Messiah & Fear

God exists before fear, fear being a fruit of the fallen created order. Therefore, as is the case with the Lamb Who is slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8), God Himself is the solution that precedes the problem of fear.

​The phrase “Fear not” appears explicitly in Scripture 143 times. In the majority of those instances it’s accompanied by the words “For I am with you”.
 
Some weaponize the phrase “Fear not” citing decontextualised passages like 1 John 4:18 (where a specific form of fear, the fear of punishment is being spoken of). They condemn fellow believers who suffer from fear with the words “God says ‘Fear not’, therefore, if you’re fearful you’re sinning”.
 
God doesn’t say “Fear not” because fear in and of itself is sin, if that were true Yeshua’s fearful responses in Gethsemane would be sin (Matt. 26:36-39). God says “Fear not” because He knows that in a sin affected world all will face fear. He therefore pre-empts the fruit of fear by way of His very existence, and says “For I am with You”. This is said in the eternal present tense. It’s never the case that God is not with us. We may not feel His presence, but He is ever present.
 
God exists before fear, fear being a fruit of the fallen created order. Therefore, as is the case with the Lamb Who is slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8), God Himself is the solution that precedes the problem of fear.
 
Fear will not exist in the world to come, and in the present world the fear of God puts an end to fear. Not an end to our mental and physiological responses to fear, but an end to the decision of fear.
 
It's not sin to experience fear, but it is sin to trust in fear. Therefore when we’re afraid we chose to trust in God and the Spirit of Messiah in us strengthens us to “Fear not”.
 
I’m not speaking of mental and physiological fear responses ceasing, rather I’m speaking of trusting God even when the mental and physiological fear responses of our earthly bodies don’t align with our decision to trust. Faith is not an emotion, or a sensation, to the contrary, like love, trust and faith are a decision.
 
The Father says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isa. 41:10)
 
Often when we’re fearful we ask, “What can I do to overcome my fear?” But Scripture doesn’t task us with working to overcome our fears, rather it teaches us that God will overcome fear in us through the King Messiah Yeshua.
 
He says, “I will strengthen you, I will also help you, I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Our freedom from fear is the receipt of God’s work through Messiah.
 
It’s Yeshua Who affords us the greatest example of obedience in the face of fear. Matthew 26:36-39 recounts His experience in Gethsemane.
 
(Matt. 26:36) Gethsemane, the Garden of Olive Pressing, is situated at the base of the Mount of Olives across the Kidron (Darkness/Mourning) valley, east of Jerusalem. The Gospels tell us that Yeshua went there regularly. The point being that He was not seeking to hide from what was to come. Courage is being afraid and acting in spite of fear.

Yeshua asked His disciples to stay close to Him, He was only going a stone’s throw away, He was unsettled and desired the companionship of His friends.
 
Those who pronounce Bible verses as if they’re magic incantations in order to ward off fear, depression and anxiety, have foolishly neglected to consider the very real struggle of Yeshua’s humanity as He pleaded with God the Father in the Garden of Olive Pressing. Matthew describes Yeshua experiencing a panic attack, born on a platform of deep mental distress and producing a physiological response.

The meaning of Gethsemane, Olive Press, has obvious connotations. Yeshua is crushed and poured out for us. So that we might partake of the oil of His Spirit, the courage of His testimony.

(Matt. 26:37) The text plainly states that Yeshua became “dejected and sorrowful”. Why then do so many criticize those who suffer from anxiety? Surely anxiety in and of itself cannot be sin, after all Messiah experienced the same anxious feelings and emotive responses and yet remained sinless (Heb. 4:14-16). He is, as the prophet says, “a man of sorrow, familiar with grief.” (Isa. 53:3).
 
Yeshua doesn’t accuse us in our weakness, that’s Satan's job, on the contrary, He suffers with us, having known even greater suffering than we could ever imagine—not just mental anguish and physical death but in addition and beyond all other suffering, He took upon Himself the sin of humanity, a darkness unparalleled.

(Matt. 26:38) In Gethsemane Yeshua has an overwhelming physiologically debilitating panic attack and is essentially saying:
 
“I’m overwhelmed with deep anxiety, I’m feeling like I’m slipping into a black abyss engulfed by darkness, the weight is almost too much to bear and I really need you to be here for me in case I lose it completely. I physically feel my body failing—sweaty, pallid, weak, nauseous, heart racing, blood pressure rising, on the verge of passing out—Please stay alert so I know I can call on you if it all becomes too much for me.” 
 
Don’t miss understand, though He’s fully human, His experience doesn’t diminish His deity.
 
The Psalmist prophecies this suffering of the Messiah: “My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.” (Psa. 55:4-5)

(Matt. 26:39) Luke adds: “And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”(Luke 22:43-44)
 
Even after Yeshua is comforted and strengthened by the divine messenger He is still in agony and prays more earnestly. This is literary evidence of the anxiety Yeshua continued to experience. The decision of His will to trust the Father did not relieve His physiological symptoms of panic, and fear. Thus, He began to sweat so profusely that His sweat dropped to the ground as if from a gushing head wound. Anyone who has experienced a severe panic attack will tell you that this is one of the physiological symptoms.
 
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet is without sin.” (Heb. 4:15)
 
“Who in the days of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and having been heard for His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which He suffered; and having been made perfect, He became unto all them that obey Him the Author of eternal salvation.” (Heb. 5:7-9)

Our response when we see others suffering from fear should not be to condemn them for being fearful, or to leave them alone in their hour of need. Rather our response should be to watch with them through the dark night of the soul. Reminding them that Yeshua has experienced what they’re going through and suffers with them toward victory over fear.
 
Yeshua the victorious King is also the Suffering Messiah. We need not make a false choice between the two. He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
 
“He comforts us in all our suffering so that we will be able to comfort those who suffer in many ways, with the comfort which we ourselves have received from God.” (2 Cor. 1:4)
 
Article and Artwork © 2024 Yaakov Ben Yehoshua Brown

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