Calvary Contemplations

By Benjamin Neesham

Calvary Contemplations is a series of forty reflective pieces, centred around the cross, carefully crafted to help readers come to a fuller understanding of what Jesus accomplished on their behalf. This inspirational resource is suitable for private study, family prayer times, house groups or churches, and could also be used as a Lenten devotional.

• Language: English
• Publisher: NewGenerationPublishing
• Release date: Mar 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781803692333

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1. Always The Plan

Scripture: Luke 22: 13 - 20

Contemplation

Our Bibles provide a reassuring insight into the consistency of God's character, both for eternity past and into eternity future: His plan of salvation was always for His Son to give His life for us on the cross of Calvary, and Revelation 13:8 describes Him as, The lamb slain from the foundation of the world. We see Jesus's redemptive act prefigured in the journey Abraham and Isaac took up Mount Moriah (Genesis 22), and also the sacrifice of a lamb prior to Passover, which Exodus chapter 12 records as having been an essential prerequisite for God to spare households from the sentence of death. We even observe the necessity of a sacrifice being anticipated in the requirement for an animal to be slain when God created coverings for Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:21), following their initial act of disobedience, which had such profound implications for all of humanity. Given His perfect foreknowledge, humanity's sin in Eden didn't come as a surprise to God: He always knew we would fall, finding it impossible to attain the standard of perfection that is required for entry into heaven.

Had He chosen to do so, God could have allowed our sin to condemn us, leading to our eternal separation from Him, and from all of the blessings He had in store for us. However, in His love and compassion, He gave us a priceless second chance, in the form of His Son. It was never intended that humankind attain righteousness by means of the Law, which we were incapable of fulfilling: indeed, the very purpose of the Law was to demonstrate our unrighteousness! We see that Adam and Eve disobeyed prior to God giving Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, and every human being has been born a sinner subsequently, with the vital exception of our Saviour. We might ask why God couldn’t simply forgive us, but to do this, without any form of restitution, would violate His own attributes of righteousness and justice. He therefore needed Someone to stand before Him, as a representative of humanity, having paid the price for our sin. We could never stand before God on our own merits, so His solution, from before the foundation of the earth, was for Him to become a Man Himself, and serve the sentence of death that our misdeeds deserved.

Every impurity is burnt up in the presence of God and, as we are impure, we need a Mediator to be able to come before Him. In Old Testament times, this mediator was the high priest, who had to offer sacrifices to atone for his own sins, before being able to come before God on behalf of the people. On occasions, these priests committed heinous crimes, defiling themselves and the temple, but our High Priest is perfect in every way! In this context, it is worth reflecting on whether impurities are able to live within us, even after our decision to accept Jesus as Lord. If so, does His presence burn as brightly within us as we would want it to? This isn't a question of legalism, but our love for a Saviour Who gave everything, in order that we could inherit eternal life. Perhaps the core question is our attitude towards sin: are we tempted to excuse sins of omission and rationalise sins of commission, or do we fully appreciate that our sin is so serious as to have required the humiliation and crucifixion of the Son of God, in order that we could have communion with Him on earth, and enter into His presence in heaven?

It may be an idea to reflect on these questions, as we read from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 22, verses 13 - 20: -

And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

This New Testament, to which Jesus referred, is the privilege we have of coming into the presence of God Himself, through the blood He so painfully shed for us at Calvary. Temporary sacrifices of calves, sheep and goats were no longer required, and we were enabled to come to God directly, rather than through a fallible high priest. May we never lose sight of the redemptive power of Jesus’s blood, the love that motivated Him to lay down His life for us, and the awesome wonder of being a part of His family!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for caring so much about our human race that You crafted Your plan of salvation, from before the foundation of the earth. It gives me such peace to know I have received Your forgiveness, based on Jesus’s sacrifice at Calvary, and my decision to accept Him as my Saviour. We owe everything to You for Your love and forgiveness, and I ask that You’ll help us to always remember this. Lord Jesus, we are completely indebted to You, for Your incomparable love for humanity, that compelled You to lay down Your life, taking upon Yourself our vile thoughts and actions, which are in complete contrast to the holiness and purity of Your character. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to convict me of my sin, when I was in rebellion against God. I pray that He will do the same today, for individuals I love, who do not yet name You as Lord. Holy Spirit, please soften their hearts, remove the scales from their eyes, and break down the strongholds that are keeping them from coming to faith. I ask that You will take captive those thoughts the Enemy seeks to implant in their minds, and replace them with thoughts of purity and love, enabling them to see the selfless beauty of Jesus's sacrifice on their behalf. Please help the global Church to better represent Jesus to the world around us, and guide us in our words, thoughts and deeds, directing our paths, as we seek to become more like our Saviour, to Whom we owe everything. In Jesus's Redemptive Name. Amen.

