The Gospel according to Isaiah
A Devotional Commentary on Isaiah 53
by Timothy J.E. Cross

A Review by Mike Moore

Timothy Cross’s devotional commentary on Isaiah proves the wisdom of the rule of never judging a book by its cover. In 27 very short chapters, Cross takes us through the verses that are the high watermark of Old Testament prophecy, Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12. There are no pretensions to scholarliness or original thought. Each section is biblical (scripture references abound on almost every page), sermonic (usually three brief points), alliterative (every chapter begins with the letter S) and theologically Reformed; the style is plain and straightforward.

Although The Gospel According to Isaiah can be read in a single sitting, the book is ideal for a month’s daily readings for those young in the Christian Faith and also as a basis for meditation for those not so young in the Faith.

When I was in the pastoral ministry, I once preached a series of evangelistic sermons on Isaiah 53 and if Timothy Cross’s volume had been available then it would have helped me to arrange my material better, inspired me to further (and deeper) thought on some of the verses and would have probably doubled the length of the series.

Although The Gospel According to Isaiah is no substitute for heftier and more scholarly commentaries (nor does it pretend to be), it is nevertheless a helpful little volume that will be of use to everyone who reads it.  

This article first appeared in the September 2007 edition of the Herald

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