I want to speak tonight from the gospel according to Luke chapter 23 and the verse 33. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him. The place called Calvary, there they crucified him. And the subject tonight is remember Calvary. Remember Calvin. We have in recent times had that period of reflection and remembrance, a time of solemnity when we review the past and we think of the great loss of life in times of war. And because of all of those sacrifices, we have today liberties. that we would not have if those folk had not laid down their lives. And the cemeteries across Europe are a testimony to the enormity of those sacrifices, as are the cenotaphs and memorials across our nation and in our own land. History books and museums, et cetera, record for us the names of those heroes and their many acts of heroism. And solemnly we remember them, their sacrifices made. It is a poignant remembrance to all of us. But I want to focus upon another place. Upon another person, and upon another sacrifice, it is vitally important for us to remember the place is outside Jerusalem, the place of the skull, Calvary. The Bible tells us here in our text tonight, there they crucified him, the Lord Jesus Christ. And that, my friends, I put it to you tonight, is the greatest sacrifice of all for our sins. Every time we come to the Lord's table as the Lord's people, we remember His death. And we ought so to do because in the symbols of the bread and of the wine, we remember what He accomplished at the cross. And the Bible exhorts every Christian, this too, in remembrance of me. And so we remember his death. Let us never forget the deaths of those men and women who gave their lives for our freedom. In 24 years of ministry in Belfast, I saw some of the worst of the trouble. and the awful carnage, and the awful loss of life. And I have forever etched upon my memory the sacrifices of so many. But let us, my friends, never forget the sacrifice of the cross. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us in Isaiah chapter 53 in verse 5, he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. And let us tonight in the closing moments of this service be drawn unto the shadow of the cross and consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. May our eyes tonight not be fixed upon men, but rather upon the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. Folks, tonight there are lots of important things we need to remember in life, even vital things, even things that are valuable to us. But here is the most important of all. The most vital thing of all, the most valuable thing of all, for our soul's good, for our eternal good, it is, remember, Calvary. And I pray that the Holy Spirit of God will focus your mind and rivet your attention tonight upon the cross. Don't see the preacher in the pulpit. Look beyond the man behind the desk, but look to that tree where Jesus died. Look to that cross where he shed his blood. And under the shadow of that cross, that you might repent of your sin tonight, and you might be saved, lest you lose your soul in a Christless eternity. There they crucified him. There are four things that I want to focus upon in the closing moments of this meeting tonight. First of all, I want you to see the Christ who suffered there. There they crucified him. And Argeus is fixed upon the Lord Jesus Christ on that center tree at Calvary. Christ, the pure and spotless one, suffered on Calvary. We think about His purity, the one who's described in Scripture as holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. The crimeless, sinless, flawless Son of God. The Bible says of Him, He knew no sin. The Bible tells us He did no sin. The Word of God indicates He could not sin because He is God. He's without sin. Guile was not found in his mouth. He never conceived an evil thought. There was never painted upon the mind or imagination of Christ anything impure or anything unholy. He was absolutely sinless. The Bible proclaims the Lord Jesus Christ as the impeccable Son of God. But the Word of God not only speaks about His purity, but the Bible also speaks about His humility. In Philippians chapter 2, verses 6 to 8, "...who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God." And that is His position, a position of power. God Himself, equal with God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. But listen, there are seven steps in the humiliation of Christ that are indicated to us here in Philippians chapter 2. You look down that passage and you see the words are these, He made Himself of no reputation. He took upon Him the form of a servant, was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Seven steps that the Lord Jesus Christ took. In His humiliation, in His condescension, from the throne of glory to the cross. The Bible tells us in Timothy he's God manifest in flesh, clothed in flesh. He became man. He humbled himself unto death, even the death of the cross. And John Owen in his great book, The Death of Deaths, he describes it as the death of deaths and the death of Christ. And of course, the Lord Jesus Christ, he died the death of deaths. And he suffered death, even the death of the cross. And he died on that cross for sinful men and women. What humiliation. All that way from the ivory palaces of heaven to that old rugged cross. And what a demonstration of love for sinners such as you and I, undeserving, hell-deserving sinners. The hymn writer put it like this, amazing love. How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me? And again, how marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior's love for me. He could have left us to perish in our sins. He could have left us to suffer the ultimate penalty of our sins, which is death. But he went to that cross, he was kneeled to that cross in his hands and in his feet. And by the way, it was not a cross as men depict it or describe it today. It was a tree that Jesus died upon. Jesus Christ died on a tree. Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a tree. And the Lord Jesus Christ died on that tree at Calvary. He was nailed to that tree. The crown of thorns was upon his head. The sword was driven into his side, and there, bleeding and dying, he suffered. Such shame on that cross for us! What love! Marvelous love! John, in writing that wonderful epistle in 1 John chapter 4, he said this here in his love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sin. God commendeth his love toward us, in that why have ever yet sinners Christ died for us? Romans 5.8. Think of his suffering. Oh yes, we think of His purity, His humiliation, His great love, but we think of His suffering on that cross. The Bible tells us there in Isaiah 53 some wonderful words in this passage, He was bruised for our iniquities. Again in that passage, Isaiah 53 verses 7, 8, and 10, it says He was oppressed, He was afflicted. For the transgression of my people was he stricken." Notice the words afflicted. Notice the word stricken. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. Notice the word bruise. Again in Lamentations in the Old Testament, the prophecy there, chapter one of Lamentations is concerning Christ. Lamentations 1 and 12, in the day in which the Lord hath afflicted me. in the day of His fierce anger. What suffering in His death, my friend. It was for me, yes, all for me, O love of God, so great, so free, the dazzling splendors of the skies. It was for me He came to die. The Lord Jesus Christ actually died on the cross. He didn't faint or just swoon on the cross. He actually died. After all of that pain and suffering, after all of that agony and anguish, He died on the cross. The Bible tells us here in our text, there they crucified Him. He died the cruelest death imaginable, death by crucifixion. And by this death He died. And we can never comprehend fully tonight what He went through. But he went through it all, my friend, even to death itself, that we guilty sinners might be saved. And thank God you can be saved tonight in this meeting. You've come here with a burden of sin. You've come here tonight without Christ. You've come here on the road to a lost eternity, but thank God you can be saved tonight because of Calvary. Remember Calvary, the Christ who died there. I want you to think, as we remember Calvary secondly tonight, of the condemnation he endured there. The wrath of God upon sin was laid upon the Lord Jesus Christ. And again, that wonderful chapter, Isaiah chapter 53, it says, the Lord hath laid on him, that is on Jesus, the iniquity of us all. And the sense of it is this, the Lord hath focused upon him, the iniquity of us all, or the Lord has made to meet on Christ, the iniquity of us all. The hymn writer put it like this. The wrath of God that was our Jew upon the Lamb was led. Jehovah lifted up his rod, O Christ, it fell on thee. Thou wast sore stricken of thy God, there's not one stroke for me. Thy tears, thy blood beneath it flowed, thy bruising healeth me. Jehovah bade his sword awake, O Christ, it woke against thee. The Lord Jesus Christ, bearing the wrath of God, And the Word of God tells us in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 13, Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law being made a curse for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone that hangeth upon a tree. You see on that cross, dear friends, the Lord Jesus Christ bore our condemnation, the condemnation of our sin. The hymn writer put it like this, and my pleas condemned, he stood, sealed my pardon with his blood. Hallelujah, what a Savior. Consider on the cross the Lord Jesus Christ bearing the wrath of God for us. And consider on that cross the darkness from the sixth to the ninth hour. We've read about it tonight here in this passage. Luke 23, you can read again in Matthew 27, 45 to 46. From the sixth hour, there was darkness over all the land to the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabathanai, that is my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And heaven veiled his face from the Son of God as he bore the wrath of God for our sin. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified at nine o'clock in the morning. And from nine until noon he hung in the light, but at noon there was a miraculous darkness that covered the land and enveloped the cross where the Lord Jesus died. This was not a sandstorm or an eclipse as some liberal writers have suggested. It was a heaven sent darkness that lasted for three hours. You remember there in Exodus chapter 10 verses 21 to 23, there were three days of darkness in Egypt before the Passover. And here on the cross, my friend, there were three days of darkness before the Lamb of God died for the sins of the world. Christ, our Passover, sacrificed for us. Jesus had spoken at least three times before the darkness fell upon the cross. While they crucified him, he repeatedly prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Luke 23, 34, he had spoken to the penitent thief, assured him of a place in paradise. Today shall thou be with me in paradise. He had also