2. Saved For A Purpose

Scripture: Hebrews 10

Contemplation

Hebrews chapter 10 provides a thought-provoking synopsis of Jesus's sacrifice and the responsibility we have, as believers, to do something constructive with our lives, once we are saved. It is quite a long chapter, so I have highlighted particular sections, drawing out areas of relevance for our own lives.

Verse 4: For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Jesus's sacrifice accomplished so much more than the Old Testament sacrifices of created animals: His was permanent and enduring, whereas they were short-lived and had to be regularly repeated. While the Levitical sacrificial system provided a temporary covering, either for individual sins or those of the congregation, our wrong thoughts, words and deeds are purged for all of eternity, once we bring them under the blood of Jesus.

Verses 9 - 12: Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.

Jesus was always completely committed to doing the will of God, both in heaven and on earth. In sitting down on the right hand of His Father, Jesus was attesting to the fact that His mission had been completed: humankind had been redeemed, but only if we want to be. Every individual must make a decision as to whether she or he is willing to appropriate Jesus's sacrifice for themselves, accept His offer of salvation, and live in the freedom from guilt and release from the power of sin that He so painfully purchased for them. Jesus’s substitutionary death superseded the old covenant of Levitical sacrifices, meaning that placing our faith in Him is the only way to be saved. In addition to purchasing forgiveness for our sins, Jesus’s agonising sacrifice also liberated us from the misconception that religious observance or good works might give us favour with God. Jesus’s triumphant declaration from the cross of, It is finished (John 19:30), resonates throughout all time, confirming no further work to be required for our salvation: all we need to do is believe in Him.

Verses 19 - 24: Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.

We are saved for a purpose! Having been forgiven of our sin and brought into eternal life, it is imperative that we live for Christ, rather than regarding our salvation as a once-anddone transaction that saved us from hell. Our gratitude for everything Jesus has done should overflow to the extent that we spontaneously represent Him to the world around us, rather than leaving our faith as a light under a bushel. This isn’t because of any obligation we have, in order to maintain our salvation, because it is a gift, but due to our desire to honour the Lord. To paraphrase James, while we are not saved by our works, but by faith, our faith should certainly motivate us to work (cf James 2:18)! Moreover, we mustn't lightly regard Jesus’s sacrifice by returning to the thoughts and deeds which dominated our lives before we were saved, thereby allowing Satan to defile our walk. When next we are tempted to sin, remember the price Jesus paid for that sin on the cross of Calvary!

In instances where we do succumb to temptation, it is essential that we come immediately to God in a spirit of repentance, through the ‘veil’ of Jesus’s broken body. The veil in the temple, through which the high priest entered the holy of holies to come into the presence of God, was supernaturally torn in two when Jesus yielded up His life at Calvary. This gives us the privilege of coming to God for forgiveness, in the Name of His Son, rather than needing a designated intermediary. Such an honour must never be taken for granted: regarding Jesus’s sacrifice as a licence to sin is to trample Him underfoot (Hebrews 10:29). Neither, however, should this privilege be overlooked: if we get into the habit of unrepentantly disobeying God, our hearts will become hardened, our fellowship will be impaired, and we then expose ourselves to righteous judgement.

Verses 36 - 39: For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

It is important for us to not only look back to Calvary, or even to our own act of repentance, but that we also look forward to the glorious future which awaits us. The thought of Jesus's imminent return should inspire us to do what we can for Him, while we have chance: not in pursuit of His favour, which is given by grace, but because it is our delight to do so. When we live and serve in this way, our acquaintances who don't yet know Jesus will notice something different about us, thereby earning us the right to be heard, as we share the Gospel, working with the Holy Spirit, in order to bring salvation to our friends, neighbours and colleagues.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we worship You because You deserve to be worshipped; not because of anything You might do for us in return. Thank You for sending Your precious Son, without Whom we would have been lost for all eternity. Please don’t allow us ever to forget that we only have the privilege of coming before You in prayer because of Jesus’s sacrifice at Calvary. Lord Jesus, it is such an honour to be a part of Your global Church: please comfort our brothers and sisters who are being persecuted for their faith, in the way You were persecuted during Your time on earth. We ask for You to spectacularly convict the persecutors, just as You did Saul of Tarsus, and open the eyes of all those who oppose You, in order that Your Name may be magnified. Please fill us afresh with Your Holy Spirit, enabling us to stand in our faith, resist the attacks of the Enemy, and witness to everyone around us of Your love. Holy Spirit, we need You now more than ever: we invite You into our hearts, homes, schools, workplaces and communities. Please convict us of all wrong thoughts and actions, prompting us to confess them before our hearts become hardened. We ask that You will guide our paths and help us to be more like Jesus, in Whose Wonderful Name we pray. Amen.

3. The Bread Of Life!

Scripture: John 6: 35 - 60

"And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me,