Christians are known for being people of the cross—people who rightly focus a great deal of attention on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. But while the cross stands at the very center of the gospel, it does not stand alone. Rather, it is surrounded, as it were, by the wider context of Jesus’s humiliation and exaltation—by all he did before and after he was crucified.

The humiliation and exaltation of Jesus Christ are the twin subjects of Jonty Rhodes’s excellent new book Man of Sorrows, King of Glory. He begins by introducing Christ’s threefold office as prophet, priest, and king since “before we can look at the work of Christ, we must be clear on his identity.” We must be equally careful that we do not inadvertently separate him from his works so we receive what Christ did without understanding we must receive Christ himself. “This is the invitation of the gospel. Not so much ‘Receive these gifts: justification, sanctification, adoption, reconciliation,’ but rather ‘Receive Christ.’”
Having introduced Christ’s threefold office, Rhodes turns to his twofold state: humiliation and exaltation. The structure of the book helpfully shows how he explores his topic. One section is dedicated to the humiliation of Christ and it contains four chapters: one that explains what is meant by “humiliation,” then one that covers each of these topics: the humiliation of Christ as our prophet, the humiliation of Christ as our priest, and the humiliation of Christ as our king. The next section repeats the pattern, except with exaltation instead of humiliation.
Rhodes does a number of things especially well: he makes complex topics accessible even to people without postgraduate degrees in theology; he offers precise positions without becoming pedantic; he presents Christ as especially beautiful and the atonement as especially awe-inspiring; he draws from the very best of Christian authors and theologians; and he shows why a gospel that is focused exclusively on the cross neglects the crucial context of Christ’s humiliation and exaltation. And he does all this in only 150 pages.
I’m glad to say that Man of Sorrows, King of Glory is one of the very best and most enjoyable books I’ve read all year. I cannot recommend it too highly.

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May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

CBD is having a sale in which many books are $6 or less. That includes titles by Lutzer, Jeremiah, Walker, [Mary] Mohler, Piper, MacArthur, Poythress, Ryken, and Leeman, among others. It also includes lots of Bibles.
For Kindle deals, you’ll find some titles by Colin Smith for sale.
C. S. Lewis and Mrs. Moore: Relationship of Sin or Sanctification?
This is a fantastic bit of writing from Trevin Wax. “Every biographer of C. S. Lewis must face ‘the Mrs. Moore question’ and decide what to make of the relationship the beloved writer had with a woman more than 25 years his senior who remained a major part of his life from the time he returned from the trenches of the Great War until her death in 1951.”
Unraveling the Riddle of Rejoicing Always
Joe Allen: “Some Bible verses lend themselves quite well to becoming a tweet, a ‘life verse,’ or the inside of a greeting card. But when we read the Bible looking for catchphrases and mottos, we risk mangling the meaning of the Bible and invariably miss out on important truths.” He goes on to write about the biblical commands about rejoicing in all circumstances.
Why the King’s Christmas speech concerns me
David Robertson explains his concerns about the new King’s Christmas speech. “Perhaps nothing indicates the changes that are occurring at the top of our society more than the new King’s Christmas speech.”
Make Abortion Laws Consistent with Homicide Laws
“Roe v. Wade is dead. This is the first year in nearly half a century that the grim U.S. Supreme Court decision is no longer in effect. Sadly, though, abortion is still very much alive. In fact, there are many laws that protect the right of women to end the lives of their unborn children. Despite this reality, there are still some state laws in place that protect unborn children, which leads to a puzzling inconsistency in the law.”
Don’t Settle for Change That’s Only Skin-Deep
Cindy Matson says that “whether you’ve written your your goals or not, you probably have habits, sin-patterns, or weaknesses that you’d like to change in 2023 and beyond. Some of those changes may be purely external, but be careful this year that your change isn’t only skin deep.”
Flashback: Before You Read Another Book on Marriage
Books on marriage can be wonderful, and I have benefitted from reading many of them. But the best and most helpful books on marriage are the ones being lived out by husbands and wives in your family, in your neighborhood, and especially in your church. Read them longer and more thoroughly than any other.

Prayerlessness is like the flu but so is prayerfulness. It’s contagious. Passion for prayer is often more caught than taught. —John Onwuchekwa

This sponsored post was provided by Nelson Books and is adapted from Allen Parr’s book Misled: 7 Lies That Distort the Gospel (and How You Can Discern the Truth).

The origins of progressive Christianity are complex. The movement embraces some aspects of liberal Christianity, which can be traced back to both Enlightenment-era rationalism and the Romanticism of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. While progressive Christianity shares some features of the social gospel movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it can also be seen as a reaction against it.
The progressive Christian movement says that the church needs to revisit and adjust its methods, practices, and beliefs as the culture changes. In other words, the church should conform to culture rather than holding to the transformative power of the gospel to point culture to Jesus.
Progressive Christianity largely borrows from postmodernism. What is postmodernism? Maybe the easiest way to answer that question is to compare it with modernism. Modernism of the 18th and 19th centuries focused on rational inquiry and empirical evidence. Modernists were optimistic that science and philosophy could explain just about everything; however, when innovation and scientific advancements did not result in a global utopia, postmodernism came in as a reaction against that optimism and questioned the very nature of truth.
Have you ever heard people talk about “my truth” or “your truth,” as if the truth is little more than an individual opinion? That’s postmodernism talking. Have you ever noticed that tolerance and open-mindedness are lifted as the highest virtues, while people who claim certainty (especially about morality) are treated with suspicion or even shouted down? That’s postmodernism talking too.
It’s with this postmodern backdrop that progressive Christianity justifies a relaxed acceptance of sin and the affirmation of all world religions as true. Perhaps the most dangerous tendency of progressive Christians is their rejection of the atoning work of Jesus on the cross.
Many people throughout history have affected “change or transformation in individuals” through “enlightenment, forgiveness, wholeness” and so on. Some would say that about Oprah Winfrey, Mahatma Gandhi, or the Dalai Lama. This description doesn’t distinguish the work of Jesus from the work of any other humanitarian, teacher, or leader. Jesus’ death is said to be simply the ultimate picture of self-giving love, “not as a sacrifice needed to gain approval or forgiveness by God.”
It doesn’t get plainer than that. Progressives do not see what Jesus did on the cross as achieving God’s forgiveness for our sin but rather as “a model for all to follow.”
To suggest that salvation was not a major emphasis for Jesus, or the gospel writers is a huge stretch. But even if that were true, other New Testament writers certainly focused on salvation, which showcases the cherry-picking tendencies of progressive Christianity to water down gospel to relativism rather than transformative truth.
Learn more about Misled and order your copy today.
About Allen Parr:
Allen Parr is a national speaker, YouTuber, author, ordained minister, husband, and father. He is the cofounder (with his wife, Jennifer) of Let’s Equip, a nonprofit organization that equips Christians and Christian organizations with courses and curriculum to aid in biblical literacy and spiritual growth.
Allen is a proud graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, where he earned his master of theology degree in 2004. He has served on staff at several churches in various positions, including worship pastor and pastor of Christian education. His popular YouTube channel, The BEAT (Biblical Encouragement And Truth) with Allen Parr, reaches millions of believers with encouragement to live out their true calling as Christians.
Allen is also a national speaker and gifted communicator of the word of God and has a passion for equipping other content creators utilize digital media to fulfill the great commission. He and Jennifer and their two children live in Texas.