Gentle and Lowly

Don Carson

Gentle and Lowly comes from the pen of someone who has not just profited from reading the Puritans—but who, more importantly, has read the Bible under their tutelage. One short book can never be enough to convey all the glory of the character of Christ, but this book deftly unpacks something we often overlook: Christ is meek and lowly in heart and gives rest to those who labor and are burdened. Written with pastoral gentleness and quiet beauty, it teases out what twenty biblical texts contribute to this portrait of the heart of Christ, all of it brought together to bring comfort, strength, and rest to believers.

Russell D. Moore

In this timely work, Dane Ortlund directs our attention back to the person of Jesus. Centered on the Scriptures and drawing upon the best of the Puritan tradition, Ortlund helps us see the heart of God as it is revealed to us in Christ. He reminds us not only of Jesus’s promises of rest and comfort, but of the Bible’s vision of Jesus: a kind and gracious King.

“Wonderful and uplifting”

I go back to this again and again to be reminded of wonderful truths. A book to treasure, or to gift as an encouragement for someone. Christ's love for us expounded beautifully.

“Excellent service”

Quick, efficient service, and an outstanding company ethos. Great selection of books and study guides

“A Beautiful Read”

This book is truly good for the soul. It is not a book to hurry through. It needs to be taken and enjoyed a chapter at a time. There is a pleasing depth of biblical insight and scholarship in its pages. I particularly liked the chapters on the Father.

“Behold the Lamb”

These days the books I read fall into three categories: those I read, those I recommend and those I press on others to the extent that I buy extra copies to give away. Dane Ortlund’s Gentle and Lowly belongs in the third group. This is a wonderful book, it does what is says on the cover, it displays what Scripture has to say on “The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers” and since you are certainly a sinner and probably a sufferer, this book is for you.

Dr Ortlund provides “soul refreshing views of Jesus” and my heart was warmed and my love strengthen by reading what he has written and I’ve gone on my way, singing with Timothy Dudley-Smith
As water to the thirsty, as beauty to the eyes,
as strength that follows weakness, as truth instead of lies,
as songtime and springtime and summertime to be,
so is my Lord, my living Lord, so is my Lord to me.

Christianity is not a religion but a relationship; God’s covenant promise is that he will be our God and we his people. Ever since Eden, the father of lies has been seeking (not without success) to persuade the Lord’s people to think ill of the One who loves them far beyond anything they can comprehend. He must hate this book. Gentle and Lowly is a series of studies of Biblical texts which speak of love and grace; read them slowly, prayerfully, letting the Holy Spirit apply them to your heart.

I cannot write a traditional, analytical review of this book - just read it!

Brian Savage

“A must read”

This book is a treasure! Read slowly, consider what it says about the heart of Jesus..how much we are loved. It will change you.

“Excellent service”

Excellent service, quick delivery and wonderful range of Bible resources. My go to for all my study guides.

“Gentle and lowly this is powerful book have ever come across.”

Its a must read book.

“encouragement for the downhearted”

Two friends independently recommended this book so I had to get it and read it. So what is it that
makes it a “must read.”?

Many books inform us of the work of Christ and His substitutionary atonement, or the person of
Christ, fully human and fully divine, or His offices as prophet, priest and king. This book probes the
heart of Christ, that is His feelings towards us. As the divine Man in heaven, how does he feel when
he sees us wending our pilgrim way?

The title is taken from Matthew 11:28 “Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will
give you rest.” He sees that we are struggling under heavy loads of suffering and sin and His heart
goes out to us. He sympathises with our weakness ( Heb 4:15), he weeps with those who weep (John
11:35), and deals gently with us when we are ignorant and wayward (Heb 5:2).

One chapter is entitled: “What our sins evoke,” and the theme is that when we sin, the very heart of
Christ is drawn out towards us. We instinctively think that when we sin Christ frowns at us. But
Christ lived like us on earth for thirty three years and experienced severe temptation to sin. He
resisted as the sinless one, but he understands how easily our fallen nature gives in to temptation.
His heart goes out to us, and he assures us he still loves us despite our many failings.

This is the burden of the book, that when we condemn ourselves for failing to live up to our calling
as children of God, Jesus is by our side saying: “Come to me … I will give you rest”.

One chapter is entitled: “His natural work and strange work.” Jesus will judge and condemn the
impenitent but this is his “strange work.” John 3:17 tells us that “God did not send his son into the
world to condemn the world but to save the world.” Jesus’ natural work is to have mercy, to forgive,
to love – that is his heart. He is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come
to repentance.

The last two chapters may reduce you to tears. The chapter: “to the end” quotes John 13:1, when
Jesus gathers the twelve disciples in the upper room for his last evening before crucifixion: “having
loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” He knew that one of the twelve
would betray him, one would deny him three times and the others would abandon him as he falls
into the hands of the authorities; but he still loves them. He is rich in mercy, he will never cast them
out, he will deal gently with a heartbroken Peter, so we know he will keep loving us through thick
and thin.

The last chapter looks forward to our eternal destiny. Folk often ask “what will heaven be like?” One
answer is Ephesians 2:7 “in the coming ages He will show the immeasurable riches of his grace in
kindness towards us in Christ Jesus.” While we dimly experience the loving heart of Jesus in this life,
we will in glory be shown in full measure the immensity of his loving heart.

Do read this book; it will do you good!