return to the glories of the cross. If we abandon the cross, we have no faith at all – the strength of Stott’s arguments is in displaying the beauty and the majesty of the cross.
There were a few weaknesses in the book, but they are barely worth mentioning. The first is that because the book is comprehensive Stott often delves farther into the implications of the theology of the cross than he needs to. At times he explains theological topics that are simply not required for understanding a theology of the cross and could have been left out. Secondly, his chapter on “The Substitution of God” was my favorite chapter but I also felt like Stott creeps a bit too closely to Patripassianism. Even though he denounces Patripassianism, some of his statements in that chapter are not clear enough in emphasizing that it was the incarnate Son of God that was crucified on the cross and not the Father.
Overall, this is an excellent book and a must-read for every believer. If there are foundational books that every believer must read, like “Mere Christianity”, “The Holiness of God”, or “The Cost of Discipleship”, then this book is near the top of the list. Stott’s book reminds every Christian what is at the precious center of their faith. It is Christ Himself – Christ crucified for us! May we never forget this glorious and wonderful truth!
October 16, 2021
"Cu ce-as putea sa ma mândresc?
Că daruri n-am, nici fapte
Cu învierea-I ma fălesc
Cu salvatoarea-I moarte!"
Crucea, stindardul credinței creștine, e locul în care converg toate drumurile trecutului și de aici se despart toate drumurile viitorului. Înțelegând ce s-a întâmplat la cruce, înțelegem persoana Domnului Isus Hristos. Înțelegând moartea Sa, vom înțelege caracterul Lui Dumnezeu. În cruce ne este revelat în mod perfect planul dumnezeiesc, în care, dragostea și dreptatea se împlinesc, se împletesc și converg pentru un scop atât de frumos, salvarea noastră.
Crucea e temeiul prin care suntem îndreptățiți de a sta înaintea lui Dumnezeu ca fii și fiice, având în noi Duhul Său. Prin ea suntem sfințiți, fiind răstigniți împreună cu Hristos și răstignind zilnic natura noastră pământească. Ea este obiectul laudei noastre, prin ea vedem viața având sens și valoare.
În această carte, multiplele fațete ale Crucii sunt analizate și studiate pentru a da cititorului o înțelegere cât mai pătrunzătoare a Jertfei. Aș fi putut citi din ea un an de zile ( cam atât a durat oricum:)) ) și tot nu aș fi fost în stare a cuprinde toate ideile în întregimea lor. A răspuns întrebărilor pe care le aveam, dar și celor pe care nu știam că pot să le am. Sunt sigură că mă voi mai întoarce asupra ei. Un studiu teologic foarte, foarte bun.
Că daruri n-am, nici fapte
Cu învierea-I ma fălesc
Cu salvatoarea-I moarte!"
Crucea, stindardul credinței creștine, e locul în care converg toate drumurile trecutului și de aici se despart toate drumurile viitorului. Înțelegând ce s-a întâmplat la cruce, înțelegem persoana Domnului Isus Hristos. Înțelegând moartea Sa, vom înțelege caracterul Lui Dumnezeu. În cruce ne este revelat în mod perfect planul dumnezeiesc, în care, dragostea și dreptatea se împlinesc, se împletesc și converg pentru un scop atât de frumos, salvarea noastră.
Crucea e temeiul prin care suntem îndreptățiți de a sta înaintea lui Dumnezeu ca fii și fiice, având în noi Duhul Său. Prin ea suntem sfințiți, fiind răstigniți împreună cu Hristos și răstignind zilnic natura noastră pământească. Ea este obiectul laudei noastre, prin ea vedem viața având sens și valoare.
În această carte, multiplele fațete ale Crucii sunt analizate și studiate pentru a da cititorului o înțelegere cât mai pătrunzătoare a Jertfei. Aș fi putut citi din ea un an de zile ( cam atât a durat oricum:)) ) și tot nu aș fi fost în stare a cuprinde toate ideile în întregimea lor. A răspuns întrebărilor pe care le aveam, dar și celor pe care nu știam că pot să le am. Sunt sigură că mă voi mai întoarce asupra ei. Un studiu teologic foarte, foarte bun.
January 12, 2023
A very careful and thought-through work. Probably one for Christians who have been following the Lord for a while and have a decent knowledge of the gospels and the general framework of the Bible. Stott often cites specific events in the gospels and verses from elsewhere in the Bible; references are provided for people who wish to look them up, but it would be painstaking labour for a new Christian. Definitely one to dip in to if I have questions or want to clarify exactly what the cross does. It’s a dense book, and isn’t an easy read, but it helps us to appreciate and understand more the need for the cross and why it must be central to our salvation and to our continuation in the faith.
I appreciated how Stott introduces the works and theories of different theologians and scholars, and shows us how they do/do not fit what Scripture says about the cross. It is helpful to see the danger of even subtle changes to wording. Stott shows precisely why we need to be careful with our language surrounding the cross, lest we risk compromising Christ’s work and the salvation He has won.
A favourite quote: ‘For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives which belong to God alone; God accepts penalties which belong to man alone.’ (160)
I appreciated how Stott introduces the works and theories of different theologians and scholars, and shows us how they do/do not fit what Scripture says about the cross. It is helpful to see the danger of even subtle changes to wording. Stott shows precisely why we need to be careful with our language surrounding the cross, lest we risk compromising Christ’s work and the salvation He has won.
A favourite quote: ‘For the essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives which belong to God alone; God accepts penalties which belong to man alone.’ (160)
October 22, 2025
Este libro logra un equilibrio increíblemente difícil: toma una doctrina compleja, profunda y a menudo malentendida del cristianismo —la Cruz de Cristo— y la presenta con una rigurosidad teológica que complacerá a los más estudiosos, pero con una claridad que la hace accesible para el lector de a pie. Lo use en mis devocionales como estudio y es excelente.
April 12, 2020
What a book to read during Holy Week. I am blown away by how beautiful, shocking, logically consistent, and practically applicable the Christian Gospel is at its most simple and most deep levels. This book is an incredible and enjoyable deep dive into the Cross of Christ and it’s significance historically, ethically, and spiritually.
Stott uses a great deal of structure to address the hard questions head on. For some “Jesus died for your sins” is a sufficient story to elicit faith, but for others, like myself, such a statement just forces you to ask “what the heck does that even mean?” If this is you, Stott writes for you.
He addresses 3 pivotal questions regarding the cross as our means of atonement: is it Christian (ie compatible with the teaching of Jesus and his apostles), is it moral (ie compatible or incompatible with justice and goodness), and is it incredible (ie does it actually functionally address such issues as the transfer of guilt). Broadly, he spends the beginning of the book asking “why did Christ die?” - as in, why did he have to? Through the lenses of theology and Jewish history, why was it actually necessary that Jesus die, and who was it necessary that Jesus actually be in order for that death to matter? Why couldn’t God just simply forgive us, without there being a payment, much like he calls us to forgive those who sin against us? These are hard questions! When Stott poses them, he does so with force. He would almost make me nervous that the Bible contains no answer, but then he always proves how thoroughly Gods Word holds up.
Next, Stott addresses the consequences of the cross: salvation of sinners, the revelation of God, and the conquest on evil. He discusses propitiation, redemption, reconciliation, and justification as the four images of what God accomplished at the cross.
