CALVARY!
by J. C. Ryle
You probably know that Calvary was a place close to
Jerusalem, where the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was crucified. We
know nothing else about Calvary beside this. I call this tract "Calvary,"
because I am going to speak to you about the sufferings and crucifixion of
Christ.
I am afraid that much ignorance prevails among people on
the subject of Jesus Christ's sufferings. I suspect that many see no
peculiar glory and beauty in the history of the crucifixion: on the
contrary; they think it painful, humbling, and degrading. They do not see
much profit in the story of Christ's death and sufferings: they rather turn
from it as an unpleasant thing.
Now I believe that such people are quite wrong. I cannot
agree with them. I believe it is an excellent thing for us all to be
continually dwelling on the crucifixion of Christ. That is a good thing to
be often reminded how Jesus was betrayed into the hands of wicked men,-how
they condemned Him with most unjust judgment,-how they spit on Him, scourged
Him, beat Him, and crowned Him with thorns,-how they led Him forth as a lamb
to the slaughter, without His murmuring or resisting, -how they drove the
nails through His hands and feet, and set Him on Calvary between two
thieves, how they pierced His side with a spear, mocked Him in His
suffering, and let Him hang there naked and bleeding until He died. Of all
these things, I say, it is good to be reminded. It is not for nothing that
the crucifixion is described four times over in the New Testament. There are
very few things that all the four writers of the Gospel describe: generally
speaking, if Matthew, Mark, and Luke tell a thing in our Lord's history,
John does not tell it; but there is one thing that all the four give us most
fully, and that one thing is the story of the cross. This is a telling fact,
and not to be overlooked.
People seem to me to forget that all Christ's sufferings
at Calvary were fore-ordained. They did not come on Him by chance or
accident: they were all planned, counseled, and determined from all
eternity; the cross was foreseen, in all the provisions of the everlasting
Trinity for the salvation of sinners. In the purposes of God the cross was
set up from everlasting. Not one throb of pain did Jesus feel, not one
precious drop of blood did Jesus shed, which had not been appointed long
ago. Infinite wisdom planned that redemption should be by the cross:
infinite wisdom brought Jesus to the cross in due time. He was crucified by
the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God.
People seem to me to forget that all Christ's sufferings
at Calvary were necessary for man's salvation. He had to bear our sins, if
ever they were to be borne at all: with His stripes alone could we be
healed. This was the one payment of our debts that God would accept; this
was the great sacrifice on which our eternal life depended. If Christ had
not gone to the cross and suffered in our stead, the just for the unjust,
there would not have been a spark of hope for us; there would have been a
mighty gulf between ourselves and God, which no man ever could have passed.
The cross was necessary, in order that there might be an atonement for sin.
People seem to me to forget that all Christ's sufferings
were endured voluntary and of His own free will. He was under no compulsion:
of His own choice He laid down His life: of His own choice He went to
Calvary to finish the work He came to do. He might easily have summoned
legions of angels with a word, and scattered Pilate and Herod, and all their
armies, like chaff before the wind; but He was a willing sufferer: His heart
was set on the salvation of sinners. He was resolved to open a fountain for
all sin and uncleanness, by shedding His own blood.
Reader, when I think of all this, I see nothing painful
or disagreeable in the subject of Christ's crucifixion; on the contrary, I
see in it wisdom and power, peace and hope, joy and gladness, comfort and
consolation. The more I keep the cross in my mind's eye, the more fullness I
seem to discern in it; the longer I dwell on the crucifixion in my thoughts,
the more I am satisfied that there is more to he learned at Calvary than
anywhere else in the world.
Would I know the length and breadth of God the Father's
love towards a sinful world? Where shall I see it most displayed? Shall I
look at His glorious sun, shining down daily on the unthankful and evil?
Shall I look at the seed time and harvest, returning in regular yearly
succession? Oh, no! I can find a stronger proof of love than anything of
this sort. I look at the cross of Christ: I see in it not the cause of the
Father's love, but the effect. There I see that God so loved this wicked
world, that He gave His only begotten Son,-gave Him to suffer and die-that
whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. I know
that the Father loves us, because He did not withhold from us His Son, His
only Son. Ah, reader, I might sometimes fancy that God the Father is too
high and holy to care for such miserable, corrupt creatures as we are: but I
cannot, must not, dare not think it, when I look at Christ's sufferings on
Calvary.
