The Gracious Saviour Is Calling

Intro: What an amazing story of the gracious saviour calling, rescuing and transforming John Simmons, from a sinner to a saint, from lost to found, from orphan to son. He saved him from the clutches of fire in this life and saved from the eternal fire in the life to come. God is so good...

Good Morning, my name is Josh Aguilar, I am one of the elders here at FE, we are glad you have joined us this morning. Today we are going to learn about the gracious saviour who is still calling people to himself today. Just like he called John Simmons and transformed his life, he is still calling and transforming lives. In our passage today we will discover it is never too late to come to Christ, because the gracious Saviour is calling, it doesn’t matter if you think you are too far gone, because the gracious Saviour is calling. We also discover the simplicity of responding to the gracious Saviour when he calls. We just finished going through Ephesians, we read and studied one of the most amazing statements in all the Bible,

Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

Porque por gracia habéis sido salvados por medio de la fe, y esto no de vosotros, sino que es don de Dios;

Paul here tells us we are saved by grace, which he describes as the gift of God, he also tells us it is through faith, that there is nothing you or I could do, there is nothing John Simmons could do to earn this free gift of God’s grace when our Saviour calls.

Jesus is calling, we read in the Gospel of John,

John 10:27 (ESV)

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Mis ovejas oyen mi voz, y yo las conozco y me siguen;

My sheep hear my voice and they follow me. When the gracious Saviour calls, his sheep listen and follow him. In our passage today we see a gracious saviour calling, and one of his sheep responding. We see the simplicity of responding to the gracious Saviour who is calling. In our passage today we will discover that God’s grace overcomes our own depravity, God’s grace illumines our mind to the truths about the Saviour, and God’s grace transforms a sinner to a friend.

Luke 23:35–43 (ESV)

And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

35 Y el pueblo estaba allímirando; y aun los gobernantes se mofaban de Él, diciendo: A otros salvó; que se salve a sí mismo si este es el Cristo[r] de Dios, su Escogido. 36 Los soldados también se burlaban de Él, acercándose y ofreciéndole vinagre,37 y diciendo: Si tú eres el Rey de los judíos, sálvate a ti mismo. 38 Había también una inscripción sobre Él[s], que decía: ESTE ES EL REY DE LOS JUDÍOS.

Los dos malhechores

39 Y uno de los malhechores que estaban colgados allí le lanzaba insultos[t], diciendo: ¿No eres tú el Cristo[u]? ¡Sálvate a ti mismo y a nosotros! 40 Pero el otro le contestó, y reprendiéndole, dijo: ¿Ni siquiera temes tú a Dios a pesar de que estás bajo la misma condena? 41 Y nosotros a la verdad, justamente, porque recibimos lo que merecemos por nuestros hechos[v]; pero este nada malo ha hecho. 42 Y decía: Jesús, acuérdate de mí cuando vengas en[w] tu reino. 43 Entonces Él le dijo: En verdad te digo: hoy estarás conmigo en el paraíso.

Can you just imagine the scene at cross? We have the rulers of Israel, the spiritual leaders of Israel crucifying the messiah they have been waiting for. They do not stop there, they mock him while he is on the cross, “if you are the Christ, save yourself.” We also see the Roman Soldiers come and mock him, “if you are the King of the Jews, save yourself” offering him sour wine, which is a fulfillment of one of the OT prophecies, just like being crucified with criminals is a fulfillment of OT prophecy. Even the criminals are mocking Jesus, “Are you not the Christ? save your self and save us”

IN the presence of Jesus, God in the flesh, we see the depravity of our own humanity. We see the a people who have been waiting for a Messiah for hundreds and hundreds of years, turn him over to Rome, to experience one of the cruelest deaths ever. Jesus, the very God which created them is being crucified by his own creation. Just think of our own depravity for a moment...

