The Calvary Road #10 – Return, Dove!

A godly African Christian told a congregation once that, as he was climbing the hill to the meeting, he heard steps behind him. He turned and saw a man carrying a very heavy load up the hill on his back.

He was full of sympathy for him and spoke to him. Then he noticed that his hands were scarred, and he realized that it was Jesus.

The man said to him, “Lord, are you carrying the world’s sins up the hill?”

“No,” said the Lord Jesus, “not the world’s sin, just yours!”

As that African told the vision God had just given him, the people’s hearts and his heart were broken as they saw their sins at the cross.

Our hearts need to be broken too – willing to make confessions, apologies, restitutions, reconciliations. As we humble ourselves before God and others, the Holy Spirit will rest upon us.

Our Lord Jesus was not only the simple Lamb, the shorn Lamb, the silent Lamb, and the spotless Lamb. Above all else, he is the substitute Lamb.

For the Old Testament Israelite, the lamb offered to God was a substitute lamb. The lamb was slain for sin and its blood was sprinkled on the altar to atone for their sins.

In a similar way, our Lord Jesus as the Lamb of God died on the cross as our substitute, carrying our sins in his own body, atoning for our sins.

As the dove is a picture of God’s peace, a sign of the Spirit’s presence and fullness is peace. We let the “peace of Christ” rule or arbitrate in our hearts (Colossians 3:15).

So when our peace is broken, we humble ourselves, search our hearts, and repent of the sin that took away our peace.

Trusting again in our substitute Lamb, we receive forgiveness for our sin and cleansing from all its stain. Our soul returns to its rest in the Lord. And the Dove of the Holy Spirit once again rests upon us with peace.

Do you need to pray, “Return, Dove!”

~ Pastor Dave