Brandon D. Crowe - The Last Adam: A Theology of the Obedient Life of Jesus in the Gospels

My aim in this volume is to set forth the soteriological significance of the life of Jesus in the Gospels. I have written the kind of book that I would like to read, in answer to the question that I have often asked: what is Jesus doing in the Gospels? This is primarily an exegetical study, but I have not shied away from engaging with and gleaning from historical and systematic theology where relevant. Though I have written this book largely to answer my own questions, I hope it will also be helpful and accessible to anyone interested in the Jesus of the Gospels. It is particularly my desire that professors, pastors, students, and all interested exegetes will be stimulated by this study to reflect further on the life of Jesus for their various contexts. What follows is by no means the final word but is my effort to make a contribution to ongoing discussions relating to the theology and Christology of the Gospel narratives.

Writing this book has been a labor of love and is the result of a number of years of reflection, conversation, and learning from many sources. It is not possible to thank everyone who has helped my own understanding or who has provided feedback in some form. Nevertheless, it seems appropriate to thank the following people specifically. First, thanks to the board of trustees, faculty, administration, and staff (especially the tireless efforts of the Montgomery Library staff) of Westminster Theological Seminary for the resources, assistance, and support that have aided in the completion of this project. Special thanks to the board of trustees and faculty for granting a Professional Advancement Leave for the first half of 2015, which allowed me to complete the bulk of this manuscript. My colleagues in the New Testament Department, Greg Beale and Vern Poythress, are continually sources of wisdom and encouragement, and I am grateful for their collegiality. Second, thanks to all those who have taken the time to provide more formal feedback on early drafts of the manuscript, and those who have contributed by way of conversation, including Andrew Abernethy, Bill Fullilove, Richard Gaffin, Josh Leim, Jonathan Pennington, Stephen Presley, Scott Swain, Lane Tipton, and Carlton Wynne. Any shortcomings remain my own. Thanks also to faculty assistants Dylan Bailey, David Barry, Charles Williams, and Jason Yuh for research and assistance of various sorts. Third, thanks to James Ernest, who first helped get this project off the ground at Baker Academic, along with Bryan Dyer and the entire professional team at Baker Academic for capably shepherding this volume through to completion.

Finally, singular thanks goes to my family. My wife Cheryl is a source of constant encouragement and is the crown of her husband (Prov. 12:4), and our four children manifest the joie de vivre in all sorts of creative ways. Additionally, the continued love and support of my parents and parents-in-law is a great blessing. I dedicate this volume to our second child, Simeon Christopher, whose name is inspired by the speaker of the Nunc Dimittis in Luke 2. For Simeon, to hold Jesus was to behold and embrace salvation, which is a fathers highest prayer for his children.