Sofa Spotlight - The Cross of Christ, John Stott

Well this doorstop has been checked off the list. I had a real sense of achievement when I finished this one. (Evident in that I have felt the need to tell most people all about it when I see them). This is a thirteen chapter book (well fourteen if you count the conclusion, which is not in any way brief - definitely classes as a comprehensive conclusion), but I wouldn't recommend reading one a day.

In part because I think it would take all day to read a chapter and then re-read parts because you either didn't understand what Stott said or because it was so profound that it almost made you cry. So in the interests of day to day living you might want to think of a new plan. If I was to read it again/when I read it again I would maybe go for a chapter a week, in order to get plenty of thinking time.

So what is it about? It is about understanding why the cross is central to Christianity. Something that Stott thought was important. In the early chapters he talks about how you cannot avoid the centrality of the cross when dealing with Christianity, and this was in Jesus' mind too. Stott gives a very detailed description of what happened on the cross, dealing with who was responsible and what Jesus' attitude and reaction to the cross was. This was the bit that almost made me cry.

The middle chapters are where it gets tricky and serious concentration is needed. In essence they look at why the cross was the only solution to the problem of sin, and how it works. On the whole I understood it, but it was mind bending and took some time to get my head around. The key thing to remember in these chapters, and what Stott keeps repeating, is that sin is serious - certainly more serious than I realise.

At the end three or four chapters were given to application, starting with what it means to have a right view of ourselves - we are not worthy of what God has done for us, but nor are we worthless. He works through applications for loving our enemies, and how the cross sheds light on why we suffer. Bringing it all to a close he describes how the cross has something to say to every part of our lives. The cross is central.