- Home
- Speakers
- John Daniel Jones
- The Foolishness Of The Cross
John Daniel Jones
John Daniel Jones (1865–1942) was a Welsh preacher, pastor, and author whose ministry within the Congregational Church earned him recognition as one of Britain’s most influential Nonconformist leaders of the early 20th century. Born in Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales, to Joseph David Jones, a schoolmaster and lay preacher, he grew up steeped in Welsh Nonconformist culture, excelling academically at Bala Independent College and Owens College, Manchester, before training for ministry at Lancashire Independent College and earning an MA from the University of St Andrews. Ordained in 1889, he began his career at Newland Church in Lincoln, but his defining work came in 1898 when he succeeded Joseph Parker at Richmond Hill Congregational Church in Bournemouth, England, where he served for 39 years. Married to Annie Davies in 1892, with whom he had two daughters, he blended family life with a rigorous pastoral calling. Jones’s ministry at Bournemouth transformed Richmond Hill into a hub of evangelical vitality, drawing thousands with his eloquent, practical sermons—often likened to Charles Spurgeon’s in power—delivered without notes in a conversational style. Known as “J.D. Jones,” he chaired the Congregational Union of England and Wales in 1909–1910 and 1925–1926, advocating unity and missions, and served as president of the National Free Church Council in 1916–1917. A prolific author, his works like The Gospel According to St. Mark and The Model Prayer reflected his expository depth, while his leadership during World War I, including hospital visits and war relief efforts, showcased his pastoral heart. Retiring in 1937 due to health issues, he died in 1942, leaving a legacy as a “prince of preachers” whose Welsh fervor and English outreach bridged cultures and inspired generations.
Download
Topic
Sermon Summary
John Daniel Jones emphasizes the unexpected and powerful method of God's redemption through the cross, contrasting the worldly expectations of conquest with Jesus' sacrificial love. Despite the initial doubts and disbelief from both the Jews and His disciples, Jesus chose to win the world by dying for it, a method that seemed foolish and absurd to many. The preaching of Christ crucified was met with ridicule and offense, as the world struggled to comprehend the wisdom and power of God's plan through the Cross.
Scriptures
The Foolishness of the Cross
"For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18). He chose to redeem the world by dying for it. This was not the method the Jews had anticipated. This was not the method even His own disciples anticipated. They expected Christ to take possession of the world by right of conquest. They were always dreaming about thrones, quarrelling as to which of them should occupy the throne nearest Christ's when His Kingdom was actually established. The temptation to take possession of the world in that way presented itself to Jesus. It constituted part of the Temptation in the wilderness. The Devil promised Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them if He would stoop to the use of worldly weapons. But Jesus thrust the temptation away and deliberately set His face toward the Cross. He set His faith, not on force, but on sacrificial love. He chose to win the world by dying for it. But that was so unexpected a method, that for the moment it shattered the faith of the disciples. The unbelieving Jews thought that by the Cross they had brought an impostor's career to an end; the disciples thought the Cross meant final defeat and failure. Their hopes of the Kingdom died with the death of Jesus. Even though Jesus Himself had spoken of it to them again and again, they had refused to believe it, and when it really took place all their dreams collapsed. Well, it did seem a strange way of winning the world--to accept defeat at its hands, to go down to death and shame, to suffer on a Cross! When the Apostles went about preaching Christ crucified, people laughed at their message. Paul talks about the "offence of the Cross." It seemed absurd to suggest that a person who died on the gibbet was the world's Saviour. The Cross was a stumbling-block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. But this foolish, paradoxical method of saving and redeeming the world proved itself, in experience, to be the very power and wisdom of God.
- Bio
- Summary
- Transcript
- Download
John Daniel Jones (1865–1942) was a Welsh preacher, pastor, and author whose ministry within the Congregational Church earned him recognition as one of Britain’s most influential Nonconformist leaders of the early 20th century. Born in Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales, to Joseph David Jones, a schoolmaster and lay preacher, he grew up steeped in Welsh Nonconformist culture, excelling academically at Bala Independent College and Owens College, Manchester, before training for ministry at Lancashire Independent College and earning an MA from the University of St Andrews. Ordained in 1889, he began his career at Newland Church in Lincoln, but his defining work came in 1898 when he succeeded Joseph Parker at Richmond Hill Congregational Church in Bournemouth, England, where he served for 39 years. Married to Annie Davies in 1892, with whom he had two daughters, he blended family life with a rigorous pastoral calling. Jones’s ministry at Bournemouth transformed Richmond Hill into a hub of evangelical vitality, drawing thousands with his eloquent, practical sermons—often likened to Charles Spurgeon’s in power—delivered without notes in a conversational style. Known as “J.D. Jones,” he chaired the Congregational Union of England and Wales in 1909–1910 and 1925–1926, advocating unity and missions, and served as president of the National Free Church Council in 1916–1917. A prolific author, his works like The Gospel According to St. Mark and The Model Prayer reflected his expository depth, while his leadership during World War I, including hospital visits and war relief efforts, showcased his pastoral heart. Retiring in 1937 due to health issues, he died in 1942, leaving a legacy as a “prince of preachers” whose Welsh fervor and English outreach bridged cultures and inspired generations.