©2004, The Banner of Truth Trust, 448 pp. in paperback

The events leading up to and including Christ’s death are very familiar to Christians. So familiar in fact that it is easy to read through these passages quickly with an “I know that” attitude. In these fifty-two devotional meditations Krummacher takes us over this scriptural ground at a pace that provokes thought and self-examination by the reader.

The author begins with Christ determined to go to Jerusalem. There He will be betrayed and crucified. It concludes with his burial. Krummacher has arranged this volume into three sections. These sections are based on the Old Testament tabernacle. In “The Outer Court” events prior to the arrival at the Garden of Gethsemane are covered. In “The Holy Place” Christ goes from pouring out His heart to His Father to being betrayed by Judas, rejected by the populace and sentenced to death by Jesus and Gentiles. In “The Most Holy Place” Christ is crucified, yet continues to minister to those around Him and finally gives up His spirit and is buried.

Krummacher was a nineteenth century German pastor who had great influence in Europe. Prior to being called to be the court chaplain he faithfully served in a number of pastorates. Throughout his writing he remains Christ-centered and seeks to apply the truth of each passage to the reader’s heart. In writing about the work and aims of Judas and other enemies he repeatedly reminds readers that we would take the same path but by God’s grace. It is easy for us to forget how dark our own hearts are.

Many good points are made throughout this work. A point I particularly appreciated was the great inadvertent testimony that Christ’s enemies gave to Christ actually being the Son of God. These enemies were so blind in their sin that they did not realize the depth of their words.  Krummacher constantly points out the gravity of sin and Christ’s great work as our Sin-bearer.  He writes with a commitment to the text. He draws out the personhood of those involved so that we can imagine to some degree what must have been going through their mind.

These meditations are directed to the individual more than to the covenant community as a whole. We live in a day of individualistic thinking. As we read his work we must do so mindful of the covenant community at large and the impact of Christ’s death on changing culture itself.

This work is a good reminder that we can always learn from scripture no matter how many times we have read the passage. Here is a volume that can be read with much profitable reflection. It should be made available in church libraries and on booktables.

Review ©2008 Byron Snapp, Hampton, Virginia