given his mother into the care of his beloved disciple, John, according to John 19, 18 to 27. But when the darkness came, Jesus was silent for three hours. And after three hours, the darkness left. And then Jesus cried, as we've said, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And of course, these words were a direct quotation from the Old Testament. In Psalm 22, verse one. It was during this time of darkness that the Lord Jesus Christ was made sin for us. You see, the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 21, that he who knew no sin, the Lord Jesus Christ, as we've said, the pure and spotless Son of God, became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. The Lord Jesus Christ took our sins and took our sorrows. He made them His very own. He bore the burden to Calvary and suffered and died alone. Christ bearing our sins in his own body in the tree. And if you will trust in Christ as your Savior, then friend, you will not have to endure this condemnation because Christ bore it in your place. Christ bore it in your place. The Bible says, there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. The Bible says, he that believeth on the Son is not condemned. And thank God, if you will believe in Christ tonight to the saving of your soul, you will not be condemned, but your soul will be saved for all eternity. Will you trust Him tonight? Will you trust Him tonight as your Savior before you leave this church? Only trust Him. Only trust Him now. Then I want you to see, as we remember Calvary, the completion that he ended there. In John chapter 19 verse 38, when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said it is finished and he bowed his head and gave up the ghost. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ voluntarily laid down his life. John 10 tells us, I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. And the Lord Jesus Christ laid his life down on the altar of Calvary for us. That word finished is an interesting word. It's one word in the Greek. It's a word that means it is finished, it stands finished, and it always will be finished. While it is true that our Lord's sufferings were now finished, there's much more included in this dramatic word. Many of the Old Testament types and prophecies were now fulfilled, and the once for all sacrifice for sin had been completed. The Lord Jesus Christ had finished the work. This word is unfamiliar to us in the Greek, but it's used by various people in everyday life. In those days, a servant would use it when reporting to his or her master, I have completed the work that is assigned to me. I have finished. And when a priest examined in the Old Testament an animal's sacrifice and found it faultless, the word again would apply that it was finished or it was complete. Jesus, of course, was the perfect lamb. Jesus Christ was the unblemished lamb, without spot. When an artist completed a picture, or a writer a manuscript, he or she might say, it is finished. The death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross completes the picture that God has been painting, the story that God has been writing for centuries. And because of the cross, We understand the ceremonies and prophecies in the Old Testament. But you know, there's another meaning to this word. It was that used by the merchants. The debt is paid in full. The debt is paid in full. I'm very friendly with a debt collector, not that I own anything, but I often meet him for coffee and we talk about the things of God and speak about eternal things. And I was interested in just asking him on one occasion, I said to him, naming him by his name, I said, you know, when you go to get this debt and collect it, what happens? Well, he said, I have to have absolute proof that the debt is paid in full. A signed document that the debt is paid in full. My dear friend, the Lord Jesus Christ, when he gave himself on the cross, he fully met the righteous demands of a holy law. He paid our debt in full. None of the Old Testament sacrifices you see could take away sins. Their blood only covered sin. But Christ, the Lamb of God, shed his blood, and that blood can take away the sins of the world. In our church hall in Ballygarmy of that great text, behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ. took away our sin. The Bible teaches us there in the book of Hebrews chapter 9, the ninth chapter of Hebrews verses 24 to 28, and these are the words of Scripture. For Christ does not enter into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us. Yet that he should offer himself often as the high priest, entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others. But then he must often have suffered since the foundation of the world. But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and to them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. You go into chapter 10 of Hebrews, there's the same emphasis. The once for all offering for sin. And Christ paid the debt. On Calvary's cross, he paid it in full. And my friend, tonight, if you will trust in Christ, thank God there's no debt to your account, for Christ has paid the debt on Calvary's cross. Will you trust Him tonight? There was a rather eccentric evangelist named Alexander Wooten. He was approached on one occasion by a flippant young man who asked him, Mr. Wooten, what must I do to be saved? And the evangelist said, it's too late. And went on with his work, the young man became alarmed. He said, Mr. Wooten, do you mean it's too late for me to be saved? He asked, is there anything at all that I can do? Too late, said Wooten, too late. It's already been done. It's already been done. The only thing you can do is believe. My friend, it has already been done. Christ has done it all. Will you believe tonight? Believe and be saved at this very moment. Will you trust in Christ tonight, in his precious blood, in the atoning work of the cross? And be saved, I pray you will. But then there's something else here. As we remember Calvary, we remember the cure that he provided there. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ on Calvary's cross provided the cure for sin, the antidote for sin. There's no other cure for sin. Baptism or confirmation or taking communion or any other church ceremony or any amount of good works cannot cure your sin. I was listening to a program recently And they said that this particular interviewer, he was asking people about the end of life or the meaning of life, it was actually. And one of the questions was, what would you say to God when you meet him at the end of your life? And of course, some people would say, well, God, I've arrived in a very flippant manner. Others would say, well, I've done this or done that or done the other thing. But this man said, I come as a repentant sinner, washed in the blood of the Lamb, saved by the grace of God. That's how you need to meet God, friend. That's the only way you'll be accepted before God. There's a man I use the word advisedly, but I make no apology for making it. He's a reprobate. He's not too far away from here. But I know he goes around baptizing people and saying to people, as I baptize you, I make you an inheritor of the kingdom of God. He was in a particular room, he was baptizing people and asking other people in that room, do you want to be baptized? And he was sprinkling water on their heads. I tell you, my friend, it is only Christ and the work of Christ that can cure you from sin. No baptism, whether it's a little water or much water, can cure you from sin. Only Christ and the blood of Christ can cure you from sin. The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. And no matter what sins you've ever committed, that precious blood can cleanse away those sins. In Hebrews 9, verse 14, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Christ provided the complete cure. You know, you may have a problem of health. And your doctor may say to you or maybe has already said to you that what they are prescribing to you will help you, but it's not a complete cure. But what Christ did on the cross is a complete cure. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow. No other fount I know. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. And let me tell you tonight that those who are gathered in heaven are a people who've experienced this complete cure. Let me read to you the words of Revelation chapter 7 and verse 14. And it says, these are they which came out of grave tribulation, listen, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They're a blood-washed people. You'll not be in heaven if you've not known in your heart and life the completeness of this cure, for there's no sin in heaven, friend. There's no sin in heaven. The Bible tells us Revelation chapter 21 verse 27, and there shall in no wise enter into it that is into heaven anything that defieth neither whatsoever work as abomination or maketh a lie, but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. You can know about this cure, friend, but you must Not only know about this cure and know that it's capable of cleansing away your sin, but you must have this cure applied if you're to be saved. You know, there are people who say, the doctor gave me those tablets, and the doctor said, well, those tablets or that medicine is gonna help me, but they leave it on the shelf. And people do that. But you know, friend, you have to apply the medicine. You have to take the antidote. And the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ must be applied to your heart by faith if you're to be saved. You remember that the blood of the Lamb had to be applied, Exodus 12, to save the Israelites from death. And may the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ shed on the cross be applied to your heart right now that you might be saved from a lost and Christless eternity. The story is told that on that Passover night when the Israelites were awaiting a signal for their departure, there was in one of those Jewish homes a sick girl who asked her father repeatedly if the blood had been sprinkled on the lintel of the door. Not satisfied with his repeated assurances that the servant had properly attended to it, she begged him for her sake to go and see. And he went outside the door and looked, but no blood was there. And he made haste to bring that basin in with that hyssop branch to sprinkle the lintel and to apply the blood. And just as he had done so, the shadow fell over him of the destroying angel passing by. My friend, the blood must be applied. Has the blood been applied to your heart tonight? If it hasn't then, my friend, you're in great danger. Danger of a lost and Christless eternity. Danger of dying in your sin. Danger of going out into a Christless hell. I urge you tonight, remember Calvary. Remember the blood. Remember the sacrifice of the cross. When they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified. When you come to the cross and under the shadow of that cross tonight, be saved by the grace of God. I trust you will. Come now. Don't delay. Let us pray.