THE PERSON OF CHRIST:
Declaring a Glorious Mystery – God and Man
By John Owen
Christian Focus. 408 pages. £11.99
ISBN 978 1 781 916 032
The Person of Christ, by John Owen, is a tragic masterpiece!
As with the vast majority of Owen’s writings, the clarity and conviction with which he writes and his constant use of Scripture make this book a compelling read.
But the real masterpiece is the subject, the person of Christ. Many Christians will say that they know who Jesus is and would believe they had a reasonably thorough understanding about who Christ is. However, after reading the first few pages of this book many will come to realise that their knowledge is merely surface knowledge. Owen seeks to lead us on a deep-sea dive into the depths of Christ’s person. He wants us to consider the fullness of Christ’s person, from eternity past to his incarnation and then for eternity to come. It is the most thorough treatment of Christ’s person I have ever read. This book is not just an academic exercise, for, as one reads it, their knowledge, love, appreciation and worship of Christ is greatly enriched. By the end of the book you are left with a new and far deeper awe of, wonder at and adoration for our great Saviour.
Who will read it?
But as wonderful as this book is, as strongly as I can recommend it to you, there is a problem that doesn’t lie in the book, but in the reader. It is tragic to know that in spite of how helpful Owen’s The Person of Christ is, most Christians will not read it. Many will pick it up off the shelf, thumb through its pages, return it to the shelf and opt for another, simpler book. Owen was one of the greatest biblical scholars in Church history, and his writings reflect this. Yes, he does use Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Yes, his writing style takes some getting used to and there are a number of difficult or antiquated words. Yes, it is a long book, and it is certainly not bedtime reading. But, as off-putting as these aspects may be, the benefit the reader receives, the spiritual nourishment provided, far exceeds the effort put into reading the book.
I highly recommend this book to you, and encourage you to challenge yourself spiritually by taking it up. I urge you to take the plunge and go on this deep-sea dive of exploration into the person of Christ. The dive will be deep and at times hard going, but you will surface with pearls and the richest of treasures.
