In 2 Timothy 4:13, the apostle Paul urged Timothy to “bring… the books.” The apostle Paul was man who chiefly loved the Scriptures, but he also benefitted from good books. Throughout church history, the Lord has given men great “light” to plumb the great depths of Scripture and write in an accessible way so that the common man may better understand the Scriptures. For example, the minister Robert Murray M’Cheyne was greatly helped by the theological writings of Jonathan Edwards. M’Cheyne writes:

“Read part of the life of Jonathan Edwards. How feeble does my spark of Christianity appear beside such a sun! But even his was a borrowed light, and the same source is still open to enlighten me.”

Throughout the ages, God has given gifted men “borrowed light” to study the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). In terms of our Lord’s sufferings and passion narrative, there is one book that I want to draw your attention to: The Cross He Bore: Meditations on The Sufferings of The Redeemer, by Frederick S. Leahy. Our Lord has gifted His church with a tremendous book that draws us into the depths of Christ’s sufferings. Leahy has been given this “borrowed light” to set before his audience the suffering Redeemer!

In thirteen chapters, Leahy brings us face-to-face with our redeemer. We see the sufferings of our Lord from Gethsemane to Golgotha, from tears of blood to bloody, pierced hands. Each page of this book must be read slowly and prayerfully. Let me give you an example! Leahy writes:

“At Bethlehem, when the Saviour was born, the night was changed to day as the glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds. On Golgotha the day gave way to night as Christ sank deeper and deeper into the abyss of damnation. At Bethlehem there were countless angels praising God; on Golgotha legions of darkness filled the impenetrable gloom, hoping that darkness would finally triumph over light… This darkness coincided with Christ’s descent into hell. Now he felt the unmitigated wrath of a holy God against sin. That darkness was a symbol of God’s wrath. Hendriksen says that God’s wrath was ‘burning itself out in the heart of Jesus’, adding, ‘Hell came to Calvary that day, and the Saviour descended into it and bore its horrors in our stead” (p. 92).

Whenever a book is recommended, you often hear the recommender say that ‘this is the best book I have ever read!’ Well, I was first introduced to The Cross He Bore at the 2024 Banner of Truth Ministers’ Conference. During one of the sessions, Leahy’s book was warmly and strongly recommended. After the session, I eagerly went to the bookstore and picked up a copy. Having read it now, I am eternally grateful for this little gem! I can honestly say that this is the best book I have read, thus far, on the sufferings of Christ. Each page of this book is really a tear-stained page. The truths found in this book will lead you to great depths of sorrow over your sin that nailed Christ to the tree. But it will not leave you there! This book will bring you to great heights of gratitude and thanksgiving, theology and doxology! With Martin Luther, you will be left saying, ‘This is true. We are all beggars.’ With Toplady, we will continually sing, ‘A debtor to mercy alone, of covenant mercy I sing!’

Frederick Leahy’s book, The Cross He Bore, will receive a regular visit from me each year. If you are reading this post, I highly recommend that you pick up a copy. Set aside 2 weeks out of your life, and slowly meditate on the sufferings of Christ. You will not regret it!