Have you ever stood in your mind at Calvary on the day that Jesus died? Use your sanctified imagination and stand quietly with Mary and John on that sad hill. There must have been an overload of the senses that afternoon. Not only in what they saw, but in what they heard…
Listen to the echo of the hammer as long spikes are driven into the hands and feet of Jesus.
Can you hear the thud of the cross dropping into the hole that had been dug for it?
There are the cheers and jeers of people all around. The mockery of religious leaders and the cries of a frenzied mob all blend together to become the sound of chaos and confusion.
Hardened soldiers play games at the foot of the cross.
The two men on either side of Jesus cross seem to have a conversation with one another and with the Man in the middle.
One voice stands out from the rest – it is the tender voice of Jesus. He always spoke grace and truth, and today is no different. Seven times He will open His mouth to speak and every word He says is full of passion and purpose.
Suddenly, there is an eerie silence as darkness descends. Through the darkness rings the most piercing, pitiful cry you have ever heard – “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?”
One final word: tetelestai. Finished! Paid in full!
Lean in and you will hear the quiet but convicting testimony of the centurion: “Truly this man was the Son of God.”
Then the sound of the earthquake. Everything shaking. People screaming. The whole land seems to be groaning at the death of the Creator.
Yes, there were a host of sounds to take in on the most important day in the history of the world. Did you know that there is actually still a sound that rings out from Calvary today? It is the cry of blood. It is imperceptible to human ears but the blood continues to speak. Abel’s blood in the Old Testament cried out for justice (Genesis 4:10). Jesus’ blood cries out for mercy – justice has been satisfied! “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24).
I would like to invite you to do two things…
- Join us for the next three weeks on the Enjoying the Journey broadcast as we study the “Cries from the Cross.” You can listen on any podcast player, our YouTube channel, or at EnjoyingtheJourney.org.
- Join us this fall for a trip to Calvary and the Holy Land! We would love to have you travel with our family as we visit Israel and study God’s Word. You may find full details here.
A dear friend who prays for us daily always closes his correspondence to me with these words: walk by Calvary every day. I hope that in the days ahead you will do just that. May God bring all of us closer to the cross and nearer to Christ.
