First sentence: What has Jesus done for you? Ask that question in any Bible-honoring church, and you'll likely hear the same answer, "He died for me." Christians are known as the people of the cross, and rightly so. The cross stands at the center of the good news of the salvation for sinners.

The title and subtitle really tell potential readers all they need to know about to expect. I don't know if my attempt at a summary is even necessary.

Essentially this book focuses on the person and work of Jesus Christ the Son of God examining what he planned to do from before creation, what he has done, what he is doing, and what he will do for us who are united to Him. This book touches on every aspect--not just the cross, not just the resurrection, but everything.

It is saturated in Scripture. It was LOVELY to see. Rhodes uses Scripture throughout and uses it liberally--and by liberally I mean generously and lavishly. We see from Scripture itself--along with Rhodes own conclusions--just how marvelous and FULL the gospel is.

There are three sections.

Part 1: The Journey of the Son of God
Part 2: To The Far Country
Part 3: To the Father's Right Hand

I found the book informative and encouraging. It was not an intimidating read. It would be a good book for those new to theology or a great basic refresher for those more experienced in their reading.

Quotes:
To say the cross is at the center of Christ's work immediately implies that there's a wider picture; a broader canvas that has to be center.
The cross must not become detached from the resurrection, the ascension, or any other event in Christ's life. We may be able to answer the question "Why did Jesus die for you?" But why did he rise? Why was he buried? Why was he circumcised? Does it even matter? Yes, I suggest it does. God has spoken about all these things in his word, and God doesn't waste his breath. All the events of Christ's life are part of his saving work: he was buried for us, he was circumcised for us, he was baptized for us. Each has something to teach us. The cross connects not just to every other event in Christ's life but to every aspect of his ministry. Historically, this ministry has been viewed through the lens of Christ's threefold office. Jesus is our prophet, priest, and king.
The tomb of Christ was the womb of a whole new world.

"As king, Adam should have exercised his rule over all creatures and conquered the snake. As priest, Adam ought to have crushed the serpent’s head and protected the holiness of both his bride and his garden-temple.
"But instead— standing by Eve’s side (Gen. 3: 6)—he watched as she reached out and plucked sin and misery from the tree. Indeed, he joined her in rebellion, a false prophet, a defeated king, an unclean priest."

"Man of Sorrows, King of Glory" by Jonty Rhodes is a thought-provoking study of how Jesus' role as Messiah perfectly fulfills what Adam failed at.

It effectively and beautifully deepened my understanding, not only of the impact of the creation story and threefold office of Jesus, but also, the threefold nature of our God and how each aspect of God relates to the other.

I found myself applying the concepts and insights to other things I was readings even before I had gotten to the halfway point of this book. I did find the first part somehow more impactful and engaging than some of the later chapters but still enjoyed the insights and it is a book I can definitely see myself returning to, time and again.

So central is the cross to our understanding of salvation that we'll have cause to consider it at almost every point of our exploration of the work of Christ. It stands at the heart of his priestly work, cleansing us from sin. It preaches to us of his love and grace, of the justice and mercy of God, and is therefore part of his prophetic work. It's at the cross that Christ conquers sin, death, and Satan, establishing his kingdom. The cross is Christ's pulpit, altar and throne. That's one of the reasons why theologians have tended to refer to Christ's threefold office, rather than his three offices. Prophet, priest and king.

The Man of Sorrows is a great hymn that is sung at church with much biblical implications that are brought to this text. A contrast of humiliation and exaltation that is the gospel. A short study that is easy to follow with a deep depth of the work of Christ. Why did Jesus have to be found guilty in a court of law? Why did Jesus have to give his life on the cross? What makes Christianity and knowing Jesus is all these answers connect the dots to our heart. The very nature of sin that keeps us from God by the grace of God brings us to the foot of the cross.

The books answers the question of why we need Jesus. Highly recommend.

A special thank you to Crossway Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest revie

This is an incredibly valuable book. The author, Jonty Rhodes, unfolds so many facets of the glory of the Lord which are lying right there in the texts of Scripture -- but which are so often not given appropriate attention. I learned so much from this book -- and was greatly impacted by (1) the way the Bible was placed front and center so as to allow it to speak for itself, (2) the use of quotations from other resources greatly enhanced the unfolding of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus -- which was at the center of this book, and (3) the author's writing style was very engaging. This book far exceeded my expectations. It takes the reader in a systematic way through the entire journey of Jesus in His incarnation -- drawing out profound insights on each facet of the story line of the Gospels. I cannot recommend this book too highly. It is a jewel. Whereas I had never read any of the Jonty Rhodes publications before -- he is definitely one whom I will want to follow if and when he publishes further books. Get this book and feed your heart with the glory of the Lord Jesus.

Large sections of the book cover the basic points of the crucifixion (theological explanations of how Christ's death atoned for sins, why it was necessary, etc.), when the writer gets into more specific points his points get better and his style more memorable. Even when he's covering generic territory though, he does it quite well, Much better than I expected.