For I have received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Luke records for us a scene there at Calvary. He writes: Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children."

The writer of Hebrews says: Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. It's interesting.

On the way to Calvary Jesus said, no tears please. Don't cry. And the writer of Hebrews says that for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising its shame. Now the way from Pilate's judgment seat to Calvary has been called the Via Dolorosa, the way of pain. And if by that is meant that it was a way whose every step might well evoke our tears, whose simple record should renew and deepen our sorrow, then of course the name is appropriate enough. But, if the name be used to express the mind of Jesus, if it be His sorrow we have in view, its insight is at fault and its use bestows no honor on Jesus.

Jesus has been called the man of sorrows, that's outside the New Testament. The nearest approach in the Gospels to that misleading name is the mention of an ignorant and mistaken conception that He was the prophet Jeremiah. A misconception Jesus at once brushes aside. The truth is that in most of its aspects Jesus lived a singularly joyous life. The most careless reader cannot escape feeling the calm the serenity of His words and the perfect peace which pervades His life. Calm was not life's crown with Him. It was abounding joys.

The silence that dwells among the lonely hills, the shadows on the lake of Galilee, and the array of the lilies and the glory of the grass of the field spoke to Him with a voice which no poet’s ear ever heard. His delights were with the sons of men, and He found tender solus in their homes and uplifting gladness in their lives; but ahh, when we understand the sources of joy, when we penetrate the secret of Jesus we realize that despite His loneliness and separateness in His higher experiences, despite the burden of men's sins and sorrows, and despite the last awful hour on the cross, no human heart ever thrilled with the joy to match that of Jesus. And when we regard Him closely as He passes up to Calvary, we find that from the depths of His joy a stream is flowing which cannot be quenched.

Look at Jesus now as He walks His way to Calvary. A high elation is on His spirit and a rush and a surge of joyous feeling, overmastering pain and quenching sorrow swells in His heart, and the wail of the women of Jerusalem breaks in on His ear. He stops and turns, and because He will not have them misunderstand Him and give a false accompaniment to His crowning act, He turns and chides them for their tears. Joys have since been taken from Him, and of all the joys that man can take away He has been bereaved; but He has a joy that's deep within His spirit. It was that inner spiritual eternal joy welling up out of His victorious spirit that sustained Him.

Ask the question, how could one face Calvary, reject the tears, ask for no crying, and be propelled with a joy of spirit? I've tried to think...you know over the years when we, most of us, come to communion there’s that almost temptation to the mournful and maybe we were taught that. I don't know. But when you read the Scriptures, that's not the way it is. Jesus wanted it to be a joyous moment on His way to Calvary. Who but for the joy that was set before Him. You say what was that joy pastor? Well I'll tell you what, Isaiah says in his prophecy in Isaiah 53, when He shall see the travail of His soul, He shall be satisfied. What does that mean? Well it simply means that as Christ fulfilled that eternal event at Calvary He could look down through the centuries of time and He could see the millions, and millions, and millions of people who'd be coming to the cross in repentance.

He could...what for that joy that was set before Him He endured the cross. He could see this moment 2000 years later and see us in the church on a beautiful holiday weekend, and who for this joy He endured the cross. You know in Luke 15 it says that when one sinner repents, comes to Christ, haven't throws a party. All joy, because heaven is filled with joy over one sinner who repents. Why does He repent? Because he came to Calvary and the Bible tells us in the book of Revelation when we all get to heaven, the place is going to be filled with joy, singing, shouting. Why? Because we'll be there because what He did at Calvary. You got it?

And I would like for you today to think of the table as the table of joy. Why? Because when I come to this table because of what Christ has done at Calvary I've been forgiven, you've been forgiven. We're children of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. We're on our way to heaven. We've been given the gift of life eternal. We're children of the King, and we're going to live all of eternity with Him. Why? Because He went to Calvary for us. So I want this today to be a table of joy, and I want you on your knees to rejoice in the fact that you're a child of God. And if you're here today and you're not a Christian, here's a wonderful opportunity just on your knees with us say, Jesus, I open my heart to You and I receive You today as my Savior.

You know this takes place in almost every service. We had just recent, last Sunday, at one of our services 15, 16, 17 people just in one service. And we have seven services in a weekend. They gave their lives to Christ. I can imagine. I walked out that door and said, what's it like in heaven? I mean if there's joy in heaven over one, man, I mean, they're having a great time. Amen? And it's all because of what Jesus did for us at Calvary, and I want you to rejoice with me to as we kneel today, would you do that?

Lord Jesus there is a proneness on our part simply, maybe because of just tradition. When we come to the table we often turn mournful and sad, and we hear You say to us very clearly don't weep, and we catch Your heart to realize that You had joy as You went to that cross because You could look down through the ages, and You could see this scene this morning here in San Bruno where the redeemed kneel before You in deep gratitude and joy. Thank you Jesus for being our wonderful Savior. Thank you for paying the penalty for our sins there at Calvary, and thank you for loving us so much that You've granted to us the gift of life eternal as we put our trust in You, and we've done that.

Now there may be some who kneel with us this morning, Lord Jesus, who are still searching, still reaching out, still trying to find life's realities. May this moment here on our knees Your Holy Spirit becomes so very real to them. Touch their hearts with Your mercy and Your grace and Your forgiveness. Bring them into Your family as our brothers and sisters in You, dear Christ. Thank you Jesus. Let's take the bread together, shall we? We sit here, kneel here, bow before You on this beautiful day of worship. You said, Lord Jesus, the day would come when we would eat this supper with You anew in Your Kingdom. And the revelator tells us of that scene which he describes as the great marriage supper of the Lamb. One of these Sunday mornings we'll have our last supper here, and our next supper will be in Your presence. What a place of joy. First of all we'll see You face to face, then we'll get to meet Moses, David, Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Peter. Oh, what a dinner that's going to be. And we look forward with joy to that great event. Thank you for inviting us dear Jesus. Let's take the cup, shall we? Wonderful Savior, blessed Redeemer, matchless Christ, glorious Lord, eternal God we love You. And everybody said, amen. Let's stand and greet one another, shall we?