Barry Black
Chaplain, U.S. Senate

A British preacher provided guidance for a young seminarian. He said to him, "Son, in England each town, village, and hamlet has a road that leads to London. In the same way, whatever scriptural passage you preach, make sure you find a road to Calvary." This preacher was encouraging his protégé to proclaim Calvary's wonders in a way similar to what the apostle Paul emphasized. Paul wrote these words to the church at Corinth:

"Dear brothers and sisters, when I first came to you I didn't use lofty words and brilliant ideas to tell you God's message. For I decided to concentrate only on Jesus Christ and his death on the cross (1 Cor. 2:1, 2, NLT).

Proclaiming Calvary's wonders requires an appreciation for the importance of the cross. The cross provides us with insights into life's meaning and gives sinners and saints our most useful knowledge-a road map to our eternal destinations. It teaches us the victory of apparent failure. Calvary's wonders convert sinners and provide peace for wounded consciences. That "hill far away" promotes holiness, preparing a spotless church to meet its celestial bridegroom. Perhaps this is why Paul also said, "As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal. 6:14, NLT).

Calvary's Wonders
Calvary brought seven wonders.

The first came when Jesus entered the pool of suffering with a merciful prayer, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). He taught us to love our enemies, and His deeds matched His rhetoric.

The second wonder came with the salvation of a dying thief. Jesus' enemies asserted, "He saved others; himself he cannot save" (Matt. 27:42). He proved them wrong when He stopped dying long enough to transform the cross into a baptismal pool and prepare a felon for eternity. Through parched lips He whispered to the thief, "You will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43, NKJV).

The third wonder was the darkness from noonday until 3:00 that afternoon. This eerie ebony blanket seemed to indicate nature sympathizing with its dying Creator. Dionysius, who witnessed this darkness, declared that it signaled the coming of some extraordinary event. God seemed to be covering His Son's wretchedness from a cynical public's view.

The fourth wonder came with the splitting of the temple veil, indicating the abolition of the Jewish sacrificial system. No longer is the blood of bullocks and goats or sheep and pigeons required. Now anyone can enter the presence of God. This rending means that humanity now has the only mediator needed between God and humankind, our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Tim. 2). We can, therefore, come boldly before God's throne (Heb. 4:16).

The fifth wonder emerged with an earthquake that seemed to shake the planet's physical and moral foundations. Our world seemed to convulse with remorse that its Maker experienced unspeakable anguish. These tremors must have brought terror to the hearts of the onlookers, for it seemed that apocalyptic consequences were at hand.

The sixth wonder involved resurrection. In the wake of the earthquakes the graves of certain righteous dead were opened, and they came forth (Matt. 27:52, 53). What an amazing happening! Life reawakened in the face of the impending death of Christ. When the first Easter dawned, these resurrected ones entered Jerusalem to be seen by many.

The seventh wonder came from the testimony of a Gentile soldier. God rarely leaves Himself without a witness. Even the rocks stood ready to give their testimony (Luke 19:40). No disciple spoke up, but a Roman centurion shouted, "Surely, this was a righteous man" (Luke 23:47).

The Man of One Theme
The apostle Paul expressed a determination to become a person of one theme. He focused his preaching solely on the cross (1 Cor. 2:2). When Paul preached, a person didn't have to guess about the thesis of his sermon. He boasted only in the cross (Gal. 6:14). In doing this, Paul helped us see what the focus of our preaching and witnessing should be: Calvary, Calvary, Calvary.

One American presidential candidate, seeking to emphasize one theme, had as his slogan: "It's the economy, stupid!" For Christians who preach or witness, it's the cross, sisters and brothers. This wonderful simplicity excludes everything that might deprive the gospel of its power and glory. We exult in a single theme, the cross.

Life's Meaning
The cross enables us to know better the meaning of life. It particularly throws light on the problem of human suffering. In the light of Calvary's wonders, we gain a better appreciation for why bad things happen to good people. If the spotless Messiah could not escape pain, why should we be exempt? If Jesus became "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isa. 53:3), we too must be ready to bear a cross. Calvary reminds us that life is real and earnest, that resurrection can follow our greatest tragedies, and that suffering can be redemptive. It tells us that victory can be near the borders of apparent defeat.

Think of the blessings that came from Joseph's 13 years of suffering. Because he bore his cross with dignity, Egypt eventually became the bread basket for nations. Joseph's fidelity saved tens of thousands from starvation, including the members of his own family. In spite of his brothers' homicidal intentions, God transformed evil into good.

We see God do the same thing at Calvary. Jesus' enemies meant His crucifixion for evil, but God used it to save the world. His death proved that those who lose their lives for others will find it. Jesus looked beyond Calvary to the joy that was set before Him and despised the shame (Heb. 12:2). He knew that the Father would use His sacrifice for global redemption.

Useful Knowledge
We should proclaim Calvary's wonders because they provide us with the most useful knowledge. The cross excludes everything that might deprive the gospel of its power. Calvary provides the center of human salvation. In commenting on John 3:16, Martin Luther once said: "If the entire Bible was lost except for John 3:16, there is enough grace in this one verse to save the world."

The apostle Paul decided not to waste time with extraneous matters. He gloried only in the cross. He believed that Calvary provided everything people need for salvation. It is the only safe rule for faith and practice.

The cross should be the litmus test for all doctrines and dogmas; it gives a knowledge that leads to salvation. One sage minister, critiquing a colleague's sermons, said, "They have no blood in them." Spurgeon used to advise his students, "Whenever you preach, as quickly as possible, make your way to Calvary."

Conversion Power
Jesus once said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32). We should proclaim Calvary's wonders because of their converting power. Years ago, at an evangelistic meeting in which I participated, a young man stumbled into our service. We later learned he was high on drugs and alcohol. A deacon volunteered to escort the young man from the service. However, the rest of us decided to let him stay. He slept off his inebriation on one of the back pews. Night after night he continued to show up high, and we continued to preach the cross and let him sleep. Somehow through the fog of his intoxication, the story of Calvary's wonders seeped into his heart. Eventually he was baptized and became a significant administrator in my church. Calvary possesses converting power.

Balm for Wounded Consciences
Romans 5:9-11 reminds us that we are reconciled to God through Jesus because of Calvary. That reconciliation means a conscience without offense toward God or humanity. What wonderful peace floods the souls of those who know that the penalty for their sins has been paid.

Conscience often makes us cowards. Proverbs 28:1 tells us that "the wicked flee when no one pursues" (NKJV). We see this in the case of Joseph's brothers (Gen. 42:21, 22), who thought most of the negative things that happened to them meant that God was paying them back for their transgressions. How often we mistakenly assume we are reaping what we've sown. This is not the case at all.

Promotes Holiness
Proclaiming Calvary's wonders promotes holiness. One hymn writer said, "When I survey the wondrous cross . . . my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride." The cross unleashes a love of Christ that constrains us (2 Cor. 5:14) and enables us to overcome the enemy by the power of Christ's blood (Rev. 12:11). Many remember the transformations that occurred as people viewed Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion of the Christ. One Texan man confessed to a murder after beholding Calvary's sacrifice.

I'm determined to know nothing except the crucified Jesus Christ-this will be my story and song throughout the ceaseless cycles of eternity. As long as I have life, I will glory in the cross, proclaiming its power to transform lives.