From Calvary With Love

Why is good Friday so called?  After all, the Son of God was crucified on a cruel Cross on Calvary’s hill outside Jerusalem.  But why?

The answer might frighten many, but it was there where God was bearing in His Son the sins of the whole world.  “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all,” (Isa.53:6).   This was the greatest possible demonstration of two things – God’s intense hatred of and opposition of human sin; it was also God “demonstrating His own love for us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Rom.5:6).  It was God’s love letter to a lost race sent from Calvary and written in the blood of His own dear Son, Jesus Christ. 

This love of God was certainly not of the sentimental variety; that can do no one any good.  The love of God was/is redemptive; it was saving love because it was sin-bearing love. 

At the first Christmas, God sent the Son of His love into the world for a special purpose.  He was sent to die for your sins.  That means that your sin was responsible for the death of Christ.  It also means that God will hold you responsible on that great Day of Judgement for what your sin did to His Son.

But what was done on the Cross was done so that your sin might be pardoned.  You see, the Cross is inextricably linked with forgiveness, so much so that there can be no forgiveness without the death of Christ.  The atonement is essential for forgiveness.  Forgiveness requires Calvary.

Further, when Christ was born and then died on the Cross, He did it all voluntarily.  He didn’t have to die for you, but He did.  He willingly came to do God’s will as an obedient Son, because He loved His heavenly Father; and He also loved you and me.  There is no greater sign of the love of God for the human race than Calvary.  “Greater love has no man than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends,” (Jn.15:13).  But look; when Jesus died on Calvary, it was not for His friends that He died, but for His enemies.  He died for sinful people like you and me.  He died for all. 

So Calvary is God’s love-letter to you and to me.  He sent His One and Only Son to dies for us and to take away our sin.  It was and is His letter sent FROM CALVARY WITH LOVE.