Finally, he closes with “life under the cross”. In this section he discusses the implications of living under the cross. He calls us to be a community of continuous celebration, service to others, and love for enemies. He discusses how we are to overcome evil with good and brings this down to the ground of the modern day by attacking racism and sexism and charging us to care for the global and local poor. And finally he addresses the problem of suffering.
This is not a book of apologetics - it is written with the assumption that you believe the Gospel of Christ. This book is verrrry dense and pretty long. This book is also not without its biases. On every page, Stott takes firm theological stands, many of which are contentious, and some of which are bound to be incorrect or incomplete. However, as far as I’ve read, this book was the most complete and encouraging account of what God accomplished at the cross that I know of. To any Christian who wants to go deeper in this respect, I would highly recommend.
Stott uses a great deal of structure to address the hard questions head on. For some “Jesus died for your sins” is a sufficient story to elicit faith, but for others, like myself, such a statement just forces you to ask “what the heck does that even mean?” If this is you, Stott writes for you.
He addresses 3 pivotal questions regarding the cross as our means of atonement: is it Christian (ie compatible with the teaching of Jesus and his apostles), is it moral (ie compatible or incompatible with justice and goodness), and is it incredible (ie does it actually functionally address such issues as the transfer of guilt). Broadly, he spends the beginning of the book asking “why did Christ die?” - as in, why did he have to? Through the lenses of theology and Jewish history, why was it actually necessary that Jesus die, and who was it necessary that Jesus actually be in order for that death to matter? Why couldn’t God just simply forgive us, without there being a payment, much like he calls us to forgive those who sin against us? These are hard questions! When Stott poses them, he does so with force. He would almost make me nervous that the Bible contains no answer, but then he always proves how thoroughly Gods Word holds up.
Next, Stott addresses the consequences of the cross: salvation of sinners, the revelation of God, and the conquest on evil. He discusses propitiation, redemption, reconciliation, and justification as the four images of what God accomplished at the cross.
Finally, he closes with “life under the cross”. In this section he discusses the implications of living under the cross. He calls us to be a community of continuous celebration, service to others, and love for enemies. He discusses how we are to overcome evil with good and brings this down to the ground of the modern day by attacking racism and sexism and charging us to care for the global and local poor. And finally he addresses the problem of suffering.
This is not a book of apologetics - it is written with the assumption that you believe the Gospel of Christ. This book is verrrry dense and pretty long. This book is also not without its biases. On every page, Stott takes firm theological stands, many of which are contentious, and some of which are bound to be incorrect or incomplete. However, as far as I’ve read, this book was the most complete and encouraging account of what God accomplished at the cross that I know of. To any Christian who wants to go deeper in this respect, I would highly recommend.
Currently reading
June 5, 2012Quotes that stood out to me as I read:
Ch. 2 WHY DID CHRIST DIE?
"Nobody is ever envious of others who is not first proud of himself." (pg. 57)
"So [the Jewish leaders] felt threatened by Jesus. He undermined their prestige, their hold over the people, their own self-confidence and self-respect, while leaving his intact." (pg. 58)
"We resent [Jesus'] intrustion into our privacy, his demand for our homage, his expectation of our obedience. Why can't he mind his own business. we ask petulantly, and leave us alone? To which he instantly replies that we are his business ant he will never leave us alone. So we perceive him as a threatening rival who disturbs our peace, upsets our status quo, undermines our authority and diminshes our self-respect. We too want to get rid of him." (pg. 58)
"The fact that [Judas'] betrayel was foretold in the Scriptures does not mean that he was not a free agent, any more than the Old Testament predictions of the death of Jesus mean that he did not die voluntarily." (pg. 59)
"Thirty coins, the ransom price of a common slave." (pg. 60)
"'Were you there when they crucified my Lord?' the old negro spiritual asks. And we must answer, 'Yes, we were there.' Not as spectators only, but as participants, guilty participants, plotting, scheming, betraying, bargaining and handing him over to be crucified. We may try to wash our hands of responsibility like Pilate. But our attempt will be as futile as his. For there is blood on our hands. Before we can see the the cross as something done for us (leading us to faith and worship), we have to see it as something done by us (leading us to repentance)." (pg. 63)
"Octavius Winslow summed it up in a neat statement: 'Who delivered up Jesus to die? Not Judas, for money; not Pilate, for fear; not the Jews, for envy; - but the Father, for love!" (pg. 64)
Ch. 3: LOOKING BELOW THE SURFACE
"Christ died for us, for our good; that the 'good' he died to procure for us was our salvation; that in order to procure it he has to deal with our sins; and that in dying for them it was our death that he died." (pg. 68)
"Authentic love always expresses itself in humble service and...the world would identify them as his disciples only if they loved one another." (pg. 70)
The New Covenant (Exodus 24:8, Isaiah 42:6, Zechariah 9:11, Hebrews 9:18-20, Jeremiah 31:31-34) (pgs. 71-72)
"I used to imagine that because Christ died, the whole world had been autmatically put right. When someone explained to me that Christ had died for ME, I responded haughtily, 'everybody knows that,' as if the fact itself or my knowledge oof the fact had brought me salvation. But God does not impose his gifts on us willy-nilly; we have to receive them by faith. Of both the divine gift and the human reception of the Lord's Supper remains the perpetual outward sign. It is intended to be 'a participation in the body and blood of Christ' (1 Corinthians 10:15)." (pg. 73)
Amazing discussion of Jesus facing the cup of God's wrath in the Garden of Gethsemane. (pgs. 78-80)
"'He saved others, but he can't save himself!' Their words, spoken as an insult, were the literal truth. He could not save himself and others simultaneously. He chose to sacrifice himself in order to save the world." (pg. 80)
"'At the birth of the Son of God,' Douglas Webster has written, 'there was brightness at midnight; at the death of the Son of God there was darkness at noon.'" (pg. 81)
Verses on the Great Exchange: pg. 81.
