A Visit To Calvary

‘A VISIT TO CALVARY’

John 19 16-18

Today, I want you and I to take a visit to Calvary. If you are a child of God you have already been there, for it was there you met Jesus in salvation. If you are here today and you are lost, you need to come to Calvary today for it’s the only place you will find forgiveness of sin.

But the Cross is also a learning place. If you go to Harvard, you will learn about law, if you go to Georgia Tech, you will learn about engineering, if you go to Tulane, you will learn about medicine. But if you go to Calvary, you learn about the greatness of God’s love and greatness of man’s sin.

I heard about a man of science who was riding a ferryboat. He was talking to an uneducated man on the ferry. He asked him did he know Geology? He said, no, he didn’t. The man replied, well, ¼ of your life is gone. He then asked him, if he knew Biology? Again, he said no. The man said, well, ½ of your life is gone. He further asked him if he knew Zoology? The man answered him, no, he didn’t. The man came back and said, well ¾ of your life is gone. About that time, a wave hit the ferryboat, knocking the man into the water. The uneducated man shouted at him, do you know how to swim? He hollered back, no. He said, then, all your life is gone.

If you have never been to Calvary and met Jesus as your savior, your life is slipping away and unless you come to Jesus, you will lose your life in hell.

I-NOTICE THE REASONS FOR THE CROSS:

Matthew 16:21-From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Why did He use the word “must”?

A-BECAUSE OF MAN’S SIN:

Romans 3:23-For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

For all have sinned-And consequently are equally helpless and guilty.

In preparation for a meeting in a large city, famed evangelist Billy Sunday wrote a letter to the mayor in which he asked for the name of individuals he knew who had a spiritual problem and needed help and prayer. How surprised the evangelist was when he received from the mayor a city directory.

A minister said that once he had a small white Highland terrier which he kept spotlessly clean by frequent washing, brushing, and powdering. One night a winter storm dropped a fresh blanket of snow on the countryside, and the next morning the whole world seemed to glisten under the splendor of the morning sun. As the clergyman stood gazing out his window, he saw a drab-looking dog walk across the snow. He wondered whose it was -- then suddenly realized it was his own well-groomed terrier! It was as clean as always, but against that dazzling background it appeared dirty.

In much the same way, our corrupt nature is clearly revealed when our lives are measured by the absolute standard of Divine holiness. The Bible says that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." We make a favorable impression when compared with other men, but none of us can stand up against the pure whiteness of the character of Christ.

J. Vernon McGee tells the story of the Negro boy down in my Southland years ago, wanted to join a church. So the deacons were examining him. They asked, "How did you get saved?" His answer was, "God did His part, and I did my part." They thought there was something wrong with his doctrine, so they questioned further, "What was God’s part, and what was your part?" His explanation was a good one. He said, "God’s part was the saving, and my part was the sinning. I done run from Him as fast as my sinful heart and rebellious legs could take me. He done took out after me till He run me down." My friend, that is the way I got saved also.

B-BECAUSE OF MAN’S SEPERATION:

Isaiah 59:2 - But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

The problem isn’t with God’s power, His knowledge, or His interest. The problem is with our iniquities. Sin has separated you from your God.

God is Holy and cannot look upon sin but at the cross, Jesus was bringing mankind and God together.

A story is told of a father and one of his sons having an argument. In the end, the boy left home and went into another city. Later on, he was contacted and told him to come home, for his mother was dying. When he got home, he was ushered into her bedroom where his father was at her bedside. His mother took his hand and the hand of his father and placed them across her body and said, will you make peace with each other over my dying body. Of course, they forgave one another and did make peace with each other.