We may be approaching Christmas, but wise preachers already are thinking ahead to Easter. A book you’ll enjoy reading as you think about the events surrounding Jesus’ death and resurrection is AD 33: The Year That Changed the World (InterVarsity) by Colin Duriez. This fascinating volume paints a portrait of the world in which Jesus lived and of the events surrounding the Passion. The insights you’ll gain about first century Palestine will add flavor to many future sermons.