The Mediation of Jesus Christ - by C Baxter Kruger (Paperback)

About the Book

A powerful theological exploration of Jesus Christ as the Mediator of all creation, revealing our unbreakable union with the Trinity through His incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension.

Book Synopsis

The Mediation of Jesus Christ by C. Baxter Kruger, Ph.D., is a theologically rich and deeply personal essay that encapsulates decades of the author's exploration into the heart of the Christian gospel. With clarity, insight, and profound reverence, Kruger unpacks the astonishing truth that Jesus Christ is not merely a historical figure or divine emissary, but the eternal Son of the Father, the Anointed One in the Holy Spirit, and the Mediator through whom all creation came into being and is sustained.

Kruger confronts what he considers a fundamental flaw in much of Western Christianity: the assumption of separation between humanity and God. This "blind spot" has, according to Kruger, fragmented our theology and lives, fostering individualism, religious division, and spiritual performance. Against this, Kruger boldly proclaims that Jesus is not only the Creator but also the unbroken connection between fallen humanity and the Triune God.

Drawing heavily from Scripture, the writings of Church Fathers like Athanasius, and theologians such as Calvin, Torrance, and Barth, Kruger develops the stunning theological claim that Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and ascension involved not just a divine act for us, but with us and in us. Jesus is not distant. We were included in His journey-His crucifixion was our crucifixion, His resurrection our resurrection. This incarnational lens challenges the transactional gospel and offers a relational, transformative understanding of salvation.

The book explores six major themes:

1. Jesus Christ as the Mediator of Creation - As the One through whom all things were made, Jesus holds the cosmos together. He is the source and sustainer of life.
2. The Lamb of God - In surrendering to death at our hands, Jesus enters the deepest darkness of human rebellion and rejection, using even our hatred as a means to restore and solidify our union with God.
3. The Role of the Holy Spirit - The Spirit is not a separate actor but moves in oneness with Jesus, illuminating our inclusion in Him and revealing the Father's love from within our blindness.
4. The Gospel's Summons - Salvation is not about entering a relationship with Jesus but awakening to the one that already exists. Faith is not what establishes this union, but what recognizes it.
5. Jesus Christ as the Eternal Gospel - The gospel is not a plan but a Person. In Him, we see the eternal intentions and unwavering love of God made flesh.
6. The Community of Believers - The Church is called not to strive for connection with God but to live from the truth of already being included in the divine fellowship.

Kruger writes not only as a theologian but as a pastor and teacher with a heart for seeing people transformed by the revelation of their identity in Christ. His language is both theologically robust and poetically rich, inviting readers to meditate deeply on the truths presented.

Ultimately, The Mediation of Jesus Christ is a work of hope. It proclaims that Jesus didn't come to rescue us from an angry God, but to reveal a Father who has always loved us. In Jesus, our union with the Trinity is real, present, and unbreakable-whether we know it or not.

Review Quotes

"An essay worthy of being nailed to some door!" -John Ferguson, MD MRSPych, Gullane, Scotland

"Baxter's Trinitarian vision is a bell that cannot be unwrung!" -Phillip Agassi, Las Vegas, Nevada

"If words contain life, this essay is a precious River overflowing! Take your time, read and re-read, until you feel these truths enlighten, enliven and even inflame the deep places of your heart and mind." -Paul Young, author of The Shack, Crossroads, Eve, and Lies We Believe about God

"It takes expertise to take something complex and render it simple enough for everyone to understand. Just as Paul the Apostle has done in Ephesians chapter 1 by giving us the synopsis of his entire theology in one chapter, Baxter has done the same in The Mediation of Jesus Christ. He has given us the context in which we can approach all of the scriptures and our own lives. I would encourage you to engage with it as many times as you can, so that you will be transformed." - Jesudian Silvester, Chennai, India

"Years ago, I sat in a church service listening to the preacher give the salvation alter call. "When Jesus died, we all died," he said. "And when Jesus rose..." then the preacher paused, and I watched him try to do the math. As the preacher endeavored to put a number on how many rose with Jesus I heard the words burst from my heart, 'all creation.'

Those words burned in me as I devoured Baxter's manuscript, and I grinned to tears when I read, 'The incarnate Mediator of Creation died, and we died with him. He rose, we rose. He ascended, we ascended' Adam, all of us, and all creation were lifted up in renewed union with Father and Holy Spirit.'

'He is our union.' That sentence graces the first page of The Mediation of Jesus Christ. Baxter is referencing Jesus, of course. And union is the revelation he invites us to discover on every page. Baxter addresses what he (and I) believes to be the fundamental failure of Western Christianity-the assumption of separation.

With theological integrity and childlike wonder, The Mediation of Jesus Christ dismantles the illusion of separation and invites the reader to trust, hope and share in our relational union with Jesus. As Baxter writes, this book is an invitation to share life with Jesus 'in the 'Spirit's' delight and in the blessed assurance of our 'Father's' steadfast love and affection.'

The Mediation of Jesus Christ is a masterpiece on the incarnation!" -Jason Clark, author of Leaving and Finding Jesus, host of 'Rethinking God with Tacos PODCAST'

The Mediation of Jesus Christ represents Baxter's lifetime of wrestling with the immense weight of the incarnation. For Baxter, to know and be known is not enough... he would have you come to know the in-dwelling Christ intimately too. -Bill & Davina Winn, pastors Grace Communion Hanover.