Ch. 4: THE PROBLEM OF FORGIVENESS
"It is when our perception of God and man, or of holiness and sin, are askew that our understanding of the atonement is bound to be askew also." (pg. 90)
"How could anyone imagine taht Christianity is about sin rather than about the forgiveness of sin? How could anyone look at the cross and see only the shame of what we did to Crhsit, rather than the glory of what he did for us?" (pg. 100)
"A guilty conscience is a great blessing, but only if it drives us to come home." (pg. 100)
"To be 'cured' against one's will, and cured of staes which we may not regard as disease, is to be put on a level with those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals. But to be punished, however severely, because we have deserved it, because we 'ought to have known better,' is to be treated as a human person made in God's image." (pgs. 103-104)
"It is perilous to begin with any a priori, even with a "God-given sense of moral justice" which then shapes our understanding of the cross. It is wiser and safer to begin inductively with a God-given doctrine of the cross, which then shapes our understanding of moral justice." (pg. 106)
"When thinking of the great and living God, it is better to look up than down, and outside than inside ourselves." (pg.108)
"We learn to appreciate the access to God that Christ has won for us only after we have first seen God's inaccessibility to sinners. We cry 'Hallelujah' with authenticity only after we have first cried 'Woe is me, for I am lost'" (pg. 110)
"In Dale's words, 'It is partly because sin does not provoke our own wrath that we do not believe that sin provokes the wrath of God.'" (pg 110)
"All inadequate doctrines of the atonement are due to inadequate doctrines of God and humanity, If we bring God down to our level and raise ourselves to his, then of course we see no need for a radical salvation, let alone for a radical atonement to secure it. When, on the other hand, we have glimpsed the blinding glory of the holiness of God and have been so convicted of our sin by the Holy Spirit that we tremble before God and acknowledge what we are, namely 'hell-deserving sinners,' then and only then doe the necessity of the cross appear so obvious that we are astonished we never saw it before." (pg. 111)
"The essential background to the cross...is a balanced understanding of teh gravity of sin and the majesty of God. If we diminish either, we diminish the cross." (pg. 111)
Ch. 5: SATISFACTION FOR SIN
"[Hardy] caricatured the Christian understanding of the cross in order to more readily condemn it." (pg. 113)
"Anselm defines sin as 'not rendering to God what is his due'" (pg. 119)
Ch. 6: THE SELF-SUBSTITIUTION OF GOD
"Consecration leads to celebration. The life of the redeemed is a feast, ritually expressed in the Eucharist, the Christian festival of thanksgiving..." (pg. 141)
"We must not, then, speak of God punishing Jesus or of Jesus persuading God, for to do so is to set them over against each other as if they acted independently of each other or were in conflict with each other. We must never make Christ the object of God's punishment or God the object of Christ's persuasion, for both God and Christ were subjects not objects, taking the initiative together to save sinners." (pg. 151)
"Because 'the holiness of god...is meaningless without judgment,' the one thing God could not do in the face of human rebellion was nothing." (pg. 152)
"We strongly reject, therefore, every explanation of the death of Christ that does not have at its center the principle of 'satisfaction through substitution,' indeed divine self-satisfaction through divine self-substitution." (pg. 158)
"The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives that belong to god alone; God accepts penalties that belong to man alone." (pg. 159)
"At the root of every caricature of the cross lies a distorted Christology." (pg. 159)
"But we cannot escape the embarassment of standing stark naked before God. It is of no use for us to try and cover up like Adam and Eve in the garden. Our attempts at self-justificiation are as ineffectual as their fig leaves. We have to acknowledge our nakedness, see the divine substitute wearing our filthy rags instead of us, and allow him to clothe us with his own righteousness (cf. Rev. 3:17-18)." (pg. 162)
Ch. 7 THE SALVATION OF SINNERS
"God's anger is poles apart from ours. What provokes our anger (injured vanity) never provokes his; what provokes his anger (evil) seldom provokes ours." (pg. 171)
"God does not love us because Christ died for us; Christ died for us because God loves us." (pg. 172)
Ch. 2 WHY DID CHRIST DIE?
"Nobody is ever envious of others who is not first proud of himself." (pg. 57)
"So [the Jewish leaders] felt threatened by Jesus. He undermined their prestige, their hold over the people, their own self-confidence and self-respect, while leaving his intact." (pg. 58)
"We resent [Jesus'] intrustion into our privacy, his demand for our homage, his expectation of our obedience. Why can't he mind his own business. we ask petulantly, and leave us alone? To which he instantly replies that we are his business ant he will never leave us alone. So we perceive him as a threatening rival who disturbs our peace, upsets our status quo, undermines our authority and diminshes our self-respect. We too want to get rid of him." (pg. 58)
"The fact that [Judas'] betrayel was foretold in the Scriptures does not mean that he was not a free agent, any more than the Old Testament predictions of the death of Jesus mean that he did not die voluntarily." (pg. 59)
"Thirty coins, the ransom price of a common slave." (pg. 60)
"'Were you there when they crucified my Lord?' the old negro spiritual asks. And we must answer, 'Yes, we were there.' Not as spectators only, but as participants, guilty participants, plotting, scheming, betraying, bargaining and handing him over to be crucified. We may try to wash our hands of responsibility like Pilate. But our attempt will be as futile as his. For there is blood on our hands. Before we can see the the cross as something done for us (leading us to faith and worship), we have to see it as something done by us (leading us to repentance)." (pg. 63)
"Octavius Winslow summed it up in a neat statement: 'Who delivered up Jesus to die? Not Judas, for money; not Pilate, for fear; not the Jews, for envy; - but the Father, for love!" (pg. 64)
Ch. 3: LOOKING BELOW THE SURFACE
"Christ died for us, for our good; that the 'good' he died to procure for us was our salvation; that in order to procure it he has to deal with our sins; and that in dying for them it was our death that he died." (pg. 68)
"Authentic love always expresses itself in humble service and...the world would identify them as his disciples only if they loved one another." (pg. 70)
The New Covenant (Exodus 24:8, Isaiah 42:6, Zechariah 9:11, Hebrews 9:18-20, Jeremiah 31:31-34) (pgs. 71-72)
"I used to imagine that because Christ died, the whole world had been autmatically put right. When someone explained to me that Christ had died for ME, I responded haughtily, 'everybody knows that,' as if the fact itself or my knowledge oof the fact had brought me salvation. But God does not impose his gifts on us willy-nilly; we have to receive them by faith. Of both the divine gift and the human reception of the Lord's Supper remains the perpetual outward sign. It is intended to be 'a participation in the body and blood of Christ' (1 Corinthians 10:15)." (pg. 73)
Amazing discussion of Jesus facing the cup of God's wrath in the Garden of Gethsemane. (pgs. 78-80)
"'He saved others, but he can't save himself!' Their words, spoken as an insult, were the literal truth. He could not save himself and others simultaneously. He chose to sacrifice himself in order to save the world." (pg. 80)
"'At the birth of the Son of God,' Douglas Webster has written, 'there was brightness at midnight; at the death of the Son of God there was darkness at noon.'" (pg. 81)
Verses on the Great Exchange: pg. 81.
