Kierkegaard: Fear and Trembling Fulfilled in Christ
- Feb 25
- 4 min read
God Will Provide the Lamb
Fear and Trembling Fulfilled in Christ(Week 3 — Conclusion)
In the previous weeks, we entered the fear of Genesis 22 and walked with Abraham as the single individual standing alone before God.
We resisted the urge to soften the story. We let its silence and severity do their work. That was necessary.
But Fear and Trembling was never meant to end on Mount Moriah.
For Christians, it cannot.
In this final movement, Søren Kierkegaard leads us to the point where Abraham must be left behind—not rejected, but fulfilled.
Abraham Is Not the End of the Story
Kierkegaard is often misunderstood as asking us to become Abrahams, as though true faith required us to reenact his trial. That is not his intent.
Abraham’s faith is unique because his role in salvation history is unique.
Abraham does not save himself. Isaac does not die. The knife never falls.
Instead, God stops the sacrifice and speaks:
“Lay not thine hand upon the lad…” (Genesis 22:12, KJV)
Then Abraham lifts his eyes and sees what he could not see before:
“And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.” (Genesis 22:13, KJV)
This is the turning point.
Faith gives way to provision.
God Will Provide — And He Does
Abraham names the place Jehovah-jireh:
“In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.” (Genesis 22:14, KJV)
Kierkegaard understands the weight of this moment.
Abraham trusts God absolutely—but the outcome is not grounded in Abraham’s heroism. It is grounded in God’s character.
And here the Christian reader must go further.
The ram caught in the thicket is not the end of God’s provision. It is a sign.
Another Father, Another Son
Genesis 22 points forward to another mountain, another Father, and another Son.
Isaac carries the wood — Christ carries the cross
Isaac asks, “Where is the lamb?” — John the Baptist answers, “Behold the Lamb of God”
Isaac is spared — Christ is not
Where Abraham’s hand is stayed, the Father’s is not.
Kierkegaard leaves us trembling before the mystery of faith. The Gospel brings us further still: God Himself bears the cost of obedience.
This is where Fear and Trembling finds its proper rest.
Faith After Christ
Christian faith is not a perpetual crisis of obedience without assurance.
We are not asked to live forever on the knife-edge of Moriah. We live on the far side of the cross.
Faith still costs us something. Obedience still requires trust. But we do not trust an unknown God.
We trust the God who has already given His Son.
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all thing? ”— Romans 8:32 (KJV)
This changes everything.
Where Kierkegaard Leaves Us
Kierkegaard has helped us recover something vital:
faith is personal
faith cannot be delegated
faith is not validated by crowds or consensus
But Kierkegaard also knows when to step aside.
Abraham points us forward.Christ completes the picture.
Faith trembles — but it does not despair. Faith fears — but it rests in God’s provision.
A Final Word
Genesis 22 does not teach us to imitate Abraham’s sacrifice. It teaches us to trust the God who provides what we cannot.
The knife does not fall. The Lamb is given. The promise is kept.
And so, for Christians, Fear and Trembling ends not in terror, but in worship.
“Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”— 2 Corinthians 9:15 (KJV)
*******************************
Closing prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your servant Søren and his love for You and us. Thank You for the cross and the faith leading to it. Help us take our faith from the cross and point others to You and Your great salvation as we ask in Your holy name. Amen
Look to the Lamb of God
If you from sin
Are longing to be free,
Look to the Lamb of God.
He to redeem you died on Calvary,
Look to the Lamb of God.
Refrain
Look to the Lamb of God.
Look to the Lamb of God.
For He alone is able to save you,
Look to the Lamb of God.
When Satan tempts
And doubts and fears assail,
Look to the Lamb of God.
You in His strength
Shall over all prevail,
Look to the Lamb of God. Refrain
Are you aweary?
Does the way seem long?
Look to the Lamb of God.
His love will cheer
And fill your heart with song.
Look to the Lamb of God. Refrain
Fear not when shadows on your pathway fall,
Look to the Lamb of God.
In joy or sorrow Christ is all in all.
Look to the Lamb of God. Refrain
Henry G. Jackson (1838-1914).
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. John 1:29
Comments