Captivated: Beholding
the Mystery of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection by Thabiti M. Anyabwile
This short book on the death and resurrection of Jesus by
Pastor Thabiti Anyabwile is a timely look at the central crux of the Christian
faith. In five succinct chapters,
Thabiti draws out the implications of the cross and resurrection through the
lens of Scripture, from the Gospels and Paul’s writings. The profound consequences of Thabiti’s study
are a renewed faith in the gospel and a firm grasp of the apostolic roots of
the events surrounding Jesus’ last days.
The book starts with a look at Jesus identifying with us in every way
despite sin and revealing the Father’s love for us through the Son’s
suffering.
One of the highlights of the book was Thabiti’s insistence
that the ministry of Jesus revealed the Father’s character at every step. The sorrowful Jesus reveals the Father’s
brokenness over sin (11). Not an aloof
monarch but a patient and compassionate being, God the Father has been through
the full range of emotions that Jesus as the fully human/fully divine God-man
went through. In the Garden of
Gethsemane, the sorrowful and anguish ridden Jesus is met with the compassion
of Loving Father. We are captivated by
this exchange in the gospel text, and yet we often fail to see how the Son of
God relates to His Father.
Secondly, Thabiti makes some strong pronouncements regarding
the resurrection and the life that springs out of that truth. He writes, “Life lived in light of the
resurrection looks like a life of sacrificial love.” (66) The most clear example of this is Jesus, who
layed down his life for his sheep. Even
though this is central, we still need to be reminded that sacrificial love is
at the heart of gospel living. Giving of
yourself, your talents and gifts, your money, for the cause of Christ is a
glorious thing. It’s hard to act
sacrificially when so much of our culture points the finger back at yourself
and what you might be missing out because you are loving others. Yet, the joy of loving sacrificially is not
found in the feeling of satisfaction but in the joy that it brings to others. Finally, the believers joy in knowing that
the resurrection awaits him brings joy to one’s soul because death cannot
snatch us from Christ’s grip on us. No
fear or guilt should plague the Christian in an uncontrollable manner because
the hope of every believer is the resurrection and being with Christ for all
eternity.
Thanks to Cross Focused Reviews and Reformation Heritage
Books for the copy of this book in exchange for review.
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