Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.The Easter season always brings to remembrance something the Lord said to me that totally changed my way of thinking about Calvary.
(Rev. 5:12)
When I was growing up, I went to all the movies about the Bible and the life of Jesus. During the scenes where He was crucified, I would just cry and cry. Everybody did! It hurt to see Jesus suffer so terribly under the hands of an ungrateful, unholy, wicked people. I would actually grieve after the movies were over, as if He were still dead.
Jesus Suffered As A Man…
One day I was watching a movie called "The Life of Jesus" on KVTN, Channel 25—our new Christian television station in Little Rock. It was produced to minister to heathen people who worship other gods. I have heard that when these people see the film of how Jesus suffered and died as a man for them, they are saved by the hundreds.
Their faces actually show the compassion they are experiencing as they see Him suffer. Even my husband, Happy, when he was first saved, wrote a song called, "The Pain He Suffered Was Real." So it is a natural human emotion to weep when we see what Jesus did for us. It actually causes people to come to Christ by the thousands.
…And He Rose Like A King
One night many years ago, after watching "Jesus of Nazareth," I went to my room to cry over what the Lord had done for me. As I was crying and telling Him how sorry I was that He had to suffer so much and die for me, He interrupted me and said, "Don't weep for me. I'm not dead. I'm alive."
Frankly, I was startled at His statement and shocked that He wasn't pleased with my act of love and appreciation for Him.
They He said, "If you want to let me know how much you love and appreciate what I did for you at Calvary, then rejoice and be glad! Worship and praise and thank Me." I knelt there for a few more seconds, feeling rather foolish and embarrassed. But I stopped crying immediately. They I began to worship and praise Him and love Him.
His Sole Purpose
After that night, I have thought many times about what the Lord said to me. You know, Jesus came to this earth for the sole purpose of giving His life for us. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son (John 3:16a).
He gave His Son for us. But, Jesus was willing to come.
It says in Hebrews 12:2, "...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross. He also told those who were following Him, as He was carrying the cross to Golgotha, 'Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children'" (Luke 23:28).
Even though we may shed tears when we read about what Jesus did for us at Calvary or see a movie about His life, we should focus on the fact that the cross is bare, the tomb is empty, and Jesus is alive! He now sits at the right hand of our Father God, who has put all things under His feet. I learned to rejoice and thank Him for His death, burial, and resurrection. Praise be to God!
Once you have the revelation of what Jesus did for you on Calvary, you may weep, but you will be crying tears of joy. God wants you to accept what He did for you at Calvary and receive Him as your Lord and Savior, but then you should rejoice and be exceedingly glad that He is alive.
Because He lives, you can live also!
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Pastor Emeritus, founders and pastors of Agape Church from its founding in 1979 to 2014. Happy and Jeanne Caldwell.
In 1979 God spoke to Happy & Jeanne Caldwell to build a spiritual production center in Little Rock, in order to take the good news of Jesus Christ to the city, state, nation and world. Together, they founded Agape Church, a strong spirit-filled body of believers. Through a deep sensitivity to the Spirit of God, and anointed teaching - the lost are saved, the sick healed, and thousands have been blessed.
In 1988 Happy and Jeanne answered a direct call from the Lord to take His message beyond Central Arkansas. They founded VTN - the Victory Television Network. This network of 3 full power TV stations is carried on over 200 cable systems and is bringing the Gospel into more than 1.2 million households.
Jeanne's ministry transcends nationality, race, culture, and generation as her passion to see women transformed into ladies who are pruned, polished, and perfected by the Word of God and her down-to-earth presentation assist others to have a personal encounter with God's Word.