Ch. 4: THE PROBLEM OF FORGIVENESS
"It is when our perception of God and man, or of holiness and sin, are askew that our understanding of the atonement is bound to be askew also." (pg. 90)
"How could anyone imagine taht Christianity is about sin rather than about the forgiveness of sin? How could anyone look at the cross and see only the shame of what we did to Crhsit, rather than the glory of what he did for us?" (pg. 100)
"A guilty conscience is a great blessing, but only if it drives us to come home." (pg. 100)
"To be 'cured' against one's will, and cured of staes which we may not regard as disease, is to be put on a level with those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals. But to be punished, however severely, because we have deserved it, because we 'ought to have known better,' is to be treated as a human person made in God's image." (pgs. 103-104)
"It is perilous to begin with any a priori, even with a "God-given sense of moral justice" which then shapes our understanding of the cross. It is wiser and safer to begin inductively with a God-given doctrine of the cross, which then shapes our understanding of moral justice." (pg. 106)
"When thinking of the great and living God, it is better to look up than down, and outside than inside ourselves." (pg.108)
"We learn to appreciate the access to God that Christ has won for us only after we have first seen God's inaccessibility to sinners. We cry 'Hallelujah' with authenticity only after we have first cried 'Woe is me, for I am lost'" (pg. 110)
"In Dale's words, 'It is partly because sin does not provoke our own wrath that we do not believe that sin provokes the wrath of God.'" (pg 110)
"All inadequate doctrines of the atonement are due to inadequate doctrines of God and humanity, If we bring God down to our level and raise ourselves to his, then of course we see no need for a radical salvation, let alone for a radical atonement to secure it. When, on the other hand, we have glimpsed the blinding glory of the holiness of God and have been so convicted of our sin by the Holy Spirit that we tremble before God and acknowledge what we are, namely 'hell-deserving sinners,' then and only then doe the necessity of the cross appear so obvious that we are astonished we never saw it before." (pg. 111)
"The essential background to the cross...is a balanced understanding of teh gravity of sin and the majesty of God. If we diminish either, we diminish the cross." (pg. 111)
Ch. 5: SATISFACTION FOR SIN
"[Hardy] caricatured the Christian understanding of the cross in order to more readily condemn it." (pg. 113)
"Anselm defines sin as 'not rendering to God what is his due'" (pg. 119)
Ch. 6: THE SELF-SUBSTITIUTION OF GOD
"Consecration leads to celebration. The life of the redeemed is a feast, ritually expressed in the Eucharist, the Christian festival of thanksgiving..." (pg. 141)
"We must not, then, speak of God punishing Jesus or of Jesus persuading God, for to do so is to set them over against each other as if they acted independently of each other or were in conflict with each other. We must never make Christ the object of God's punishment or God the object of Christ's persuasion, for both God and Christ were subjects not objects, taking the initiative together to save sinners." (pg. 151)
"Because 'the holiness of god...is meaningless without judgment,' the one thing God could not do in the face of human rebellion was nothing." (pg. 152)
"We strongly reject, therefore, every explanation of the death of Christ that does not have at its center the principle of 'satisfaction through substitution,' indeed divine self-satisfaction through divine self-substitution." (pg. 158)
"The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting himself for man. Man asserts himself against God and puts himself where only God deserves to be; God sacrifices himself for man and puts himself where only man deserves to be. Man claims prerogatives that belong to god alone; God accepts penalties that belong to man alone." (pg. 159)
"At the root of every caricature of the cross lies a distorted Christology." (pg. 159)
"But we cannot escape the embarassment of standing stark naked before God. It is of no use for us to try and cover up like Adam and Eve in the garden. Our attempts at self-justificiation are as ineffectual as their fig leaves. We have to acknowledge our nakedness, see the divine substitute wearing our filthy rags instead of us, and allow him to clothe us with his own righteousness (cf. Rev. 3:17-18)." (pg. 162)
Ch. 7 THE SALVATION OF SINNERS
"God's anger is poles apart from ours. What provokes our anger (injured vanity) never provokes his; what provokes his anger (evil) seldom provokes ours." (pg. 171)
"God does not love us because Christ died for us; Christ died for us because God loves us." (pg. 172)
October 15, 2022
What a book.
Stott is insanely good at explaining complicated ideas in a way you can understand. The beauty of this is that, having laid out what the Bible says on the cross with such clarity, the applications for how to 'live under the cross' become far more gripping and attractive.
A quote that stood out to me:
"Yet we still regard security as our birthright and 'safety first' as a prudent motto ... Insistence on security is incompatible with the way of the cross. What daring adventures the incarnation and the atonement were! What a breach of convention and decorum that Almighty God should renounce his privileges in order to take human flesh and bear human sin! Jesus had no security except in his Father. So to follow Jesus is always to accept at least a measure of uncertainty, danger and rejection for his sake."
Thanks Ryan
Stott is insanely good at explaining complicated ideas in a way you can understand. The beauty of this is that, having laid out what the Bible says on the cross with such clarity, the applications for how to 'live under the cross' become far more gripping and attractive.
A quote that stood out to me:
"Yet we still regard security as our birthright and 'safety first' as a prudent motto ... Insistence on security is incompatible with the way of the cross. What daring adventures the incarnation and the atonement were! What a breach of convention and decorum that Almighty God should renounce his privileges in order to take human flesh and bear human sin! Jesus had no security except in his Father. So to follow Jesus is always to accept at least a measure of uncertainty, danger and rejection for his sake."
Thanks Ryan
December 11, 2014
"This is the best book we have read in this group."
So commented a faculty member recently in a campus book group that discussed Stott's book. And we've discussed some pretty significant books by the likes of Augustine, Pascal, Calvin, Kierkegaard, Barth, and others!
I think what marks this book by John Stott, that I first read when published nearly 30 years ago, is a combination of theological clarity and pastoral application that help one deeply root one's understanding of the work of Christ on the cross not only in belief but in Christian devotion and practice.
The book consists of four sections. The first is introductory, "Approaching the Cross" and explores the centrality of the cross in Christian belief and practice and considers why such an instrument of torture would become so central that it even shapes the architecture of our great cathedrals. This leads to a focus on why Christ died, considering not only the historical events but the deeper reasons in the purposes of God and the need of human beings.
This brings us to what I think is the central section of the book, which is appropriately enough titled, "The Heart of the Cross." It is here that Stott carefully lays the groundwork for his defense of the substitution as foundational to our understanding of how Christ atoned for sin. But this isn't Jesus simply "taking one for the team" that leaves itself open to questions of divine child abuse. Allow me here to quote Stott at some length:
"Our substitute, then who took our place and died our death on the cross, was neither Christ alone (since that would make him a third party thrust in between God and us), nor God alone (since that would undermine the historical incarnation), but God in Christ, who was truly and fully both God and man, and who on that account was uniquely qualified to represent both God and man and to mediate between them. If we speak only of Christ suffering and dying, we overlook the initiative of the Father. If we speak only of God suffering and dying, we overlook the mediation of the Son. The New Testament authors never attribute the atonement either to Christ in such a way as to dissociate him from the Father, or to God in such a way as to dispense with Christ, but rather to God and Christ, or to God acting in and through Christ with his whole-hearted concurrence." (p. 156 in the 1986 edition)
The third section then moves on to describe "The Achievement of the Cross" in the salvation of sinners, the revelation of God, and the conquest of evil. Particularly striking was his focus on what we see of the glory, justice, and love of God coming together in the cross. Equally wonderful is his explanation of how the victory of the cross frees us from wrath, sin, the law, and death.
The last section then considers "Living Under the Cross." He begins with a discussion of how we are a community of celebration and how our worship and the Lord's table indeed celebrate the work of the cross. I was surprised in this chapter with the extended discussion of differing views of the eucharist where he distinguishes Anglican from Catholic practice. He then moves to how the cross helps us understand ourselves as both sinners and redeemed and of great worth in a way that releases us for great service. This even empowers us to love our enemies and find meaning in suffering.
Stott then concludes with a summary of the pervasive influence of the cross in a chapter that summarizes the book using the letter to the Galatians as a means of review.
What John Stott gave us here, as in all of his writing is a theologically rich but evangelically orthodox account of the cross. He is gracious and pastoral and yet willing to surface theological differences and to clearly set forth arguments from the scriptures for his own positions in a way that demarcates the matters that need to be honestly faced if the Church is to be one not merely in sentiment but truth. Above all, he shows us how the work of the cross is indeed central to the message and life of the Church when we may be tempted to get caught up in moralism, activism, or speculative theology. This may be a word we need as much in our day as when Stott wrote in 1986.
So commented a faculty member recently in a campus book group that discussed Stott's book. And we've discussed some pretty significant books by the likes of Augustine, Pascal, Calvin, Kierkegaard, Barth, and others!
I think what marks this book by John Stott, that I first read when published nearly 30 years ago, is a combination of theological clarity and pastoral application that help one deeply root one's understanding of the work of Christ on the cross not only in belief but in Christian devotion and practice.
