Evening and
Morning
By Charles
Haddon Spurgeon
March 30
Morning
"He was numbered with the
transgressors."—Isaiah 53:12.
Why did Jesus suffer
Himself to be enrolled amongst sinners? This wonderful condescension was
justified by many powerful reasons. In such a character He could the better
become their advocate. In some trials there is an
identification of the counsellor with the client, nor
can they be looked upon in the eye of the law as apart from one another. Now,
when the sinner is brought to the bar, Jesus appears there Himself. He
stands to answer the accusation. He points to His side, His hands, His feet,
and challenges Justice to bring anything against the sinners whom He
represents; He pleads His blood, and pleads so triumphantly, being numbered
with them and having a part with them, that the Judge proclaims, "Let them
go their way; deliver them from going down into the pit, for He hath found a
ransom." Our Lord Jesus was numbered with the transgressors in order that
they might feel their hearts drawn towards Him. Who can be afraid of one
who is written in the same list with us? Surely we may come boldly to Him, and
confess our guilt. He who is numbered with us cannot condemn us. Was He not put
down in the transgressor's list that we might be written in the red roll of
the saints? He was holy, and written among the holy; we were guilty, and numbered
among the guilty; He transfers His name from yonder list to this black
indictment, and our names are taken from the indictment and written in the roll
of acceptance, for there is a complete transfer made between Jesus and His
people. All our estate of misery and sin Jesus has taken; and all that Jesus
has comes to us. His righteousness, His blood, and everything that He hath He
gives us as our dowry. Rejoice, believer, in your union to Him who was numbered
among the transgressors; and prove that you are truly saved by being manifestly
numbered with those who are new creatures in Him.
Evening
"Let us search and try our ways, and turn
again to the Lord."—Lamentations 3:40.
The spouse who fondly loves
her absent husband longs for his return; a long protracted separation from her
lord is a semi-death to her spirit: and so with souls who love the Saviour much, they must see His face, they cannot bear that
He should be away upon the mountains of Bether, and
no more hold communion with them. A reproaching glance, an uplifted finger will
be grievous to loving children, who fear to offend
their tender father, and are only happy in his smile. Beloved, it was so once
with you. A text of Scripture, a threatening, a touch of the rod of affliction,
and you went to your Father's feet, crying, "Show me wherefore Thou contendest with me?" Is it so now? Are you content to
follow Jesus afar off? Can you contemplate suspended communion with Christ
without alarm? Can you bear to have your Beloved walking contrary to you,
because you walk contrary to Him? Have your sins separated between you and your
God, and is your heart at rest? O let me affectionately warn you, for it is a
grievous thing when we can live contentedly without the present enjoyment of
the Saviour's face. Let us labour
to feel what an evil thing this is—little love to our own dying Saviour, little joy in our precious Jesus, little fellowship with the Beloved! Hold a true Lent in your
souls, while you sorrow over your hardness of heart. Do not stop at sorrow!
Remember where you first received salvation. Go at once to the cross. There, and there only, can you get your spirit quickened. No
matter how hard, how insensible, how dead we may have become, let us go again
in all the rags and poverty, and defilement of our natural condition. Let us
clasp that cross, let us look into those languid eyes, let us bathe in that
fountain filled with blood—this will bring back to us our first love;
this will restore the simplicity of our faith, and the tenderness of our heart.