From Clocker Valley in County Tyrone we present Let the Bible Speak. It's good to have you join us as Gospel Minister the Reverend Peter McIntyre is here to let the Bible speak and preach Christ in all his fullness. On this Palm Sunday, I would like to talk to you about standing near the cross. And the inspiration for these words are taken from John 19, 25. Now they're stood by the cross of Jesus. His mother and his mother's sister, Mary, the wife of Cleopas and Mary Magdalene. Standing near the cross. Today marks the beginning of what is generally called the Passion Week, the week leading up to the Cross. And of course, the next week would begin another great week. Resurrection. And we're still part of that period of history today. The period when we look back to the resurrection of Christ. But the Passion Week was an incredibly dark week, difficult week. A week of deep forebodings and fears. A week that would climax with the intolerable suffering of the crucifixion. The Lord would be laid into a tomb The stone would be rolled across to seal him in. It was a dark time, but then came the morning. What a beautiful thought that is. It's true of us all, you know, we travel through life. There are griefs and there are pains and there are struggles. Then cometh the morning. Those that know Christ are prepared for that morning. They're prepared for Resurrection Day. There is a better day coming. That's why it's important to know Christ. Because it is only through Christ we can have hope. We can enjoy the hope of the resurrection. But if you are to have hope, you need to come to the cross. You need to come to the cross first before you can have hope. But yet some have come to the cross and have turned away. Others have come to the cross and have been saved. And here in John 19, 25, we read about those that stood by the cross. I want to talk to you about five people that were near the cross. The first individual is Pilate. He ordered the cross. He was the person that sent Christ to the crucifixion. Pilate knew he was doing wrong. He knew that the Jews were bringing him to him out of envy, out of jealousy. He was conscious that this was a just man. His wife said this very thing. She warned him because she had a terrible dream the night before, have nothing to do with this just man. She felt in her conscience it was wrong for her husband to send this innocent man to his death. Pilate was a man who struggled. He was struggling with his conscience, and yet on the other hand he was struggling with the mobs that were crying out, crucify him, crucify him, this was Passover time. And if he did not do what the mob wanted, he risked a general insurrection, and while his soldiers would have been able to have quelled it, there would have been much bloodshed, and that would have reflected upon him, as the Roman governor in charge of the place. He didn't want that. He had his career in the one hand. He had the mob in the other. He had his wife speaking to him. He had his conscience. He was a man struggling. In the midst of it all, he cried out, What shall I do then with Jesus, which is called Christ? And they said, Crucify him, crucify him. And yet Pilate, he looked into the eyes of Jesus. He marveled. This man didn't speak a word. He marvelled, he saw nothing but love and pity in those eyes. He sent them away to be abused and tortured by his soldiers and he brought them back and he presented them to the people thinking that when they saw him with the blood running down his face from the crown of thorns that they would have said, he has suffered enough. But no, still they said, crucify him, crucify him. Pilate looked into the face of the crucified saviour The Saviour whom he was sending to the cross, and yet still he sent him to his death. He rejected him. Oh, don't you reject Jesus today. And then there was Barabbas. He was saved by the cross. Barabbas was saved physically, but was he saved eternally? I do not know. That day began for Barabbas. It was a horrible moment. The sun was rising. That day he was going to be crucified. He was stealing himself for the inevitable. What he thought was the inevitable and then he heard the whisper, Pilate is offering you to the people and he's offering Jesus to the people. It's Passover time, he must release one prisoner. And then the word came back, you're free. Jesus is dying in your place. And Barabbas went free. Barabbas' story is a story for us all. Because we deserve what Christ died for. We deserve that punishment and that pain. We deserve that penalty. That was our sins that were hanging there on that cross. For in three hours of darkness he suffered the wrath of God, that's why he cried, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He did it for me. We look into the very eyes of one that died for me as Barabbas walked free. As Barabbas walked free, he looked up to that hill of Calvary and he saw those three crosses being raised and the centre cross was the one that died for him. Do you see him upon that cross