God's Love for the WorldSample

Fear is natural. After Jesus was crucified, it was natural for his disciples to fear for their lives. It’s natural for us to feel fear too, to fear that our allegiance to Jesus will cost us something. Jesus told us it would! For many Christians today, their faith in Jesus costs them their lives. For others, the cost might only be rejection, but this can still be painful.

Jesus is compassionate to his disciples. He understands what it means to sacrifice your life. The weight of dread bore down on him in Gethsemane when he prayed that ‘this cup’ (his crucifixion in which he drinks up the wrath of God against sin) would pass from him. Yet he resolved to submit those natural desires for protection from death and humiliation to the will of God.

Jesus did not cave in to the natural course of fear. He did not allow dread to be his master, but he served God. The, when his disciples feared for their lives, he stood among them, and he gave them peace. This peace is supernatural, it surpasses understanding. This supernatural peace comes from the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to choose between the natural response of fear and the supernatural response of obedience to Jesus.

Jesus sends us as the Father sent him. Jesus left the comfort of heaven to be born in a manger, to be mocked with a crown of thorns, and to suffer and die on the cross. All this, motivated by his love for the world.

Now we are sent out of our comfort zones to suffer with Jesus, displaying God’s love for the world. Tertullian once said that the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church. Christianity spread in ancient times in part through the supernatural courage of men and women who gave up their lives as they called others to believe in Jesus and turn away from sin.

Fear calls us to hide away and protect ourselves. Jesus calls us to imitate him and make sacrifices. If we listen to fear, we will never have peace, but if we suffer with Jesus, we will have peace which surpasses understanding.

Do you have any fears you need to bring before God in prayer? Pray that the Spirit would give you peace and courage as Jesus sends you out, and remember, he is with you.