The book consists of four sections. The first is introductory, "Approaching the Cross" and explores the centrality of the cross in Christian belief and practice and considers why such an instrument of torture would become so central that it even shapes the architecture of our great cathedrals. This leads to a focus on why Christ died, considering not only the historical events but the deeper reasons in the purposes of God and the need of human beings.
This brings us to what I think is the central section of the book, which is appropriately enough titled, "The Heart of the Cross." It is here that Stott carefully lays the groundwork for his defense of the substitution as foundational to our understanding of how Christ atoned for sin. But this isn't Jesus simply "taking one for the team" that leaves itself open to questions of divine child abuse. Allow me here to quote Stott at some length:
"Our substitute, then who took our place and died our death on the cross, was neither Christ alone (since that would make him a third party thrust in between God and us), nor God alone (since that would undermine the historical incarnation), but God in Christ, who was truly and fully both God and man, and who on that account was uniquely qualified to represent both God and man and to mediate between them. If we speak only of Christ suffering and dying, we overlook the initiative of the Father. If we speak only of God suffering and dying, we overlook the mediation of the Son. The New Testament authors never attribute the atonement either to Christ in such a way as to dissociate him from the Father, or to God in such a way as to dispense with Christ, but rather to God and Christ, or to God acting in and through Christ with his whole-hearted concurrence." (p. 156 in the 1986 edition)
The third section then moves on to describe "The Achievement of the Cross" in the salvation of sinners, the revelation of God, and the conquest of evil. Particularly striking was his focus on what we see of the glory, justice, and love of God coming together in the cross. Equally wonderful is his explanation of how the victory of the cross frees us from wrath, sin, the law, and death.
The last section then considers "Living Under the Cross." He begins with a discussion of how we are a community of celebration and how our worship and the Lord's table indeed celebrate the work of the cross. I was surprised in this chapter with the extended discussion of differing views of the eucharist where he distinguishes Anglican from Catholic practice. He then moves to how the cross helps us understand ourselves as both sinners and redeemed and of great worth in a way that releases us for great service. This even empowers us to love our enemies and find meaning in suffering.
Stott then concludes with a summary of the pervasive influence of the cross in a chapter that summarizes the book using the letter to the Galatians as a means of review.
What John Stott gave us here, as in all of his writing is a theologically rich but evangelically orthodox account of the cross. He is gracious and pastoral and yet willing to surface theological differences and to clearly set forth arguments from the scriptures for his own positions in a way that demarcates the matters that need to be honestly faced if the Church is to be one not merely in sentiment but truth. Above all, he shows us how the work of the cross is indeed central to the message and life of the Church when we may be tempted to get caught up in moralism, activism, or speculative theology. This may be a word we need as much in our day as when Stott wrote in 1986.
March 24, 2023
A must read and a true christian classic! Stott is exhaustive in his study of the cross and its implications for us and world around us. Really appreciated his look into the various atonement theories, he makes effective use of both church history and scripture in his assessment of each theory. Also found his take on the cry of dereliction very interesting and well argued, even if some would take a different view. Stott delves into the character of God and who Christ is, we have a saviour who doesn't change but also suffers as we do. Theology that is good for both the mind and the soul.
February 12, 2022
This took me way too long. There is some absolute gold in here but you do have to go through a bit to get to it sometimes.
If you’re looking for an in-depth read in the cross this is for you. If you’re after an interesting and inspiring read not so much.
If you’re looking for an in-depth read in the cross this is for you. If you’re after an interesting and inspiring read not so much.
July 19, 2022
The theological precision of Stott as he navigates the significance of penal substitutionary atonement is unmatched. It was, however, heady and challenging to read (for myself) at times. I was glad his last few chapters brought out practical implications to living everyday life in response to the good news of the cross of Christ.
June 20, 2025
One of the greatest works of accessible theology ever written. Stott was a gift to God’s people.
May 9, 2023
It is the man who has died with Christ that can preach the cross of Christ
September 20, 2025
“Faith has absolutely no value in itself; its value lies solely in its object. Faith is the eye that looks to Christ, the hand that lays hold of him, the mouth that drinks the water of life. And the more clearly we see the absolute adequacy of Jesus Christ’s divine-human person and sin-bearing death, the more incongruous does it appear that anybody could suppose that we have anything to offer.”
March 27, 2026
“I try to show that the cross transforms everything. It gives us a new, worshiping relationship to God, a new and balanced understanding of ourselves, a new incentive to give ourselves in mission, a new love for our enemies, and a new courage to face the perplexities of suffering.”
This is a theologically rich book that will deepen your understanding of the cross and why it is necessary, beautiful, victorious, and a revelation of God himself.
John Stott first wrote this book in 1985. I read the 20th Anniversary Edition that was republished in 2005 with a new foreword by Alistair McGrath. The Cross of Christ has long been considered a staple read for Christians (kind of like Knowing God or Mere Christianity) and I concur with that. I’m not sure there is another book out there that is more detailed and comprehensive regarding the cross and atonement.
I’ve had this book on my shelf for a few years now, always intending to read it, but knowing it would take me awhile, continuing to push it off. I’m glad I finally picked it up. Especially because recently I’ve been encountering more and more people rejecting penal substitutionary atonement (most recently in The Myth of Good Christian Parenting) which has baffled me.
I, like Stott, am surprised by how unpopular substitutionary atonement is. I then learned about all these different ‘theories’ of atonement, which I somehow hadn’t heard of before, but felt a little overwhelmed. I had no idea when I started Stott’s book that he would lay them all out for me, showing me what is appealing about each, where it is based in a truth, but most importantly, where they are incomplete.
That alone is worth reading this book because I think the average church-attender might not know how to discern distortions of the atonement. But there is so much more to this book than that. I took like 60 pages of typed notes while reading this book, folks. Even for someone lacking in brevity, that’s a lot of pages for me.
Stott’s writing, though a little dense at times, is very clear. It’s almost like a whole bunch of sermons in one book. He will have three reasons for such and such or four things we learn from this or four pictures that illustrate this, etc, and many summary statements that make it easy to follow along. If you wanted to outline the entire book (for some reason) it would be very straightforward to do.
One thing that is great about the book (at least in the anniversary edition— not sure if it’s in the original) is the Study Guide at the end. I didn’t notice it until I was a good chunk of the way through or I would have utilized it more, but it would be very useful for people wanting to read and discuss the book together or, individually, as a way to sum up and remember the main points of each chapter as you go along.
If you’ve ever wondered… why is the cross what most symbolizes and represents Christianity? why did Jesus die? why couldn’t God just forgive us? is the Old Testament God full of wrath but the New Testament God full of love? how do we reconcile God’s anger with his love? can God suffer? can God die? what’s the difference between justification and forgiveness? how is the cross glorious? why is the Lord’s Supper important? why would God allow us to suffer?… then this book is definitely for you.
It answers far more than these questions and even presents questions that I didn’t know I wanted the answers to.
Stott divides his book into four sections: Approaching the Cross, The Heart of the Cross, the Achievement of the Cross, and Living Under the Cross.
I’ll just share a few of the things in the book that really stuck out to me and my ultimate recommendation is at the end.
In the section about approaching the cross where he talks about why Jesus died and looked at the role of Judas, the high priests, and Pilate, he reminds us that we can’t fully separate ourselves from what happened on the cross. It’s worth quoting at length:
In the section on the heart of the cross he gets right down to one of the hardest parts to understand about the cross and forgiveness. Why did Jesus have to die? Why couldn’t God just forgive us?