I thank God the Grace of the gracious Saviour offers a

Grace Which Overcomes the Depravity of the Sinner

I know in our passage, it only says that one of the criminals was mocking Jesus. But if you go the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 27:41–44 (ESV)

So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

De igual manera, también los principales sacerdotes, junto con los escribas y los ancianos, burlándose de Él, decían: A otros salvó; a sí mismo no puede salvarse. Rey de Israel es; que baje ahora de la cruz, y creeremos en Él. En Dios confía; que le libre ahora si Él le quiere; porque ha dicho: «Yo soy el Hijo de Dios». En la misma forma le injuriaban también los ladrones que habían sido crucificados con Él.

When this started both criminals were mocking Jesus, both criminals were speaking to Jesus in the same way. The depravity of both of the criminals were on display, Ephesians tells us

Ephesians 2:1 (ESV)

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

En otro tiempo ustedes estaban muertos en sus transgresiones y pecados,

The audience at before Jesus at the cross, were all acting out of their own nature, they are dead in trespasses and sins. Every one of us were there at one point, some of you may still be there, turning away from the Gracious Saviour who calls. Some of you may still be rejecting your Creator, rebelling against him, telling him “i don’t care what you say, i don’t care what the Bible says, I want to live my own life”

The gracious Saviour is calling you today, even in our sin and our rebellion, the Saviour is calling those who are dead in sins, Listen to what Ephesians says,

Ephesians 2:4–5 (ESV)

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

4 Pero Dios, que es rico en misericordia, por su gran amor por nosotros, 5 nos dio vida con Cristo, aun cuando estábamos muertos en pecados. ¡Por gracia ustedes han sido salvados!

Because of God’s mercy and his great love with which he loved us, he makes us alive together with Christ. In the first hours of Jesus being crucified both criminals were being crucified with Jesus, both were mocking him. Yet we see that one of them began to change, because he changed from someone who mocked Jesus to someone who began defending Jesus. When the criminal began to mock him the other rebuked him, saying “do you not fear God?”

Something happened to that criminal, and Ephesians tells us, he was dead in his trespasses, but God made him alive together with Christ. He was dead in sin, but he was made alive and became aware of the truth of the situation. We have two criminals, within a few feet of the Jesus, God in the flesh, one of them in rebellion and dead to sin and the other in repentance and made alive in Christ. This should be a warning to us, that being close to the Gospel of Christ is not the same as being in Christ. Being around the Gospel, being around church participating in some events is not the same as being made alive in Christ and giving up your life, take up the cross and following him.

We read that this criminal, like the prodigal son in Luke 15, came to his senses at some point as he was hanging there on the cross. Maybe it was after Jesus said “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” maybe the immediate answer to Jesus’ intercession was the criminal being made alive and coming to his senses because the grace of the gracious Saviour is a grace

Grace Which Illumines the Mind of the Sinner

The illumination work of the Spirit of God in the life of the sinner means we begin to see the truths of the scripture and understand what they mean for our lives.

1 Corinthians 2:12–14 (ESV)

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

12 Y nosotros hemos recibido, no el espíritu del mundo, sino el Espíritu que viene de Dios, para que conozcamos lo que Dios nos ha dado gratuitamente,13 de lo cual también hablamos, no con palabras enseñadas por sabiduría humana, sino con las enseñadas por el Espíritu, combinando pensamientos espirituales con palabras espirituales. 14 Pero el hombre natural no acepta las cosas del Espíritu de Dios, porque para él son necedad; y no las puede entender, porque se disciernen espiritualmente.

Paul here is describing the difference between the natural man and the spiritual man, a person who believes in the Gospel and someone who does not. The only reason the spiritual person understand the truths freely given by God is because of the Spirit who is from God shines the light on the truths and helps the follower of Christ to understand, receive and obey God’s truth. This is the illumination ministry of the Spirit of God.

