Morning & Evening Devotional Reading–

March 24– Morning

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

“He was heard because of his reverent fear.” 

—Hebrews 5:7

 

Did Jesus’ fear arise from the hellish suggestion that he was utterly forsaken by God? There may be sterner trials than this, but surely it is one of the worst to be utterly abandoned.

Satan was surely on the attack as Jesus prepared for the cross. “See,” said Satan, “you don’t have a single friend, Jesus. Even your Father has ceased to be compassionate toward you. Not an angel in his courts will lend a hand to help you. All heaven is foreign to you, and you are left alone. Look at your companions; what good are they? Your so-called disciples —even Peter, James, and John– sleep like cowards while you suffer! You have no friend left in heaven or earth. All hell is against you. I have summoned every prince of darkness to attack you tonight, and we will spare no arrows; we will use all our infernal might to overwhelm you. And what will you do– you who are alone?” This was the nature of Jesus’ temptation.

Jesus’ fear, however, was not toward Satan, but toward God. He feared God, reverencing him above all else. Therefore, he was no longer alone, but heaven was with him. Maybe this is why he came back to his disciples three times to see for himself whether it was really true that all men had forgotten him. Their spirit was strong, but their flesh was weak.

At any rate, Jesus was heard by God because he reverenced him. Jesus was heard in his deepest time of trouble, and you, dear Christian, will be heard by God in your trouble as you look to him with reverent fear. [M&E]