Much is said about God’s love today, and rightly so because he is love. But what is missing about this description is what Stott calls his ‘holy love.’
“His love is “holy love”, love which yearns over sinners while at the same time refusing to condone their sin. How, then, could God express his holy love— his love in forgiving sinners without compromising his holiness, and his holiness in judging sinners without frustrating his love?”
The answer is the cross.
“On the cross divine mercy and justice were equally expressed and eternally reconciled. God’s holy love was ‘satisfied.’”
The only response to sin by a holy God is justice. But because of his holy love, instead of making the guilty parties pay the cost, he substituted himself in our place.
As Stott goes through the other views of atonement, he shows that:
For example, the view of atonement often called Ransom to Satan or Christus Victor originates from the idea that the cross was necessary because God had to satisfy Satan, that somehow he owed something to the devil because of our sin. But the cross was not a transaction with the devil as if he lorded any debt over God. It’s God we have sinned against.
Ambrose’s view of atonement is that Christ had to satisfy the law and that God had his hands tied, forced to require punishment for disobeying the law. But God is not imprisoned by his own law, he is the creator of the law and the law “is the expression of his own moral being” which is always self-consistent.
Anselm’s view is called the Satisfaction Theory and rightly accounts for the gravity of sin, the holiness of God, and the perfection of Christ and his voluntary death for us, but it seems to put Jesus and God on opposing sides, almost painting God as a “feudal overlord” demanding honor that Jesus, apart from God, decides to satisfy.
Abelard’s Moral Influence view emphasizes the cross as a demonstration meant to inspire repentance rather than an actual payment of sin.
God must satisfy himself. And Jesus, as a member of the Trinity, is never at odds with the Father or the Spirit. They are one.
“We must never make Christ the object of God’s punishment or God the object of Christ’s persuasion, for both God and Christ were subjects not objects, taking the initiative together to save sinners… their wills coincided in the perfect self-sacrifice of love.”
Stott says that he hasn’t seen a more careful statement about substitutionary atonement as this one by Dr. Charles Cranfield:
Stott then spends time talking about the Old Testament sacrificial system and the Passover to underscore what substitution means, who was eligible to make it, and why it was just.
Stott takes on all the objections and arguments and does a great job leading us through Scripture to show how essential the principle of ‘satisfaction through substitution’ is for Bible-believing Christians. He has strong words against anyone attempting to remove these from their theology. We can be sure that there is nothing immoral about penal substitutionary atonement (Christ taking on the legal punishment for our sin) because the substitute for us was “the Lawmaker himself.”
Again, I’ll quote at length here because it is a good summary that I’ll probably refer back to:
In the section on the achievement of the cross, he covers three things the cross did: rescued us (salvation), disclosed himself (revelation), and overcame evil (conquest).
He goes through four ‘theology’ words with helpful and easy to understand illustrations that help us see a complete picture of salvation:
“Propitiation introduces us to rituals at a shrine, redemption to transactions in a marketplace, justification to proceedings in a court of law, and reconciliation to experiences in a home or family. My contention is that ‘substitution’ is not a further ‘theory’ or ‘image’ to be set alongside the others, but rather the foundation of them all, without which each lacks cogency.”
“Each of these four New Testament images of salvation highlights a different aspect of our human need. Propitiation underscores the wrath of God upon us, redemption our captivity to sin, justification our guilt, and reconciliation our enmity against God and alienation from him.”
He declares that ‘substitution’ is not a ‘theory’ of atonement but the very essence of it.
In the section on living under the cross, I really enjoyed the chapter about self-understanding.
Many today confuse self-affirmation with self-love. He does a great job of showing how it is biblical to both deny yourself and affirm yourself:
“The self we are to deny, disown and crucify is our fallen self, everything within us that is incompatible with Jesus Christ. The self we are to affirm and value is our created self, everything within us that is compatible with Jesus Christ. True self-denial is not the road to self-destruction but the road to self-discovery.”
“the cross is the God-given measure of the value of our true self, since Christ loved us and died for us. On the other hand, it is the God-given model for the denial of our false self, since we are to nail it to the cross and so put it to death… we see simultaneously our worth and our unworthiness, since we perceive both the greatness of his love in dying, and the greatness of our sin in causing him to die.”
(These truths align so well with Galatians which I just happened to be studying while reading this book. It was a pleasant surprise that the Conclusion went through the entire book of Galatians!)
The cross not only corrects our view of self, but is also the foundation for how we love our enemies.
This chapter was the practical ‘how to live in your community’ with this knowledge part.
The last chapter looks at how the cross informs our view of suffering. I thought this part was really good too. I’ve read a lot of books on pain and suffering— which I can only imagine must mean God is equipping me for something down the road— so this wasn’t necessarily new information but it is always good to be reminded how suffering is attached to growth and maturity. Suffering, however painful, is not Godforsaken; God is there with us. We share his sufferings that we might share in his glory when all is made right.
When we change our mindset to expect suffering, knowing God is refining us, pruning us, we can endure for our loving God is producing a holiness in us that is made for heaven.
“The cross does not solve the problem of suffering, but it supplies the essential perspective from which to look at it. Since God has demonstrated his holy love and loving justice in a historical event (the cross), no other historical event (whether personal or global) can override or disprove it.”
See original post for some additional quotes.
Recommendation
This will not be a light or fast read, but I do believe it to be an accessible and essential read to expand and deepen your understanding of the cross.
I think I’ll be coming back to my notes a lot as different questions come up. This book is a classic for a reason and I recommend it whether you are a pastor, a layperson, or even an atheist who wants to know what the heck the deal is with all the cross stuff.
Rest assured, the cross does not put God’s wrath at odds with his love, but presents the most beautiful combination of them— his holy love— that is our path to freedom and to life and leads us to worship and service in gratitude that he made a way for us that we did not deserve. Thank you, Lord.
Book Review Blog | Facebook | Pinterest | StoryGraph
This is a theologically rich book that will deepen your understanding of the cross and why it is necessary, beautiful, victorious, and a revelation of God himself.
John Stott first wrote this book in 1985. I read the 20th Anniversary Edition that was republished in 2005 with a new foreword by Alistair McGrath. The Cross of Christ has long been considered a staple read for Christians (kind of like Knowing God or Mere Christianity) and I concur with that. I’m not sure there is another book out there that is more detailed and comprehensive regarding the cross and atonement.
I’ve had this book on my shelf for a few years now, always intending to read it, but knowing it would take me awhile, continuing to push it off. I’m glad I finally picked it up. Especially because recently I’ve been encountering more and more people rejecting penal substitutionary atonement (most recently in The Myth of Good Christian Parenting) which has baffled me.
I, like Stott, am surprised by how unpopular substitutionary atonement is. I then learned about all these different ‘theories’ of atonement, which I somehow hadn’t heard of before, but felt a little overwhelmed. I had no idea when I started Stott’s book that he would lay them all out for me, showing me what is appealing about each, where it is based in a truth, but most importantly, where they are incomplete.
That alone is worth reading this book because I think the average church-attender might not know how to discern distortions of the atonement. But there is so much more to this book than that. I took like 60 pages of typed notes while reading this book, folks. Even for someone lacking in brevity, that’s a lot of pages for me.