Notice what it says about the natural person, he does not accept the truths because they are foolishness to him. It also says he is not able to understand them, what does that mean? Because I have explained the Gospel to people, who completely understood what I was saying, completely understood the Gospel. So what does it mean that he doesn’t understand? It means the Spirit of God has not illumined his mind to the significance or the gravity of what the Gospel means. The religious leaders in Jesus day new exactly what Jesus was teaching, but they rejected, yet the criminal by the grace of God, could see the significance and the gravity and responds, “don’t you fear God” because the Spirit of God has renewed him, Paul writing to Titus says

Titus 3:5 (ESV)

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration (made us alive) and renewal of the Holy Spirit,

Él nos salvó, no por obras de justicia que nosotros hubiéramos hecho, sino conforme a su misericordia, por medio del lavamiento de la regeneración y la renovación por el Espíritu Santo,

How do we know this criminals mind was made alive by the Spirit? How do we know he understood? Alfredo said last week, those who come to Christ must come through repentance and faith, repent and believe? How do we know the criminal did? Look at his words,

Luke 23:40–43 (ESV)

But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

40 Pero el otro le contestó, y reprendiéndole, dijo: ¿Ni siquiera temes tú a Dios a pesar de que estás bajo la misma condena? 41 Y nosotros a la verdad, justamente, porque recibimos lo que merecemos por nuestros hechos; pero este nada malo ha hecho. 42 Y decía: Jesús, acuérdate de mí cuando vengas en[w] tu reino. 43 Entonces Él le dijo: En verdad te digo: hoy estarás conmigo en el paraíso.

Do you not fear God? The criminal recognized speaking blasphemies toward Jesus was an offense to God himself.

For we are receiving the due reward of our deeds - The criminal recognized his sins and guilt.

This man has done nothing wrong - The criminal recognizes they are guilty but Jesus is innocent.

Jesus remember me - He recognizes Jesus has the power or authority to do something for him.

He recognizes Jesus is King - Remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Church, this is a perfect example of repentance and faith, a perfect example of responding to the truth that the Spirit of God has revealed to you.

When the gracious saviour is calling, when the Spirit illumines the mind and makes us alive to the truths of the Gospel we realize the grace of God is a

Grace Which Transforms A Sinner to Friend

Listen to Jesus’ response

Luke 23:43 (ESV)

And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Entonces Él le dijo: En verdad te digo: hoy estarás conmigo en el paraíso.

Jesus didn’t give him a list of do’s and don’ts, Jesus didn’t say we have to get you off this cross so you can do some good works, Jesus didn’t say we have to get some of your relatives to pray for you and pray you into heaven. No Jesus said Today, Today, Today, you will be with me in paradise. That is grace, Jesus through the cross takes on the punishment of sin, he takes our sin and in turn we receive his righteousness. It is the great exchange.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Al que no conoció pecado, le hizo pecado por nosotros, para que fuéramos hechos justicia de Dios en Él.

Paul tells us in Romans

Romans 5:10–11 (ESV)

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

10 Porque si cuando éramos enemigos fuimos reconciliados con Dios por la muerte de su Hijo, mucho más, habiendo sido reconciliados, seremos salvos por su vida. 11 Y no solo esto, sino que también nos gloriamos en Dios por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, por quien ahora hemos recibido la reconciliación.

I want you to imagine with me when this criminal, closes his eyes in death, and opens his eyes in paradise. He sees the room filled with people, people like Abel, Noah, Abraham, Rahab, Deborah, Ruth, David, Jonah, Micah Nathan, Lazarus and many many others. Imagine the overwhelming feeling he is feeling being in the paradise of God and seeing all the people who have hoped for the messiah to come rejoicing, imagine after seeing so many people he turns and sees Jesus and he remembers his words which he believed in with all his hearts, the words he put his hope in, the words he hung on to in the final moments of life. Today, you will be with me. On that day he rejoiced

in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom he has received reconciliation.

en Dios por medio de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, por quien ahora el a recibido la reconciliación.