The Risen King

Alistair Begg

This devotional is really, really good. Just when I thought I knew all of Spurgeon’s gems, J.A. Medders has gone to the treasure chest and brought out some more. Read this to enjoy C.H. Spurgeon at his very best and to fix your eyes on Jesus.

Robert Smith Jr

In Jeff Medders’ The Risen King, we have the opportunity to taste Charles Spurgeon’s writings as renewed wine in new wineskins. These fresh devotionals have a high trinitarian focus and enable us to worship God in Spirit and truth while clearly pointing to Jesus, our Redeemer. Medders masterfully regenerates Spurgeon’s voice with a tone refreshingly asserting that Spurgeon still speaks to us today.

“Powerful and Timeless”

This Easter devotional features powerful, timeless reflections from nineteenth century preacher Charles Spurgeon. Editor J. A. Medders curated these readings from Spurgeon’s vast history of sermons, choosing excerpts that relate to the theme, and which exemplify the best of Spurgeon’s preaching. Each devotional reading is about two or three pages long, and they all begin with a Bible verse and end with a reflection question and short prayer.

In addition to picking out selections from this renowned preacher’s work, Medders also lightly altered some of the text for modern readers. He replaced archaic words with vocabulary that will be familiar to more people today, and also made some sentences sound more gender-neutral, like by saying “men and women” instead of “men” in a general reference to mankind. The differences are subtle, and I appreciate that Medders made the writing more accessible to current readers without altering the substance of the text.

The Risen King: 40 Devotions for Easter is a great book for Christians who admire Spurgeon’s preaching, as well as for people who are new to his work. The devotions are full of encouragement, conviction, and grace, and depict Jesus and the gospel in a heart-stirring way. Also, even though this is an Easter devotional, only the last third focuses on the events of Holy Week, while the other readings are more general about the life of Jesus. I would recommend this for Easter, and for any time of year.

I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

“So lovely”

My favorite devotional of all time is Morning and Evening by Spurgeon, so when I saw this devotional for Easter, I had to get it. Spurgeon was such an incredibly gifted teacher. This book includes writings from his sermons on the life of Jesus and they are masterfully edited into a devotional form. Each day's reading begins with a Bible verse and ends with some reflection questions and a prayer by Medders. Reading through this book was so encouraging and helped my heart to focus on Jesus' sacrifice for us. This is definitely a devotional I'll be coming back to!
Favorite Quote:
"Remember your risen Lord and how he cares for you.
Do weaknesses hinder you? The living Christ will show himself strong on your behalf. You have a living Christ, and in him you have all things. Do you dread death? Jesus, in rising again, has vanquished the last enemy.
He will come and meet you when it is your turn to pass through the chill stream, and you shall cross it in sweet company." (p 144-145)

“Joy and Glory”

Edited by J. A. Medders, The Risen King by C. H. Spurgeon consists of 40 devotions for Easter. With insight and excitement, this book will prepare your heart for the Easter season. Medders dives deep into the mines of Spurgeon’s sermon archive and unearths timeless gems that will resonate with anyone seeking to grow in their faith.

Each devotion is succinct but offers a wonderful view of our Savior. The beauty of this collection is in its ability to bring clarity and awe regarding the work of Christ, and after reading this book, you’ll walk away with a deeper and clearer understanding of who Christ is and what He has done for us.


Forgiveness and Flint

In Matthew 9:2-7, I was particularly moved to see Jesus’ power to forgive, even before He went to the cross. He delights in forgiving. He wants to forgive. He is a great forgiver indeed. This passage reminded me of the boundless mercy that Christ extends to us, long before His ultimate sacrifice.

In Isaiah 50:6-7, I resolved to have a face like flint in the same spirit as my Savior. Jesus was resolute to save His people, facing the scorn and suffering that awaited Him with unwavering determination. It stirred in me a commitment to stay on mission for the kingdom, no matter the challenges ahead.


Joy and Glory

There is a joy that permeates this book. It’s a joy found not only in Christ’s victory over death but in the everyday reality that we can walk in the light of that victory. The Risen King invites readers to experience the glory of Easter in a way that renews the soul and strengthens the heart.


I received a media copy of The Risen King and this is my honest review.

“Encouragement for Easter”

Spurgeon is one of those theologians that will always remain a classic voice to the world of Christianity. This book of Spurgeon's sermons surrounding the event of Easter, are no exception.

Medders structures the book with forty daily devotions to help prepare our hearts and minds to remember the events of Easter. The devotions are short and sweet, yet packed with so much wisdom from Scripture.

Each day begins with a scripture reference that leads into Spurgeon's thoughts then concludes with a reflection and prayer. The reflections are a practical pause to dig deeper into how the day's devotion applies to your personal life. You can easily get through each day in a few minutes but could benefit greatly from basking in the glory of the Lord that is revealed through Spurgeon's thoughts and promptings.

I appreciate Medders' inclusion of Spurgeon's sermons that correspond with each day devotion. For those who have more time or like to dig deeper, this appendix provides the sermon titles for easy access.

Each day will encourage you to posture yourself before the Lord with an eager heart and mind to seek Him through the events of His ultimate sacrifice and victory.

My only suggestion would have been to include one page after each devotion for "journaling". This would simply allow readers the option to write their thoughts, questions, heart attitudes, etc. to look back on and remember. Otherwise, an absolutely wonderful option to prepare us for Easter.

I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.

“Highly recommend!”

If there is one book that I can convince you to read this upcoming Lenten season, it is The Risen King by Charles Spurgeon. Whether you are new to Spurgeon or an old friend, J.A. Medders has done the work of carefully curating and editing more than 70 of Spurgeon’s sermons on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus to help prepare your heart for Easter.

With each day featuring a verse, content from Spurgeon’s teachings, a prayer, and reflection questions, you will find yourself deeply encouraged, humbled, and blessed.

And with this being my second all-time favorite devotional—after Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening—I simply cannot recommend it enough.

Thank you @thegoodbookcompanyusa for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Wonderful resource!”

This was my first experience reading Spurgeon and wow; what an incredible read. Rich, meaningful and full of wisdom, this devotional is one to savor. And while each one can be read in a few minutes, this is likely one that you can benefit from slowly exploring and reflecting. Such a great way to prepare your heart for Easter.

I received a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

“Superb Collection of Devotionals”

The work of Spurgeon is perhaps some of the most striking and challenging for Christians today. I’ve read a lot of his sermons in the past, and this devotional is an excellent selection of some of his reflections, guiding us towards Easter. Each day looks at a gospel passage, asks some questions for personal reflection, and includes a prayer for the day too. The passage for the day is printed, although I enjoyed reading this alongside also reading the wider context of the passage in my Bible. It’s an excellent way to spend lent preparing for Easter, and getting our hearts rightly ordered before our risen king!

“Wonderful Resource!”

Few people speak of Christ with the depth and passion of Spurgeon. This little book pulls together his thoughts on the resurrection, reminding us why Easter changes everything. A great read for anyone wanting to dwell on the beauty and power of Christ’s victory over death.

“Wonderful Resource for Easter and Year Round”

I have always enjoyed Spurgeon's work, sermons, books, and essays. However, there are times when the diction and Victorian-era style can be challenging to read and comprehend fully what the text is saying.

That's one of the main reasons I enjoyed this devotional so much--- without watering down or altering the meaning, Medders (editor) gave the text a modern-day touch to help readers fully grasp the richness of Spurgeon's words.

Each devotion is around a 5-10 minute read, depending on how long you linger over the reflect and pray section.

This would be a great gift to be read at Easter and year-round.