Stott’s writing, though a little dense at times, is very clear. It’s almost like a whole bunch of sermons in one book. He will have three reasons for such and such or four things we learn from this or four pictures that illustrate this, etc, and many summary statements that make it easy to follow along. If you wanted to outline the entire book (for some reason) it would be very straightforward to do.
One thing that is great about the book (at least in the anniversary edition— not sure if it’s in the original) is the Study Guide at the end. I didn’t notice it until I was a good chunk of the way through or I would have utilized it more, but it would be very useful for people wanting to read and discuss the book together or, individually, as a way to sum up and remember the main points of each chapter as you go along.
If you’ve ever wondered… why is the cross what most symbolizes and represents Christianity? why did Jesus die? why couldn’t God just forgive us? is the Old Testament God full of wrath but the New Testament God full of love? how do we reconcile God’s anger with his love? can God suffer? can God die? what’s the difference between justification and forgiveness? how is the cross glorious? why is the Lord’s Supper important? why would God allow us to suffer?… then this book is definitely for you.
It answers far more than these questions and even presents questions that I didn’t know I wanted the answers to.
Stott divides his book into four sections: Approaching the Cross, The Heart of the Cross, the Achievement of the Cross, and Living Under the Cross.
I’ll just share a few of the things in the book that really stuck out to me and my ultimate recommendation is at the end.
In the section about approaching the cross where he talks about why Jesus died and looked at the role of Judas, the high priests, and Pilate, he reminds us that we can’t fully separate ourselves from what happened on the cross. It’s worth quoting at length:
“If we were in their place, we would have done what they did. Indeed, we have done it. For whenever we turn away from Christ, we “are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace” (Heb 6:6). We too sacrifice Jesus to our greed like Judas, to our envy like the priests, to our ambition like Pilate. ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord?’ The old negro spiritual asks. And we must answer, ‘yes, we were there.’ Not as spectators only, but as participants, guilty participants, plotting, scheming, betraying, bargaining and handing him over to be crucified. We may try to wash our hands of responsibility like Pilate. But our attempt will be as futile as his. For there is blood on our hands. Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us (leading us to faith and worship) we have to see it as something done by us (leading us to repentance). Indeed, ‘only the man who is prepared to own his share in the guilt of the cross,’ wrote Canon Peter Green, ‘may claim his share in its grace.’”
In the section on the heart of the cross he gets right down to one of the hardest parts to understand about the cross and forgiveness. Why did Jesus have to die? Why couldn’t God just forgive us?
Much is said about God’s love today, and rightly so because he is love. But what is missing about this description is what Stott calls his ‘holy love.’
“His love is “holy love”, love which yearns over sinners while at the same time refusing to condone their sin. How, then, could God express his holy love— his love in forgiving sinners without compromising his holiness, and his holiness in judging sinners without frustrating his love?”
The answer is the cross.
“On the cross divine mercy and justice were equally expressed and eternally reconciled. God’s holy love was ‘satisfied.’”
The only response to sin by a holy God is justice. But because of his holy love, instead of making the guilty parties pay the cost, he substituted himself in our place.
As Stott goes through the other views of atonement, he shows that:
“All inadequate doctrines of the atonement are due to inadequate doctrines of God and humanity… The essential background to the cross, therefore, is a balanced understanding of the gravity of sin and the majesty of God. If we diminish either, we thereby diminish the cross. If we reinterpret sin as a lapse instead of a rebellion, and God as indulgent instead of indignant, then naturally the cross appears superfluous.”
For example, the view of atonement often called Ransom to Satan or Christus Victor originates from the idea that the cross was necessary because God had to satisfy Satan, that somehow he owed something to the devil because of our sin. But the cross was not a transaction with the devil as if he lorded any debt over God. It’s God we have sinned against.
Ambrose’s view of atonement is that Christ had to satisfy the law and that God had his hands tied, forced to require punishment for disobeying the law. But God is not imprisoned by his own law, he is the creator of the law and the law “is the expression of his own moral being” which is always self-consistent.
Anselm’s view is called the Satisfaction Theory and rightly accounts for the gravity of sin, the holiness of God, and the perfection of Christ and his voluntary death for us, but it seems to put Jesus and God on opposing sides, almost painting God as a “feudal overlord” demanding honor that Jesus, apart from God, decides to satisfy.
Abelard’s Moral Influence view emphasizes the cross as a demonstration meant to inspire repentance rather than an actual payment of sin.
“In differing degrees, all these formulations are true. The limitation they share is that unless they are very carefully stated, they represent God as being subordinate to something outside and above himself which controls his actions, to which he is accountable, and from which he cannot free himself. Satisfaction is an appropriate word, providing we realize that it is he himself in his inner being who needs to be satisfied, and not something external to himself. Talk of law, honor, justice and the moral order is true only in so far as these are seen as expressions of God’s own character. Atonement is a ‘necessity’ because it ‘arises from within God himself.’”
God must satisfy himself. And Jesus, as a member of the Trinity, is never at odds with the Father or the Spirit. They are one.
“We must never make Christ the object of God’s punishment or God the object of Christ’s persuasion, for both God and Christ were subjects not objects, taking the initiative together to save sinners… their wills coincided in the perfect self-sacrifice of love.”
Stott says that he hasn’t seen a more careful statement about substitutionary atonement as this one by Dr. Charles Cranfield:
“God, because in his mercy he willed to forgive sinful men, and, being truly merciful, willed to forgive them righteously, that is, without in any way condoning their sin, purposed to direct against his own very self in the person of his Son the full weight of that righteous wrath which they deserved.”
Stott then spends time talking about the Old Testament sacrificial system and the Passover to underscore what substitution means, who was eligible to make it, and why it was just.
Stott takes on all the objections and arguments and does a great job leading us through Scripture to show how essential the principle of ‘satisfaction through substitution’ is for Bible-believing Christians. He has strong words against anyone attempting to remove these from their theology. We can be sure that there is nothing immoral about penal substitutionary atonement (Christ taking on the legal punishment for our sin) because the substitute for us was “the Lawmaker himself.”
Again, I’ll quote at length here because it is a good summary that I’ll probably refer back to:
“The cross was not a commercial bargain with the devil, let alone one that tricked and trapped him; nor an exact equivalent, a quid pro quo to satisfy a code of honor or technical point of law; nor a compulsory submission by God to some moral authority above him from which he could not otherwise escape; nor a punishment of a meek Christ by a harsh and punitive Father; nor a procurement of salvation by a loving Christ from a mean and reluctant Father; nor an action of the Father which bypassed Christ as Mediator. Instead, the righteous, loving Father humbled himself to become in and through his only Son flesh, sin and a curse for us, in order to redeem us without compromising his own character. The theological words satisfaction and substitution need to be carefully defined and safeguarded, but they cannot in any circumstances be given up. The biblical gospel of atonement is of God satisfying himself by substituting himself for us.”
In the section on the achievement of the cross, he covers three things the cross did: rescued us (salvation), disclosed himself (revelation), and overcame evil (conquest).
He goes through four ‘theology’ words with helpful and easy to understand illustrations that help us see a complete picture of salvation:
“Propitiation introduces us to rituals at a shrine, redemption to transactions in a marketplace, justification to proceedings in a court of law, and reconciliation to experiences in a home or family. My contention is that ‘substitution’ is not a further ‘theory’ or ‘image’ to be set alongside the others, but rather the foundation of them all, without which each lacks cogency.”
