The Sounds Of Calvary

Luke 23:27-33

27 And there followed him a great company of people, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.

28 But Jesus turning unto them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children.

29 For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.

30 Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

31 For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?

32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

Intro.

When we seek to know Jesus better and our minds wish to delve into that great love wherewith he loved us. There is no better place to go than just outside the gates of Jerusalem. There is a narrow road that leads to a small knoll; the road is most commonly referred to as “Via dolorosa” the way of suffering or the way of tears.

As we cautiously climb the little knoll we encounter sounds that are coming from it. Whereever we journey we identify places by sight and sound, and I want to center in on those sounds atop this hill called Calvary. Listen carefully as we approach the cross.

I. The Sounds Of Weeping:

A. The Professional Mourners: “We find them also at Jairus home when Jesus raised his little girl from death.”

B. The Friends Of Jesus:

1. A Mother of a Child healed by Jesus:

2. A man who had a withered hand that Jesus had restored.

3. A Man that had been born blind.

C. Mary The Mother Of Jesus, 33 years before Simeon had declared, “(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:35

D. Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus had cast 7 devils from her.

E. John the beloved Disciple that Jesus loved, as he stood by Mary’s side.

F. The Two Thieves on Either side of Jesus crying in pain and agony.

We should hear weeping today as we draw near to Calvary and see poor sinners coming to Christ Jesus.

Tell of the cross where they nailed him,

Writhing in anguish and pain.

Tell of the grave where they laid him,

Tell how he liveth again.

Love is that story so tender,

Dearer than ever I see;

Stay let me weep while you whisper,

It was love that paid the ransom for me.

II. There Was Also The Sounds Of Cursing:

A. The Roman soldiers as they beat him, and finally crucified him.

B. The Pharisees, taking care not to take the name of God in vain.

C. The rabble that gathered around the cross, they were weak men pushed by the priests, Shouting curses at our Lord, they reacted as men with the emotions of a mob.

D. Those dying thieves cast curses at him, the Bible says they railed at him one to the very last. The other till mercy and grace began to enter,

E. And certainly we must rememebr Poor Peter who had cursed and declared with vehemence, “I never knew the man.”

F. Modern men today curse Jesus every time they reject him.

III. The Sound Of Prayer:

The most wonderful sound in the world is when a man bears his heart to our Lord.

A. The Women that followed Jesus were praying.

B. The disciples that followed his teaching were praying.

C. The Penitent Thief handing beside our Lord, he prayed, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Luke 23:42

D. And those precious words that were uttered by my Lord, “Father forgive them they know not what they do.” Not just once but in the Greek it was continuous action verb, He continued to pray, as they beat him, as they spat on him, as they drove those awful spike in his hands and in his feet.

E. When you and I go to Calvary, we should go praying for God’s mercy.

IV. We Can Hear The Earth Itself Rejecting men’s cruel Deed:

The earth went into a convulsive fit, the ground around the crosses began to shake, rocks split and graves were opened. The Bible said many saints appeared to many after the resurrection. The earth shook so hard and so violently that the veil in the temple was rent from top to bottom. One centurion said, “Surely this must be the Son Of God.”