What Kind of Place is Calvary? by Eddie Foster

Luke 23:33 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.

Golgotha. Place of the skull. It was by the side of the road so onlookers could see what happens to criminals. Each one bore their cross. It was here that Jesus died and inaugurated his kingdom. His death was for all people. Salvation was made available for all. Jesus said that those who want to serve him must be prepared to die. Many are persecuted because of their faith in Christ.  Wake up!  It’s coming to America. Will you stand?  Peter said he would but later denied any association with Jesus.  Take heed lest you fall. The way to this kingdom is the way of the cross. More people will die lost than will be saved, but the Lord has made a way of escape.

The cross is our substitutionary death. In Galatian 1:4 Paul said Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. Jesus died in our place. Who should have hung on the cross?  You and I should have. The world is ruled by evil but Christ can deliver. We no longer have to be slaves to the world. It’s all because of the cross.  The cross is a place of identity. Galatians 2:20 says I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. God looks at me as if I died on the cross and it’s simply because I believe what Jesus did. I couldn’t pay my sin debt. You couldn’t.  Jesus’ death paid the sin debt for us all. Now God sees you and me as righteous. Not because of our righteousness but because of Jesus’. I’m no longer condemned. We died out to our old life. We daily die out to our sin. There’s a day coming when we’ll sin no more. For now, we continue to take our sins to God. Calvary is a place of vision.  Galatians 3:1 says O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? We must see the right thing. The Bible tells us where there is no vision, people perish. See people dying and going to hell. The Galatians were bewitched by the things of the world. Calvary is a place of curse. Galatians 3:13-14 says Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Christ did for us what the law could not. The law made us aware of sin, but there was no path out. The sacrifices of the animals only rolled sin forward to the cross. Through faith, the Holy Spirit was placed inside us. Christ bought us. He redeemed us. His life was the price God required for the payment of sin. We owe it all to him.  Calvary was a place of redemption.  It was perfect timing. Jesus came, born of a virgin. There were 400 years between Malachi and the birth. Today people look around and say “where is the Lord?”  The same Jesus who was taken away visibly and bodily will step out on a cloud and come back. The dead in Christ will rise first and then those who are believers, and alive at his coming, will meet them in the air. It could be today. I assure you he is coming. We’ve been redeemed because of Calvary. It is a place of glory. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Give thanks and praise to Jesus Christ and him only.  To God be the glory!  Had it not been for the cross, we’d still be hopeless without a way to heaven. He took my place and nailed my sins to the cross. Praise God for Calvary!

The ground is level at the foot of the cross.  Jesus died for the thief on the right and left side of him. He would have saved both had they asked, but only one did.  If you’ve not asked him to save you, now is the time. You can be made clean, as white as snow. Invite him into your heart.