Lead Me to Calvary

Intro:

Good morning.

(Talk about how great PTP was - Renew. Recharge. Refresh. 4 families from Marietta this year [I suspect we will all go back when we can]. [Hoping for more of us next year (Branson or Sevierville!)]

One of the best things we got to experience was worshipping with (I think) over 3000 Christians last Sunday morning.

The thing about that is that it doesn’t matter WHERE we worship, as long as we are worshipping in Spirit and in truth! (John 4:20-24)

And believe you me, when about 3000 Christians are all worshipping God together in one room, in Spirit and in Truth, singing OUT like it should be …

That is an amazing thing to behold!

I want to tell you about a moment during that worship service this morning, from which I’ll take my sermon for this morning.

We were getting ready to take of the Lord’s Supper, and we sing this song in preparation: “Lead Me to Calvary.” (384 in your songbook)

As beautiful as it was listening to (and singing along with) over 3000 souls to that song, thinking through the lyrics and what they mean to Christians, getting ready to memorialize our Lord’s sacrifice, my eyes couldn’t help but well up with tears.

So it was at that moment that I decided, “I want to preach on this when I get back home!”

Calvary …

Gethsemane … (the garden where He prayed)

Golgotha (or “the place of the skull”).

The upper room (where Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper) …

The courtyard of Caiphas, the High Priest who falsely condemned our Lord.

All places that our Lord walked as He was preparing to make the sacrifice that would make Him the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

But it is this first word I mentioned — Calvary — and the word emphasized most in our song - “Lead Me to Calvary” — that I want to talk about as we begin this morning.

Calvary:

Not “cavalry” as in mounted horsemen in warfare!

No, Calvary!

And what this term means simply is the place where Jesus was crucified.

It is also known as Golgotha, or “the place of the Skull.”

But geographically-speaking, it’s believed to be found in an elevated location just outside the walls of Jerusalem.

There are four relevant Bible passages: (Read each in Bible)

Matthew 27:33–35

Mark 15:22-24

Luke 23:33

John 19:17-18

While the exact location is said to be disputed, one possible candidate for the location of Calvary DOES have what appears to be a human skull in the natural formations in the rock nearby (thus, I believe that particular location is indeed Golgotha) (and you can look this up and see pictures of the skull yourself).

Using John 19:20, which says that Jesus was crucified “near the city,” Heb. 13:12, which says that Jesus “suffered outside the gate,” and both Matthew 27:39 and Mark 15:29 that show that “passersby” were present (thus, a public place), a Bible archaeologist could figure out a reasonable radius around the city of Jerusalem to search for the site of Golgotha.

But the exact geographic site is not what I think the hymn writer had in mind when she wrote “Lead Me to Calvary” as much as the thought of leading our MINDS back to the SACRIFICE of Jesus that took place at that location!

So with that in mind, I want to read you …

THE LYRICS OF THIS SONG:

Verse One:

King of my life I crown Thee Now, Thine shall the glory be - I thought Jesus was already crowned King when He ascended into Heaven (Acts 1; Heb. 1)?

He was!

But think about it this way — How many of us have crowned Jesus Lord of our LIVES? And then think about how many countless billions of people there are that refuse to do that?!

Matt. 6:33 - “Seek ye first the KINGDOM of God!”

We need to think about it every day of our lives — Am I crowning Jesus King of my life by the way that I’m living my life?!

Lest I forget Thy thorn crowned brow, lead me to calvary - “When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’”

Verse Two:

Show me the tomb where Thou wast laid, tenderly mourned and wept - (Read Mark 15:37-47).

Angels in robes of light arrayed guarded Thee whilst Thou slept - (Read Mark 16:5-8).

Verse Three:

Let me like Mary through the gloom come with a gift to Thee - (You can read about this in Mark 16:1).

Show to me now the empty tomb, Lead me to Calvary — And oh thank and praise God for the empty tomb, because without it, we have no gospel by which to be saved!! (Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 15).

Verse Four:

(Really pay close attention to verse 4 of this song!)

May I be willing, Lord, to bear daily my cross for Thee - Matthew 16:24 - “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Even Thy cup of grief to share, Thou hast borne all for me - Are we willing to partake in the sufferings of Christ?

Listen to 1 Peter 4:12-16:

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.”

Here’s the chorus:

Lest I forget Gethsemane, lest I forget Thine agony, lest I forget Thy love for me (John 3:16), lead me to Calvary!

Application:

In just a few moments, we’re going to participate in something CRUCIAL and CENTRAL to our worship as New Testament Christians — partaking of the Lord’s Supper each first day of the week.

When we do that, will our hearts and minds be focused on what took place at Calvary?

Will we be bowed before God’s holy throne in reverence?

Will we examine ourselves to rid sin from our lives before we partake?

Will we realize the magnitude of the sacrifice that was made on our behalf?

And will we petition the Lord’s throne in prayer with thanksgiving in our hearts and celebration of the fact that our sins are forgiven?!

Will we memorialize Christ’s sacrifice with these words in mind — “Do This in Remembrance of Me?”

With that, read with me please (1 Cor. 11:23-30 — We’ve got to take great care to truly observe the Lord’s Supper memorial, and to do so in the right way and with the right spirit that the Lord has asked us to).

Conclusion:

So what about you?

Have you been led to Calvary?

Maybe you made that trip to Calvary, but you need to make it again?

(Invitation).