today, the one who died for you? And then we have Simon, and he carried the cross. I love the story of Simon, this traveller. He had come a long way, probably coming for Passover time. Here he was arriving in Jerusalem, just at the time of Passover. And as he came towards the city, he saw the great crowd. What's going on? They're crucifying Jesus, the alleged miracle worker. He saw the three men coming out through the gate, going to the Hill of Calvary, just outside the city wall. And then just in front of him, Jesus staggered, and a rough soldier pulled Pilate out of the crowd and said, you carry the cross. And Simon went up that hill, and beside him was Jesus. As he carried that cross up Calvary's hill, he saw nothing but love in the very face of Jesus Christ. The thieves, they were full of hatred, cursing bitterly those that had abused them, who were executing them. As for Jesus, he was different. Simon went up that hill and he saw Jesus being stretched out. He saw the hammer swinging. He heard the thud of the nails beating human flesh into that cross of wood. Was there any man like this man? Well do we see him being stretched out there, the nails going in for me and for you, on top of the hill Calvary. And then there was the thief saved on the cross, three crosses, the centre cross, Jesus in the midst, the two thieves on either side, something happened to one of the thieves whilst the other fellow cursed to the very bitter end with his reeling in blasphemies and hatred. As he went to meet his maker, there was one thief that was transformed. This man, he said to his fellow, had done nothing amiss. Summoning his strength, he shouted across The centre cross to his fellow is a just man. And the Lord, he gave him a promise that day, this day you'll be with me in paradise. And that old dying thief, although he was on his deathbed, He was breathing his very last. Yet, he experienced the grace of God on Calvary. And Jesus had such love and compassion in his heart. He was showering it to all. In the midst of all the pain, he said to his persecutors, through prayer, Father forgive them, they know not what they do unto this thief. He said, this day you'll be with me in paradise. The thief died with peace because he knew there was the promise. Oh dear friend, today if you come to the Lord, you look to the Lord dying for you and you cry unto him for salvation and you get the promise that whenever death comes, you'll be in paradise with him. that where he is, there you may be also. It's one of the great promises of Scripture. Where I am, he says, there you will be also. It's a father's house of many mansions where there's no tears nor crying. That's the prospect that comes straight from the cross of Jesus. And then there is the soldier, the faith under the cross. The Roman centurion had a gory duty His was a terrible task, even for a man hardened to warfare. What he saw must have lingered in his mind. He had men tortured and executed, crucified, the most awful death ever known to man. and he was responsible for giving the orders and overseeing the crucifixion of Jesus, the most momentous death in all of history. He oversaw that death. He gave the orders. His men beat his back. He gave the orders. The men put the crown of thorns into his brow. He gave the orders. Christ was nailed. He gave the orders. And yet, whenever he saw how Jesus died, and saw the momentous event that took place before his very eyes, as he witnessed it all, he said, truly this was the Son of God, and there under the cross, the man who looked at Jesus after his death, the man who's responsible for his crucifixion, this man became a Christian. And if that old centurion could be saved, I tell you something, you can be saved. There's room at the cross for you. And though thousands have come, there's still room for one. There's room at the cross for you. Oh, you lift your heart to the Lord. You put your faith in Christ alone and you can be saved. And then you will know that after the darkness of life has passed, it'll be with Christ. which is far better. I thank you so much for listening. You've been listening to Let the Bible Speak. If we can be of any further spiritual help, or if you would like to receive some free gospel literature, we invite you to write to us. Our mailing address is Let the Bible Speak, Rev. Peter McIntyre, 13 Willand Crescent, 5 Mile Town, County Tyrone, BT75OQL. That's Let the Bible Speak, Rev. Peter McIntyre, Thirteen, Willand, Crescent, Five Mile Town, County Tyrone, BT75, OQL. You may hear Mr. McIntyre preach each Lord's Day here in Clocker Valley Free Presbyterian Church at 11.30am and 7pm. For further information you may phone us at 028 8952 1611. 028 8952 1611. We assure you of a very warm welcome at all the services and look forward to having you visit with us. Thank you for listening today, may the Lord richly bless you, and don't forget to tune in on this same station at the same time next week, when once again we turn to the scriptures and let the Bible speak.