Would I know how exceedingly sinful and abominable sin is
in the sight of God? Where shall I see that most fully brought out? Shall I
turn to the history of the flood, and read how sin drowned the world? Shall
I go to the shore of the Dead Sea, and mark what sin brought on Sodom and
Gomorrah? Shall I turn to the wandering Jews, and observe how sin has
scattered them over the face of the earth? No: I can find a clearer proof
still, I look at what happened on Calvary. There I see that sin is so black
and damnable that nothing but the blood of God's own Son can wash it away;
there I see that sin has so separated me from my holy Maker that all the
angels in heaven could never have made peace between us: nothing could
reconcile us, short of the death of Christ. Ah, if I listened to the
wretched talk of proud men I might sometimes fancy sin was not so very
sinful; but I cannot think little of sin when I look at Calvary.
Would I know the fullness and completeness of the
salvation God has provided for sinners? Where shall I see it most
distinctly? Shall I go to the general declarations in the Bible about God's
mercy? Shall I rest in the general truth that God is a God of love? Oh, no!
I will look at the crucifixion at Calvary. I find no evidence like that: I
find no balm for a sore conscience and a troubled heart like the sight of
Jesus dying for me on the accursed tree. There I see that a full payment has
been made for all my enormous debts. The curse of that law which I have
broken, has come down on One who there suffered in my stead; the demands of
that law are all satisfied: payment has been made for me even to the
uttermost farthing. It will not be required twice over. Ah, I might
sometimes imagine I was too bad to be forgiven; my own heart sometimes
whispers that I am too wicked to be saved. But I know in my better moments
this is all my foolish unbelief; I read an answer to my doubts in the blood
shed on Calvary. I feel sure that there is a way to heaven for the very
vilest of men, when I look at the cross.
Would I find strong reasons for being a holy man? Where
shall I turn for them? Shall I listen to the ten commandments merely? Shall
I study the examples given me in the Bible of what grace can do? Shall I
meditate on the rewards of heaven, and the punishments of hell? Is there no
stronger motive still? Yes: I will look at Calvary and the crucifixion.
There I see the love of Christ constraining me to live not unto myself, but
unto Him: there I see that I am not my own now,-I am bought with a price: I
am bound by the most solemn obligations to glorify Jesus with body and
spirit, which are His. There I see that Jesus gave Himself for me, not only
to redeem me from iniquity, but also to purify me, and make me one of a
peculiar people, zealous of good works. He bore my sins in His own body on
the tree, that I being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness. Ah,
reader, there is nothing so sanctifying as a clear view of the cross of
Christ! It crucifies the world unto us, and us unto the world. How can we
love sin when we remember that because of our sins Jesus died? Surely none
ought to be so holy as the disciples of a crucified Lord.
Would I learn how to be contented and cheerful under all
the cares and anxieties of life? What school shall I go to? How shall I
attain this state of mind most easily? Shall I look at the sovereignty of
God, the wisdom of God, the providence of God, the love of God? It is well
to do so: but I have a better argument still. I will look at Calvary and the
crucifixion. I feel that He who spared not His only begotten Son but
delivered Him up to die for me, will surely with Him give me all things that
I really need: He who endured that pain for my soul, will surely not
withhold from me anything that is really good: He who has done the greater
things for me, will doubtless do the lesser things also. He who gave His own
blood to procure me a home, will unquestionably supply me with all that is
really profitable for me by the way. Ah, reader, there is no school for
learning contentment that can be compared with Calvary and the foot of the
cross.
Would I gather arguments for hoping that I shall never be
cast away? Where shall I go to find them? Shall I look at my own graces and
gifts? Shall I take comfort in my own faith and love, and penitence and
zeal, and prayer? Shall I turn to my own heart, and say, "This same heart
will never be false and cold"? Oh, no! God forbid! I will look at Calvary
and the crucifixion. This is my grand argument: this is my mainstay. I
cannot think that He who went through such sufferings to redeem my soul,
will let that soul perish after all, when it has once cast itself on Him.
Oh, no! What Jesus paid for Jesus will surely keep. He paid dearly for it:
He will not let it easily be lost. He died for me when I was yet a dark
sinner: He will never forsake me after I have believed. Ah, reader, when
Satan tempts you to doubt whether Christ's people will be kept from falling,
you should tell Satan that you cannot despair when you look at the cross.
And now, reader, will you marvel when I say that all Christians ought to
make much of the crucifixion? Will you not rather wonder that any can hear
of Christ's sufferings on Calvary and remain unmoved? I declare I know no
greater proof of man's depravity than the fact that thousands of so-called
Christians see nothing lovely in the cross. Well may our hearts be called
stony, well may the eyes of our mind be called blind, well may our whole
nature be called diseased, well may we all be called dead,-when the cross of
Christ is heard of, and yet neglected. Surely we may take up the words of
the prophet, and say, "Hear, O heavens, and be astonished, O earth: a
wonderful and horrible thing is done," -Christ was crucified for sinners,
and yet many Christians live as if He was never crucified at all!
Reader, if you never thought much about Calvary and the
crucifixion before,-I trust you will have learned something today.