Love Sent My Saviour to Calvary — E.A. Johnston

A Pastor’s Prayer and the Discovery of Christ

When I was a 13-year-old boy growing up in a godless home, in a house that was haunted, you could hear footsteps upstairs, and there was no one there. There'd be pounding on the doors, and no one on the other side.

And in that house, my parents fought all the time. A pastor who lived across the alley saw what was going on in my life. He got a burden on his heart to pray for me. This man wouldn't let me go to hell.

He invited me over to his home for family breakfast and devotions. He gave me my first job in his Bible bookstore, gave me my very first Bible. And in a revival meeting at his church, he led me to give my heart to Christ, my Savior.

My life has never been the same, and I am an old man now. And that took place back in 1968, in the turbulent 60s in America, through all that turbulence and silence in society, where JFK was assassinated, and Bobby Kennedy was assassinated, and Malcolm X was assassinated, and Martin Luther King was assassinated.

In all the turmoil and chaos in my parents' haunted home, which was haunted by demon entities, through all that hell, I found the Savior. Because a pastor wouldn't let me go to hell, he prayed for me.

Calvary and the Suffering of Christ

And he told me about how love sent my Savior to Calvary. In Luke's gospel, in chapter 23, we read, and there were also two other male factors led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him.

And the male factors, one on the right hand and the other on the left, then said, Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment and cast lots, and the people stood beholding.

And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, he saved others, let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar and saying, if thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew, this is the king of the Jews. Let me pause here, friends, to say, here is the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, naked and nailed to a bloody cross, experiencing the shame and pain of Calvary.

All around him is chaos. The people and the religious rulers deride him, hurling insults at him. The Roman soldiers mock him, even making a sign where they put it above his head, this is the king of the Jews.

And Christ is reviled and rejected of men. Even one of the criminals reviles him. And one of the male factors, which were hanged, railed on him, saying, if thou be Christ, save thyself in us. Listen, friends, out of all this chaos and evil and sin and all hell coming against Christ on that cross, we see Christ's reception of sinners and that mercy is free and a man is saved.

The Penitent Thief and Free Mercy

But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this man has done nothing amiss.

Listen, friends, Jesus came into the world doing good. Jesus healed the sick. Jesus fed the hungry. Jesus gave sight to the blind. Jesus even raised the dead to life. Yet what happened? Men cried away with him and nailed him to a cross.

Look at that blessed man on the cross, friend. Look at that man on the cross. See him there with his arms outstretched, beckoning you to come to him and believe on him. Look at that bloodstained Savior for sin.

When all is against him, his love flows out to a world of guilty sinners. The cross is the place where men sought to get rid of him. But by his death, it becomes the place where his saving power flows out to all who come in repentance, confessing they are sinners and own them as Savior and Lord.

“With Me” and the Assurance of Paradise

See Christ's reception of sinners. Look at what the penitent thief says to Jesus. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

I will stop there, friends. Those two words, with me, stand out in my text. They remind me of a story I'll never forget. Let me share it with you. There was a man traveling through the city of St. Louis.

And it was a Sunday, and he was a Christian. So he parked his car at a downtown church and went inside to worship. Once inside, he realized he was the only white person in an all-black church. So he took his seat on the back row.

Up on the platform stood the elderly pastor, and his sermon was on heaven. He began by saying, some folks call heaven paradise. Other folks call it Abraham's bosom. I like to think of heaven this-a-way.

Here is Jesus, just returned from his earthly ministry. And old Gabriel greets him. Hello, Jesus. Sure is good to see you, Jesus. We sure missed you up here, Jesus. Welcome home, Jesus. But wait, who's that with you?

Is that that thief from the cross? Oh, no, sir. No, sir. We can't have no thieves up here. He's not welcome here. Just then, Jesus replied, never you mind, Gabriel. Never you mind. And then Jesus, wrapping his arm around the thief, hugged him and saying, never you mind.

Gabriel, he's with me. The thief on the cross was a heartbeat away from hell, but a breath nearer to Jesus. He realized his need of a savior for sin. How about you, friend? Are you a lost sinner? Do you have a need for a savior from sin?

The Immediate Call to Salvation

What are you waiting for, mister? Don't wait until you're better. Come to Jesus. Come. Bring to him your heartache. Bring to him your tears. Come to him and own him as your savior is Lord. Here in his love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins.