Jun 25
15
Preaching is more than a religious ceremony or some facts to be debated, accepted, or rejected. True preaching is God speaking through a man and carries with it a call – a command from the living God to be received and obeyed.
Henry Mahan
If our hope lies in us, or in what we do, it is a delusion. If our hope lies in this church it is a lie. If our hope stands with one foot on the work of Christ and the other foot on our own merits, it will fail us. Hope in Christ is the only hope which can be acceptable to God. Our only hope of Heaven will be through Christ alone. Here our hope begins, and here our hope ends.
Milton Howard
The Place Called Calvary
Luke 23:33
“When they were come to the place…” — Not just any place would do. They must come to this specific place, “the place which is called Calvary.” It was at this place, Golgotha, the place of the skull, that the God-man must suffer and die. When our Lord set His face to go up to Jerusalem, He knew what He was doing. He knew where He was going. He knew what would happen there. But to Calvary he must go! He said, “What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name.” Satan tried to take His life in the wilderness. The Jews tried on many occasions to kill Him. The devil tried to destroy Him again in the garden of Gethsemane. But His hour had not yet come. He had not yet come to “the place,” “the place which is called Calvary.” But now His hour had come. Now “they came to the place.”
His Own Purpose
The Jews thought they had dragged Him as a helpless victim to the place of His execution. But in reality, the Lord of Glory had led them as a sovereign King to the place of His great conquest. God the eternal Son had purposed from all eternity to come to this place. It was the object, desire, and purpose of His heart to come to this place before the world began. It could truthfully be said that the great purpose for which God created this world was that, in the fulness of time, the Lord of Glory might come to this place. Our great Redeemer, from old eternity, fixed his eye on “the place which is called Calvary.” He had sworn to redeem us; and he would not rest until, from the tree fixed on Calvary’s hill, He had cried, “It is finished.” And so Luke records these words, “and when they were come to the place.” It came to pass exactly as our Lord had purposed. He must come to “the place which is called Calvary.”
Steady March
In my mind’s eye, I see King Jesus marching with steady pace from old eternity, through the ages of time, to the place where he would make for Himself an everlasting and glorious name. (Read Isaiah 50:5-7.)
He was on his way to Calvary when He stopped outside the gates of Eden and promised our fallen parents, Adam and Eve, that He would come to undo the ruins of the fall as our Redeemer (Genesis 3:15). — He was on his way to Calvary when He paused to make a covenant of pure grace with Noah. — He was on his way to Calvary when He stretched out His arm to deliver Israel by the price of blood and the power of grace from cruel Egyptian bondage. — He was on his way to Calvary when He led Israel through the wilderness, a pillar of smoke by day and fire by night. — He was on his way to Calvary when He caused David to write prophetically of him, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” — He was on his way to Calvary when Isaiah got a vision of Him and penned these words: “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.”
Behold, God’s own Son as He comes into this world, out of the womb of the virgin! Even then He declares the purpose for which he came (Hebrews 10:5-14). He was on his way to Calvary when He stopped by the pool of Bethesda to heal a certain poor, cripple man. — He was on his way to Calvary when He sat on Jacob’s well, down in Samaria, to give eternal life to a poor harlot. — He was on his way to Calvary when He paused to meet with Moses and Elijah on the mount of Transfiguration. — He was on his way to Calvary when He stopped by the Jericho road to give sight to a poor, blind beggar named Bartimaeus. — He stopped on that same road, leading up out of Jericho, to save a wretched publican named Zacchaeus. — King Jesus was on His way to Calvary when He rode into Jerusalem on an ass’s colt, on His great inauguration day. Even then, His people took palm branches and shouted in anticipation of His victory, “Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
Complete Salvation
Well do I recall my first visit to Calvary. I came as a guilty, heavy-laden sinner, burdened down with the oppressive load of my sin and guilt. But there I beheld the Son of God dying in my place; and the burden of my sin rolled away. I went home that day singing…
Mercy there was great and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty — At Calvary!
Standing here by grace alone, I have all God’s salvation. I stand before God in Christ, through His blood poured out for me at Calvary, fully forgiven, completely justified, perfectly accepted, entirely righteous, forever reconciled, wholly sanctified, securely preserved, holy, unblameable, and unreproveable!
Will you come by faith to the Christ of Calvary? You have no other hope.
Come just like you are. Come in submission. Come, trusting Christ alone. He is able and willing to save all who come to Him. God help you to come now.
Don Fortner
“My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?”
Mark 15:34
Here are three things which I see in these words of lamentation, which fell from the lips of the Son of God, when he was made to be sin for us.
WHAT AN INFINITELY EVIL THING SIN IS! Sin is such a horrid thing that the holy Lord God cannot tolerate it, even when it was found upon his darling Son. Whenever God sees sin, he will punish it without mercy. When the angels fell, God cast them out of heaven and holds them in chains of darkness until the day of judgment (II Pet. 2:4; Jude 6). When Adam sinned, he was cursed of God and driven from the presence of the Lord (Gen. 3). When God looked upon the wickedness of Noah’s generation, he destroyed the whole world in the flood of his wrath (Gen. 6). Upon the twin cities of perverseness, Sodom and Gomorrah, God poured out fire and brimstone (Gen. 19). And when God saw sin upon his darling Son, his only-begotten, well-beloved Son, he forsook him! Be warned – If God finds sin on you, he will destroy you forever in hell, without mercy! Flee to Christ, who alone can cleanse you of all sin!
