Sojourner #091: The Death of Christ; Recovering the Glory of God's Redemption

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor. 1:18, ESV)

The Death of Christ: Recovering the Glory of God’s Redemption

Sojourner Magazine reviews books provided by Crossway in exchange for an honest review.

The Cross at the Center of History

There is no more consequential event in redemptive history than the death of Christ. It is there that He died. He died. He died under the wrath of God. He died accomplishing something, crying out in the declarative, “It is finished.” The question Owen presses, and which this volume examines in great detail, is deceptively simple: What is finished? What happened at the cross? What did Christ accomplish there, and for whom? What does the Bible say about the cross?

For many Christians, the great tragedy of our time is not an open denial of the cross, but a superficial familiarity with it. The cross adorns necklaces and t-shirts and billboards. It is printed on church signage and projected onto screens around the world. 

We sing of it with raised hands and speak of it with practiced language. It has become a symbol instantly recognizable, culturally acceptable, even aesthetically appreciated by non-Christians. And yet, in the midst of all this visibility, there is often an even more troubling reality. Many Christians do not fully grasp the depth of the cross, nor do they labor to plumb its depths.

But Scripture presents it as something far more staggering. At the cross, sin was judged once and for all. The wrath of our Holy God was satisfied. Atonement was accomplished, not in part, but the whole. Redemption was secured. A people were purchased by the blood of Christ alone. The redemptive purposes and promises of God were fulfilled in the death of His Son. 

When the church loses sight of this, its gospel begins to thin, its assurance weakens, its evangelism becomes man-centered and social, its worship becomes sentimental at best. 

A shallow cross produces a shallow church.

It is precisely here that the old words of John Owen compel us to slow down, search the Scriptures, and reckon with the full weight of Christ’s redeeming work, by faith. He refuses to let the cross remain an afterthought. He insists that we ask what it achieved, for whom it was intended, and how it secures the salvation of sinners, of everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord. In doing so, he drives the church across the ages back to the Word of God and forward into a deeper confidence in the finished work of Christ, our sure and steady anchor.

This volume, Volume 9 in The Complete Works of John Owen, presents a careful, doctrinally robust engagement with this central question. Edited by Richard Snoddy and thoughtfully prepared for modern readers, it combines Owen’s classic seventeenth-century arguments with modern readability, including headings, outlines, and extensive footnotes. It is a substantive theological work designed to instruct, correct, and deepen faith in Christ and His cross.

Defending the Atonement at the Cross

Owen’s book addresses the critical question of the extent of Christ’s saving work. Did Christ die merely to make salvation possible, or did He actually secure redemption for a particular people? His answer is a biblical defense of definite atonement.

Open the book to any page and you will find that arguments are traced, objections are anticipated, and the full weight of biblical testimony is laid out with surprising clarity.

What makes Owen’s contributions to theology enduringly valuable is that his work is both theological and pastoral. He is not merely defending a doctrine; he is defending the church’s confidence in the gospel. If Christ truly accomplished salvation on the cross, then the believer’s hope rests securely on the finished work of the Son, not on human effort or uncertainty. The church is called to grasp the power of the cross, and Owen’s treatise equips it to do so.

The cross has implications on our lives, both personally and corporately as believers, and this book examines that reality, understanding the magnitude of it with a seriousness too often absent from many of the books on the shelves at Christian bookstores today.

A Treasure Chest of Christ’s Glory

The introduction alone, nearly sixty pages, provides historical, theological, and pastoral context. It situates Owen within the debates of his day and illuminates the enduring relevance of these questions for today’s church. Every note and editorial comment is a guide, helping the reader navigate Owen’s rigorous reasoning while keeping sight of the gospel’s practical and spiritual implications.

It is no surprise that we like Crossway, and they have knocked it out of the park with this work. The physical quality is excellent: the hardcover is substantial, the pages are well-typeset, and the design is attractive without being flashy. The editorial work by Richard Snoddy ensures that Owen’s seventeenth-century prose is readable for a twenty-first-century audience, with helpful headings, outlines, and footnotes guiding the reader through complex theological material.

The care in production matches the care in content. Crossway has created a volume that is beautiful and durable, a work that invites repeated engagement rather than one-time reading, looking good on the shelf or coffee table during the in-between moments.

As part of the forty-volume Complete Works of John Owen, this edition signals a long-term commitment to making Puritan theology accessible and impactful for today’s church.

Who This Book Is For and How to Use It

This volume is for anyone serious about understanding Christ’s work on the cross and the implications of the atonement for the life of the church. Pastors and ministers will find it an indispensable resource for preaching, teaching, and doctrinal formation. Seminary students and theological scholars will benefit from Owen’s rigorous reasoning and careful use of Scripture. Lay leaders and thoughtful church members who desire to deepen their understanding of God’s saving work will also find this volume illuminating.

Because the book is both dense and rich, it is best approached not as a devotional read but as a study tool. Readers can engage it section by section, using the introduction and editorial notes to frame the historical and theological context.

Reflection, discussion, and note-taking are encouraged, as the material rewards careful and repeated reading. It can serve as a reference for teaching, sermon preparation, or personal theological formation, equipping the church to grasp the depth and efficacy of the cross.

Implications for the Church

Understanding the death of Christ rightly shapes the life and mission of the church. It grounds preaching, strengthens evangelism, and sustains the saints in trials. Owen’s volume reminds the church that the cross is not a theological abstraction but the foundation of confidence, hope, and mission.

The gospel flows from Christ’s finished work, not human effort. This perspective fuels faithful preaching, patient discipleship, and bold witness. For pastors, seminarians, and lay leaders, Owen’s treatise models careful theological reasoning rooted in Scripture, equipping the church to proclaim the gospel with clarity and conviction.

The Death of Christ is demanding reading, but it is richly rewarding.

We commend this volume to all those who desire, by faith, to think carefully and biblically about the cross, to understand its full significance, and to allow its truths to shape the life and mission of the church. Crossway has provided the church with a resource that is as beautiful as it is weighty, as accessible as it is profound; a treasure worth repeated study and reflection.

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