The premise of ‘The Final Days of Jesus’ is simple. Take the full Biblical accounts of the week before Easter, and narrate it in chronological order, interspersed with faithful and encouraging commentary. It is an excellent book, and one that encourages the reader to see the overwhelming grace of God in the detail of Jesus’ 'most important week’.

The author’s emphasis on the Biblical narrative forces the reader to go slowly through the events of this famous week. For each episode, all of the respective gospel accounts are provided one after another. This repeatedly affirms the close similarity between the accounts, and the sometimes-confusing differences are helpfully tackled in the commentary. The commentary is confessional, but that doesn’t detract from its accuracy. By contrast, these scholars have achieved that which is so often elusive; a book which holds a magnifying glass up to the Bible whilst also affirming the faith of those who believe it.

I would recommend this book to those looking for something a bit different this Easter. The truths are still absolutely the same, but by approaching them from a slightly more technical angle, the authors draw out a sense that most devotionals cannot provide. You will come away from this book with a complete picture of Holy Week, and you will be struck afresh by just how much Jesus loves you. He alone could have endured this horrific ordeal of betrayal, brutality and grief – or achieved the same incredible victory of the resurrection!

Miriam Montgomery, Free Church Books