And when they
were come to the place,
which is called
Calvary, there they
crucified him …
Luke 23-33
Calvary’s
cross represented the hour for which Jesus came into the
world. The hour the Son of God would rescue the perishing. In John 12:27
he said, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father save me from
this hour:
but for this cause came I unto this hour.”
Was
He not saying in essence, I, as the
God-man, can desire to be delivered from this cup, but as Very God, I know I
must drink of the cup in order that I may rescue lost and dying man?
Then
he said something incredibly hopeful: “Now (on that day at Calvary) is the
judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out … And I,
if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me” (John 12:27;
31-32).
That
was the day Calvary came to rescue you! In
the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, of course. For
He is the One who hung between heaven and earth for you that day. That hour.
He alone was willing to drink the bitter cup for you. He
is the One who whispered precious words to His Father— “… forgive them; for
they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). He had you in mind that day. And,
for
you, He spoke to the repentant thief that hung beside Him. Yes, not
just to the thief, but to you, if you are likewise repentant of your sins and
in a moment, perhaps an hour of truth—you, too may be
forgiven.
Yes,
Calvary came to rescue you! And that promise to the thief—“Verily I say unto
thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (verse 43)—that same promise can
be yours when you come face to face with the end of the trail of tears. For,
you see, Jesus walked every step up Calvary’s lonely hill, “…bore your sins in
his own body on the tree…” (I Peter 2:24) so you would not have to experience
death alone. In fact, the work of Christ upon the Cross was so thorough, that
He conquered death, hell and the grave. He will be there for you just as He was
there for the thief that day, and he will see you “safely home.” He even went
so far as to say, in John 14:1. “Let not your heart be troubled… In my Father’s
house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place… I will come again and receive
you…” Calvary covered every minute detail for you from the cradle to the
grave.
Listen
to this, dear friend, for it might well be the most important promise you
receive from the God of Heaven today. Read every word of it carefully, for in these
words you will find hope and promise like no other can give. Hope and promise
that the politicians know nothing of. Hope and promise that will help you get
out of the bed every morning and put one foot in front of the other. Hope and
promise when your head is bowed low in defeat and failure. Hope and promise
that will feed you when you’re hungry, clothe you when you’re naked, and
comfort you when you are in the depths of despair. Listen carefully:
Thou shalt guide
me with thy counsel,
and afterward
receive me to glory.
Whom have I in
heaven but thee?
And there is
none upon earth that I desire beside thee.
My flesh and my
heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart,
and my portion
forever.
Psalm 73:24-26
And
so… get your “exceeding great and precious promises” right here today, because
Calvary has come to your rescue. Here are some things that belong to you just
from these few verses in the Psalms, if you know Christ in full pardon of sin:
Guidance and Counseling
A ride to Glory
Strength for the heart along the way
A "portion" forever
We cannot end today without praising God, not just for Calvary, but for His glorious Resurrection from the dead on the third day. Because Christ is risen, we also shall be resurrected when Christ returns to receive us to Himself that “where He is, there we may be also.” This is our Comfort, our Hope, our Joy, our Portion forever!
Has Calvary rescued you?
You need to know that it is a two-way transaction. It is not a passive situation on your part. Christ did the Work, for certain. But you must receive the free Gift. And just because it is offered doesn’t mean that you can approach a throne of His marvelous Grace without saying, “Lord, I’m sorry for my sins. Please forgive me. Come into my life and be my wonderful Saviour. I trust you now and receive that marvelous Gift of salvation.” And then you can sing with the old hymn-writer, “…tis done, the Great Transaction’s done. I am my Lord’s and He is mine.”
Thank you, Lord, for rescuing me at Calvary and for transforming me by the power of your Holy Spirit!
Victor
W. Baugh, Sr., Th.D., Ph.D.
Pastor,
St. Luke AME Church
Havana,
AL
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