“Each of these four New Testament images of salvation highlights a different aspect of our human need. Propitiation underscores the wrath of God upon us, redemption our captivity to sin, justification our guilt, and reconciliation our enmity against God and alienation from him.”
He declares that ‘substitution’ is not a ‘theory’ of atonement but the very essence of it.
In the section on living under the cross, I really enjoyed the chapter about self-understanding.
Many today confuse self-affirmation with self-love. He does a great job of showing how it is biblical to both deny yourself and affirm yourself:
“The self we are to deny, disown and crucify is our fallen self, everything within us that is incompatible with Jesus Christ. The self we are to affirm and value is our created self, everything within us that is compatible with Jesus Christ. True self-denial is not the road to self-destruction but the road to self-discovery.”
“the cross is the God-given measure of the value of our true self, since Christ loved us and died for us. On the other hand, it is the God-given model for the denial of our false self, since we are to nail it to the cross and so put it to death… we see simultaneously our worth and our unworthiness, since we perceive both the greatness of his love in dying, and the greatness of our sin in causing him to die.”
(These truths align so well with Galatians which I just happened to be studying while reading this book. It was a pleasant surprise that the Conclusion went through the entire book of Galatians!)
The cross not only corrects our view of self, but is also the foundation for how we love our enemies.
This chapter was the practical ‘how to live in your community’ with this knowledge part.
The last chapter looks at how the cross informs our view of suffering. I thought this part was really good too. I’ve read a lot of books on pain and suffering— which I can only imagine must mean God is equipping me for something down the road— so this wasn’t necessarily new information but it is always good to be reminded how suffering is attached to growth and maturity. Suffering, however painful, is not Godforsaken; God is there with us. We share his sufferings that we might share in his glory when all is made right.
When we change our mindset to expect suffering, knowing God is refining us, pruning us, we can endure for our loving God is producing a holiness in us that is made for heaven.
“The cross does not solve the problem of suffering, but it supplies the essential perspective from which to look at it. Since God has demonstrated his holy love and loving justice in a historical event (the cross), no other historical event (whether personal or global) can override or disprove it.”
See original post for some additional quotes.
Recommendation
This will not be a light or fast read, but I do believe it to be an accessible and essential read to expand and deepen your understanding of the cross.
I think I’ll be coming back to my notes a lot as different questions come up. This book is a classic for a reason and I recommend it whether you are a pastor, a layperson, or even an atheist who wants to know what the heck the deal is with all the cross stuff.
Rest assured, the cross does not put God’s wrath at odds with his love, but presents the most beautiful combination of them— his holy love— that is our path to freedom and to life and leads us to worship and service in gratitude that he made a way for us that we did not deserve. Thank you, Lord.
Book Review Blog | Facebook | Pinterest | StoryGraph
Read
May 18, 2024"I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross... In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?"
February 7, 2022
A historical, theological, devotional, worshipful, and scriptural book.
I was debating between 4 and 5. It got a little muddled in the middle (also a little Covenantalist lol). But overall, a really great book!
“God could quite justly have abandoned us to our fate. He could have left us alone to reap the fruit of our wrongdoing and to perish in our sins. It is what we deserved. But he did not. Because he loved us, he came after us in Christ. He pursued us even to the desolate anguish of the cross, where he bore our sins, guilt, judgement and death. It takes a hard and stony heart to remain unmoved by love like that.”
“The essential background to the cross, therefore, is a balanced understanding of the gravity of sin and the majesty of God. If we diminish either, we thereby diminish the cross.”
“If the Cross of Christ is anything to the mind, it is surely everything – the most profound reality and the sublimest mystery.”
“It was by his death that he wished above all else to be remembered. There is then, it is safe to say, no Christianity without the cross. If the cross is not central to our religion, ours is not the religion of Jesus.”
“I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the One Nietzsche ridiculed as ‘God on the cross.’ In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?”
I was debating between 4 and 5. It got a little muddled in the middle (also a little Covenantalist lol). But overall, a really great book!
“God could quite justly have abandoned us to our fate. He could have left us alone to reap the fruit of our wrongdoing and to perish in our sins. It is what we deserved. But he did not. Because he loved us, he came after us in Christ. He pursued us even to the desolate anguish of the cross, where he bore our sins, guilt, judgement and death. It takes a hard and stony heart to remain unmoved by love like that.”
“The essential background to the cross, therefore, is a balanced understanding of the gravity of sin and the majesty of God. If we diminish either, we thereby diminish the cross.”
“If the Cross of Christ is anything to the mind, it is surely everything – the most profound reality and the sublimest mystery.”
“It was by his death that he wished above all else to be remembered. There is then, it is safe to say, no Christianity without the cross. If the cross is not central to our religion, ours is not the religion of Jesus.”
“I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. The only God I believe in is the One Nietzsche ridiculed as ‘God on the cross.’ In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?”
December 23, 2013
Stott’s seminal work has been reprinted on its twentieth anniversary. Within these pages, Stott surveys the cross of Christ with clarity and aplomb scarcely found in such examinations. Not only does Stott trace the Biblical teaching on the cross, he also addresses common criticisms and controversial views, revealing the truth behind the work Jesus accomplished through His death. Though it reads long in places, careful meditation on Stott’s work is not only helpful, but eagerly recommended.
June 20, 2025
I struggle with his view of God’s Impassibility but other than that 5 🌟
January 3, 2024
Such a theologically rich book that dives deep into the cross and all that Christ has accomplished for us. I realized much of the work Christ did on the cross, I have taken at face value and this book was convicting in that way. Simple truths that I thought I understood about the cross, Stott digs into in such a deeper and more meaningful way. Honestly, it was so theologically deep at times that I had to re read sections and still wasn’t sure I completely grasped some of the ideas. But 100% worth the read just to learn so much more about Christ’s sacrifice and grow in deeper love and appreciation for what He did.
June 24, 2020
This has widely been considered one of the best books to read if you are a Christian. John Stott has affectionately been called the closest thing to a pope that Protestants have and I can see why. His width and breadth of knowledge, scriptural, historical, artistic, evangelistic, and pastoral all come out in this book. The Cross of Christ is going to take you on a wide sweep of all of the beauties and graces of the cross and at the heart of it, justification.
This book can be hard to read at times due to its repetitive theme and consistent layout. I found myself wandering off from time to time while reading. I would use this more a book of reference in the future than one I would read cover to cover again. It is worth your time though for no other reason than to learn why Stott is loved by so many.
This book can be hard to read at times due to its repetitive theme and consistent layout. I found myself wandering off from time to time while reading. I would use this more a book of reference in the future than one I would read cover to cover again. It is worth your time though for no other reason than to learn why Stott is loved by so many.
August 6, 2025
This book was good for my soul. A fantastic exploration of Christ’s death on the cross and what that means for God and man. The gospel is a thing shallow enough to briefly describe and deep enough to explore forever. Stott expertly explores the heresies and truths of the cross. He banishes any doubts that this is an old familiar story and gives every Christian new eyes to behold the glories of the cross of Christ.
This book is more than worth your time.
This book is more than worth your time.
January 13, 2024
The Cross of Christ has become a Christian Classic for very good reason. Look for deep theological truths here, as well as practical application of our salvation, not to mention the historical defenses too. It will leave you praying what the puritans would pray, “O blessed cross, what mercies dost thou bring with thee!” And “Take us to our saviors cross, and leave us there.”
February 14, 2025
This guy does not miss.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 493 reviews