James H. Cagle
“And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him (Jesus), and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left” (Luke 23: 33 KJV).
What happened to Jesus at Calvary should have, was supposed to have, happened to you and me. But according to God’s plan what happened to Jesus at Calvary also happened to the church for all Christians are seen by God as being in Christ.
Calvary is a real place, it’s a place outside Jerusalem. It was where criminals were executed by crucifixion. Jesus was condemned as a criminal and was executed by crucifixion at Calvary.
The Gospels give us eyewitness accounts of what happened at Calvary. Many heard the last sayings of Jesus Christ. They heard Jesus tell John to take care of His mother. They saw Jesus’ beaten body, the crown of thorns He wore, and the spear pierce His side. Many saw Jesus’ hands and feet nailed to the cross. They heard Him say “It is finished.” They watched Him die.
But there was more that happened that day at Calvary than meets the eye. All the events that unfolded that day held spiritual significance that almost no one that day fully understood.
What happened at Calvary was the fulfillment of prophesy. Jesus fulfilled at Calvary Old Testament Scripture that spoke of His death by crucifixion. Calvary was part of God’s plan and Jesus was carrying it out, even unto His death.
The spiritual significance of what happened at Calvary was shrouded in mystery until God revealed it to Paul and he then penned it down for all to see. Paul lets us know that what actually happened at Calvary was much more than just another crucifixion. He explains that Jesus didn’t die for His sins, for He was sinless, but that He died for the sins of the whole world. And that now through faith in Him a sinner can be forgiven and redeemed and become a child of God.
We must see and share with others, that what happened at Calvary, was God showing that He loves us so much that He gave Jesus, His only begotten Son, to die in our place so we could be saved and spend eternity with Him in Heaven. That’s what happened at Calvary.
