The Gospel of Mark paints an important portrait of Jesus as Israel’s promised Messiah. Mark’s account also makes clear how Jesus’s kingship confounds public expectations by emphasizing his humility, suffering, and sacrifice. This accessible guide is filled with wise reflections on the biblical text and helps us understand what vibrant faith and authentic discipleship look like as we follow a rejected king.

The book of Isaiah, which alternates between promises of judgment and restoration, reminds God’s people of the magnitude of humanity’s sin, the judgment that we all deserve, and how God displays his glory by saving sinners.This guide shows us how the prophetic promise of cosmic renewal ultimately anticipates the work of Jesus Christ, the servant-king whose death results in new life for all who trust in him.

Jonathan Edwards—widely considered one the most important theologians in American history—has influenced generation after generation with his transcendent vision of our great and glorious God. But reading his writings for the first time can be a daunting task.Here to be your trustworthy guides are some of the very best interpreters of Edwards, who walk you through his most important works with historical context, strategies for reading, and contemporary application—launching you in...

Jonathan Edwards is widely hailed as the greatest theologian in American history. In Edwards on the Christian Life, Dane Ortlund invites us to explore the great eighteenth-century pastor’s central passion: God’s resplendent beauty. Whether the topic was the nature of love, the preeminence of Scripture, or the glory of the natural world, the concept of beauty stood at the heart of Edwards’s theology and permeated his portrait of the Christian life. Clear and engaging, this accessible volume...

When God-in-the-flesh showed up twenty centuries ago in Palestine, the religious PhDs rejected him and the prostitutes and social outcasts flocked to him. Why? . . Because the open welcome of divine grace that Jesus offers, open to anyone who would simply leave their moral resume at home, is not predictable. It is not safe. It is subversive. . .In this book, Dane Ortlund reflects on this subversive grace as it uniquely emerges in each of the four Gospel accounts. In each Gospel, th...

A Biblical Theology of Resurrection Hope from Genesis to RevelationDeath is a powerful and sobering reality. While everyone must face death, it is not the end for those united with Christ. Followers of Jesus Christ have resurrection hope―the proclamation that Christ has defeated death and the promise that believers shall share in his victory. The resurrection is essential to the Christian faith and is rooted in the faithfulness of God.With scholarly insight, Mitchell L. Cha...

“The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” ―Matthew 13:31–32When Jesus began his ministry, he announced that the kingdom of God was at hand. But many modern-day Christians don’t really understand what the kingdom of God is or how it relates to the mess...

A Short Study of the Sabbath from Creation to ConsummationWhen it comes to the Sabbath, Christians have different ideas on what it means and how to observe it. For many people, it is a day to go to church and have fellowship with other believers. What they often miss, though, is that the Sabbath is intricately tied to rest and worship―both of which ultimately point to the Lord as our creator and redeemer.In this addition to the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series, Guy...

A Canonical Journey to Explore the Mission of the Eternal God“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). This declarative phrase introduces fundamental questions circling the minds of skeptics and believers of Christianity alike. What was God’s mission when he chose to create? And why, through the Savior’s death on the cross and the witness of his church, does he continue to redeem the very creation that rebels against him?To answer these imperativ...

An Introduction to the Theology and Themes of 2 Corinthians by Dane C. OrtlundBest known for its interpersonal, emotionally raw, and pastorally distressed tone, 2 Corinthians is one of Paul’s most distinctive epistles. In this letter to his complicated church in Corinth, Paul aims to expand on the deeply paradoxical nature of the Christian life. The importance of understanding this key doctrine makes 2 Corinthians an ideal study for believers today.In this volume of the New...

The Knowing the Bible series is a new resource designed to help Bible readers better understand and apply God's Word. Each 12-week study leads participants through one book of the Bible and is made up of four basic components: (1) Reflection questions designed to help readers engage the text at a deeper level; (2) "Gospel Glimpses" highlighting the gospel of grace throughout the book; (3) "Whole-Bible Connections" showing how any given passage connects to the Bible's overarching story of r...

The ESV Classic Reference Bible combines the ESV Bible text with an extensive system of more than 80,000 cross-references in the center column on each page. With its readable type, color maps, and a major concordance, the Classic Reference Bible is the first choice for personal Bible reading and in-depth study.