HOW THOROUGH AND COMPLETE WAS CHRIST’S OBEDIENCE TO THE FATHER AS OUR SURETY! We could never obey God perfectly. We could never fulfil the demands of the law or the gospel. But Christ met and satisfied perfectly all the demands of God for his elect. This cry, “My God, my God,” was made at the zenith of our Lord’s obedience. Christ was obedient even unto death. Our salvation was accomplished both by his doing and by his dying. His doing is imputed to us for righteousness (Rom. 5:19). His dying made atonement for our sins (Rom. 5:11). Even when he was forsaken of God, our Surety remained obedient. This cry is an expression of Christ’s perfect faith in God.As a man he believed God and showed us what it is to believe him. “Faith is believing the Word of God, not because we see it to be true, or feel it to be true, but because God said it” (M’Cheyne). We are often unbelieving. But our Surety never doubted God, even when he was forsaken of God! And this cry is an expression of exemplary love and devotion.Here is love and devotion unrivalled! Hanging upon the cursed tree, without one drop of mercy, one smile from heaven, or one comfort for his soul, Christ loved the very God who forsook him!
THE INFINITE DEPTH OF HELL OUR SAVIOUR ENDURED! What is hell if it is not being abandoned totally by God? Why was Christ forsaken? Because there was no other way for us to be accepted. Justice had to be satisfied. When the Son of God was made to be sin for us, when our sins were imputed to him, God forsook him and poured out upon him all the fullness of his wrath (Lam. 1:12). God gave him everything our sins deserve. And now, the holy Lord God, accepts all who trust his Son, imputes to us his perfect righteousness, and rewards us with eternal glory for Christ’s sake, giving us all that he deserves.
Don Fortner
What, O Christian, has
God done for you?
(John MacDuff, “Looking unto Jesus!” 1856)
“Consider how great things He hath done for you!” 1
Samuel 12:24
What, O Christian, has God done for you?
He has blotted out your sins from the book of His remembrance.
He has regenerated you, and made you a new creature in Christ Jesus.
He has destroyed the enmity of your carnal mind, and shed abroad His love in
your heart, by the Holy Spirit whom He has given you.
He has delivered you from the tyranny of Satan, and translated you from the
kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His beloved Son.
He has, in a word, reconciled you to Himself, justified you
freely by His grace, adopted you into His family, and given
you a name and place in His house, better than that of sons or of daughters!
“But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.” Hebrews 10:12
It is a fundamental article of our most holy faith, that the man Christ Jesus is now at God’s right hand, a very man, not a shadowy, ethereal substance. “There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” God looks at him as such with eyes of intense delight, with ever new approbation and love; and views him as the representative of all that are savingly interested in him; he being the Head, the Church the members; he the Bridegroom, the Church the bride; he the great High Priest, and the Church the house of God. As living for her at the right hand of the Father, he is ever presenting on her behalf the validity of his intercession. The fact, the reality that he is there, is the Church’s joy, as it is all her hope and all her boast. “Because I live, you shall live also.”
To him, then, do we direct our prayers; on his glorious Person we fix our believing eyes; upon his blood we hang our hope; under his righteousness we ever desire to shelter; to feel his presence, taste his grace, experience his love, and know his power, is what our soul, under divine teaching, is ever longing for. See, then, the grounds of holy boldness for a poor sinner to enter into the holiest. Blood has been shed, which blood has the validity of Godhead stamped upon it. A new and living way has been consecrated, in which a living soul may walk. A great High Priest is set over the house of God, who is ever presenting the merits of his intercession. Thus, those who feel their need of him, who cannot live, and dare not die without him, whose eyes are upon him and hearts towards him, are encouraged to enter with all holy boldness into the holiest, that they may have communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
J.C.Philpot
“What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. In God I will praise His word; in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.” Ps 56:3,4
Natural feelings have deep root, and will continue to spring up in the most enlightened hearts. When David looked around he saw encompassing enemies. Saul threatened in the rear—the Philistines encamped in front. Thus when he looked to MAN timidities were prone to rise. Tremblings allowed that he knew fear, but happy confidence was not extinct. Many waters cannot drown love; many troubles cannot slay faith. Out of the lowest depths he looked above, and saw bright light. His heart responded, I am afraid, but I will trust. God was his confidence. God’s word was the strong foundation on which his heart was fixed. Realising his oneness with his God, he felt that all God’s promises were his unfailing heritage. His word was a safeguard which shielded his breast; it was the helmet which guarded his head; it was the sword before which no foe could stand; it was the light which dispelled all darkness; it was the song which drowned the clattering of advancing foes. Blessed is the man who can similarly cry, In God I will praise His word. But what praise can do justice to its exceeding excellence!
Henry Law
“Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” –Malachi 4:2
Just as the sun rises in the east and gradually mounts up into the meridian sky, dispersing with every ray light, warmth, and gladness; so this blessed Lord Jesus, as the Sun of righteousness, is ever dispersing the beams of his grace and the rays of his favour; and whenever those beams come, and those rays fall, there is light and life, and everything to make the soul holy and happy. Now a man would act very foolishly if, wishing to have light in his room when the sun was shining at noonday, he should shut all the shutters, and strike a match to give him a little light for a few moments. Let us not then be so foolish as to look for happiness or comfort in our own performances when the glorious Sun of righteousness is at the right hand of God, and shining thence upon believing hearts. But when the veil is over the heart, it is like shutters in a room–there is no light to show who, what, or where Jesus is. And then need we wonder that men strike a light and make a fire, that they may “walk in the sparks of their own kindling?” But what is God’s word against all such? “This shall you have of my hand, you shall lie down in sorrow” (Isaiah 50:11).
J.C.Philpot