Calvary Baptist Church

Calvary Baptist Church, Grenada, MS, USA

Holding to the truths embraced by Baptist for centuries.

Recently, the movie The Passion of the Christ focused a lot of attention on the sufferings of Jesus Christ when He was crucified on the cross. There were physical sufferings such as the plucking of the hair from the beard, the buffetings, the scourging, thrusting of the crown of thorns upon the head, the nails driven through the hands and the feet, and the excruciating pain of death upon a cross. There were also mental sufferings as the crowds mocked and taunted Him in His suffering.

However, the greatest of His sufferings were not visible to the human eye for they were spiritual sufferings. Isaiah says “It pleased the Lord to bruise Him, (the Son) to make His soul an offering for sin.” Again he declares “He (the Father) shall see the travail of His soul (the Son) and shall be satisfied …for He (the Son) shall bear their iniquities” (Isa. 53:10, 12). All the punishment, sin, and guilt that was ours was placed on Jesus Christ there on the cross by the Father. If He were to be true to His holiness and vindicate His law, the penalty for sin must be paid in full. This penalty was all borne by our substitute the Lord Jesus Christ. Being fully man He was qualified to stand in our place. Being fully God He was able to bear our penalty. Little can we comprehend the depth of His sufferings as He received all the wrath of a holy God that was due to fall on us for an eternity. Hear Him crying “My God, my God why has thou forsaken me?” as He was being made sin for us. Hear Him cry “I thirst” as He was suffering our penalty. Truly our sin is an awful, ugly thing for it required such an awful penalty. We are all ungodly, guilty sinners and deserve the wrath of God. Here, then, is the greatest story ever told, that the innocent, sinless Son of God willingly died for us, that a loving Father would send that which was most dear to Him, His own Son, to purchase our salvation by shedding His own blood, by laying down His life for us. No wonder the Father raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand and gave Him a name which is above every name. Our salvation is all of God’s matchless, infinite grace, of His great love with which He loved us. There was grace, mercy and love for the undeserving and the hell deserving. We could not work for or earn our salvation. It was totally a free gift. When we understand this marvelous truth, worship is never a burden, but a glorious privilege for thankful, grateful people who have been saved by the grace of God.