14 WORDS FROM JESUS
By James Montgomery Boice & Philip Graham
Ryken
Christian Focus. 158 pages. £7.99
ISBN 978 1 781 912 058
This is a small book containing 14 sermons. Seven chapters are based on the ‘seven words of Jesus from the cross’, plus seven more on aspects of Jesus’s resurrection. Each is about ten pages long and takes just a few minutes to read.
The sermons were first preached during half-hour lunchtime services in Lent at the Tenth Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The preachers (authors) are recommended for their clarity, erudition and spiritual stature – this is confirmed by the quality of the material.
Target audience?
I’m less sure how to assess the target audience. The foreword tells us of the intention to address ‘not regular church attenders, but [those] open to coming for a half hour at the invitation of a friend or work colleague’. Thus the chapters are short statements of essential biblical truth, based in Bible narrative, yet in fact they make little attempt to connect with people who lack a church background.
The biblical textual material is simply the seven words – strung as they are across the four gospels. One will not find any particular contextual insights or exegetical fireworks – but wholesome mediations on the plain truths of Christ, his cross, and his resurrection. There are quotations, illustrations and appeals.
This book would make a valuable gift for a Christian friend, and might well be read in a devotional manner with great enjoyment and benefit.
N.B. The book is published in the UK by direct transplantation from America – so be mindful that there are references to American TV programmes, baseball and the Philadelphia Inquirer, but no references to cricket, or Dr. Who.
