Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

July 22– Evening

by C. H. Spurgeon, revised and edited by W. C. Neff

“Behold the man!”

—John 19:5

If there is one place where our Lord Jesus most fully becomes the joy and comfort of his people, it is where he plunged deepest into the depths of misery. Come, gracious souls, and behold the man! See him in the garden of Gethsemane. Behold his heart so brimming with love that he cannot hold it in–so full of sorrow that it must find a vent. Behold the bloody sweat as it distils from every pore and falls to the ground.

Behold the man as they drive the nails into his hands and feet. Look up, repenting sinners, and see the sorrowful image of your suffering Lord. Observe him closely, as the ruby drops appear on the thorny crown—like priceless gems adorning the diadem of the King of Misery.

Behold the man when all his bones are out of joint, and he is poured out like water and brought into the dust of death. God has turned His face away, and hell surrounds him. Behold and see, was there ever sorrow like his sorrow? Draw near and look upon this spectacle of grief– unique, unparalleled, a wonder to men and angels.

Behold the Emperor of Woe who had no equal or rival in his agonies! Gaze upon him, you mourners, and be consoled by the crucified Christ who obtains your glory. The ransom price of his blood ushers in the joy of Heaven’s harps and secures the pleasures at God’s right hand for evermore.

We have only to sit more continually at the foot of the cross to be less troubled with our own doubts and miseries. When we see his sorrows, we are ashamed to mention our own. When we gaze into his wounds, we find our own wounds have been healed. If we would live the way we should, it must be by the contemplation of his death. If we would rise to dignity, it must be by considering his humiliation and his sorrow. [M&E]