3 DECEMBER (1876)

Christ, the overcomer of the world

‘Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ John 16:33
SUGGESTED FURTHER READING: Luke 4:1–13

When men find themselves in a world like this, they generally say, ‘What is our market? What can we make out of it?’ This is how they are trained from childhood. ‘Boy, you have to fight your own way; mind you look to your own interests and rise in the world.’ The book which is commended to the young man shows him how to make the best use of all things for himself; he must take care of ‘number one’ and mind the main chance. The boy is told by his wise instructors, ‘You must look to yourself or nobody else will look to you: and whatever you may do for others, be doubly sure to guard your own interests.’ That is the world’s prudence, the essence of all her politics, the basis of her political economy; every man and every nation must take care of themselves: if you wish for any other politics or economics, you will be considered to be foolish theorists and probably a little touched in the head. Self is the man, the world’s law of self-preservation is the sovereign rule, and nothing can go on rightly if you interfere with the gospel of selfishness; so the commercial and political Solomons assure us.

Now, look at the Lord Jesus Christ when he was in the world and you will learn nothing of such principles, except their condemnation: the world could not overcome him by leading him into a selfish mode of action. Did it ever enter into his soul, even for a moment, what he could do for himself? There were riches, but he had not where to lay his head. The little store he had he committed to the trust of Judas, and as long as there were any poor in the land they were sure to share in what was in the bag. He set so little account by estate, stock and funds that no mention is made of such things by any of his four biographers. He had wholly and altogether risen above the world.

FOR MEDITATION: (Our Own Hymn Book no.739 v.5—John Newton, 1779)
‘As surely as He overcame,
And triumphed once for you;
So surely you that love His name
Shall triumph in Him too.’


C. H. Spurgeon and Terence Peter Crosby, 365 Days with Spurgeon (Volume 4), (Leominster, UK: Day One Publications, 2007), 348.