Theologian Wesley Ariarajah has composed four splendid meditations on short passages from the passion narratives that guide the reader into the larger account of the passion in each gospel, the mystery of the cross, and the challenges they present to us today.

Keenly attuned to the differences and purposes of the gospel narratives and to the questions of contemporary scholarship, Ariarajah evokes the historical context of Jesus' ministry in the midst of empire and his sometimes conflictive relations with religious authorities, and the later struggles of the nascent church as reflected in the texts, in order to guide us to the existential questions that the passion narratives pose for Christians everywhere. At the center of each meditation is the enigmatic healer who moves through these stories inviting us to encounter the "unspeakable mysteries" at the heart of faith and the "hard and narrow way" by which he leads us to life in the realm of God.

"I hope," says Ariarajah, "that the biblical-theological reflections given here would serve as a catalyst to the readers to immerse themselves in these spiritually enriching and incredibly challenging events and to draw from them their own spiritual nourishment toward faithful Christian discipleship in our day."