"The Glory of the Cross" by Samuel Zwemer

"The Glory of the Cross" by Samuel Zwemer (1867-1952), Christian Missionary to Muslims.

This is perhaps the most moving book I've read concerning the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. This undated work (I suspect it was written in the years shortly before his own death--his quotation of hymns throughout the work sets the "record"--if someone knows a certain date, than information would be wonderful) of 130 pages is a little more than a casual devotional read.

The first two of the ten chapters explain the nature of the gospel, followed by deep, insightful glimpses into Christ's passion that pass nearly unnoticed: He was blindfolded, bound, spat upon, stripped naked. Consider how this cowardly world would rather not look at him, much less be looked upon by Him--man must either look Him in the face, or declare Him to be myth. The one who made the hand folded His own in prayer before they took Him in the garden and bound Him for fear before the court. The last person he touched before His body was broken was the one who received his shorn ear back to his body. His body dripped as those who hated him spewed the poison of sin from darkened hearts and out their mouths (but not until He was blindfolded and bound). The second Adam took the shame of our nakedness, as the first Adam experienced moral and physical nakedness in the garden because of his sin.

Then Zwemer talks of His crucifixion.

When He cried, "My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?" He was watching all the sin and shame of life pass before His eyes . . . His suffering is seen not in that He merely died, but that He took on Himself the blight that was so offensive to Holy God as a sacrifice. He died not because it was unbearable, but out of obedience. We have no concept of what "lonely" is. He who knew no sin became sin for us.

Zwemer draws astounding resources from his personal library, helping to reconstruct the scenes we cannot properly imagine. Quoting Studdert Kennedy, Zwemer bewilders the modern world with Jesus. "He looks as contemptible as ever with His ragged rabble of a Church that shouts Hosanna on Sunday and runs from the Garden of Gethsemane on Friday; that protests like Peter and then betrays, that disputes who shall be greatest and thinks it is extravagant to wash men's weary feet; with His crowd of wretched parsons [preachers], poor human fools like me, who preach the Gospel and cannot live it, who try to be loving and are not even amiable [friendly]. He is as ridiculous as ever, just the same Christ that sat with a dirty purple horse-cloth on His bleeding back, and a crown of thorns set sideways on His head, with a mock scepter in His hand, and the spittle of a drunken soldier rolling down His face, just the same Christ, but I am afraid of Him, as in his heart of hearts, I believe modern man is frightened of Him. He is disturbing, unnerving. He saps self-confidence and murders pride. He makes men want to go down on your knees, and no strong man should do that except to the Almighty."

Zwemer drives home our one aim, the heart of the gospel, the indespensable truth, our "distinctive, supreme, impelling message to the non-Christian world . . . 'Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.'" Despite our freedom to preach the gospel (or lack thereof in some places, as John the Baptist lost his freedom to make declaration) if we lose the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, we have lost the gospel. Jesus "fills the horizon of history. He cannot be hid. But men gaze upon Him and turn away, or gaze on Him and follow Him to the end."