ADVENT SERIES: HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE

HOPE (Luke 23:32-43)

As we begin these next few weeks leading up to Christmas together, my prayer is

(1) As we both learn and meditate on the four distinct aspects of what we call Advent--Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love--we will see and be reminded that each of these can only be found in and through Jesus Christ. Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love are ALL divine characteristics of God, which, Who, in the fullness of His grace, bestowed to man through His Son, Jesus Christ.

(2) In learning and meditating on these, we will distance ourselves from culture’s emaciated view of Christmas and be drawn to the inerrant truth and inexpressable joy surrounding the birth of our Lord and Savior—that in His incarnation

He came as the express image of God the Father

Hebrews 1:3 “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”

He came as the great, “I am!” Jesus declared b/t John 6 and John 15, “I AM,”

The bread of life

The light of the world

The door

The Good Shepherd

The resurrection and the life

The way, the truth, and the life

The vine

He came to bear witness to the truth

John 18:37 “Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.””

He came as the son of man to “give his life as a ransom for many,” and to “seek and save that which was lost.”

Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.””

Luke 19:10 “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.””

He came to call sinners to repentance

Luke 5:31–32 “Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.””

He came, not to condemn the world, but to save it

John 3:17 “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

He came to give eternal life

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

In short, Christ came to be counted as a sinner--in order that He could bear the sins of many--so man might be reconciled to God.

Isaiah 53:12 “Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

True joy exists within the confines of salvation—for in salvation, through the blood of the Lamb, our sins have been remitted, our sins have been forgiven, and those who have and would surrender, are adopted into the family of God, living now in the hope of abundant and eternal life in the presence of God.

And hope is where we start:

(READ Luke 23:32-43)

I. (v.32) Hope is found when we realize Christ came to identify with us:

Luke 23:32 “There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.”

Luke gives us a unique perspective in his gospel:

In Luke 3:21 Jesus relates to humanity

“When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.”

In Luke 23:33 Jesus related to criminals

“And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.”

“In both scenes Jesus not only with others, but vicariously for them.”

While we don’t know much of these criminals and their backgrounds, we know for sure how background had left them--- on a cross for crucifixion;

These were men who

Chased a life of corruption and selfishness

Chased an approval and acceptance in things which wither

Chased the passing pleasure of this world

These were (as any person before Christ)

Men who were deceived

Men who had been separated,

Men who’s lives were lives of self-destruction, both at the end of their respective ropes

The totality of their sinful choices and lifestyles

Men who were isolated..their sinful choices and lifestyle had produced a life of loneliness:

Any family that existed in their lives had abandoned them

Any friends that once existed in their lives had abandoned them

Any cultural acceptance that might have existed had withered

Men who were on the brink of destruction left to die alone,

Jesus came to identify with thieves like this man and for rebels like us

II. Hope is found when we realize Christ and Him crucified

Luke 23:33 “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.”

III.Hope is found when we realize the forgiveness Christ brought us (remission of sins)

Luke 23:34 “Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”...

IV.Hope is found when we realize the humility of His humiliation

Luke 23:34b “...And they divided His garments and cast lots.”

V. Hope is found when a person understands what true salvation means

Luke 23:35–37“And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.””

VI.Hope is found in true repentance

Luke 23:39–43 “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.””

Luke’s account of the thief on the cross contains more detail than any of the

No person possibly understood the need of hope more than this thief crucified at the side of Christ.

While we don’t know this man’s crime(s) we know his crimes landed him on a cross for crucifixion.

While we don’t know this man’s background, we can know how his background had left him, before his encounter with Christ.

Jesus came to identify with thieves like this man and for rebels like us

Prior to Christ, this man had chased a life or corruption and selfishness, chased an approval and acceptance in things which wither. The eternal value of these things knew only hopelessness;

In a moment, hopelessness became hopefullness

In a moment, what was bound became unbound

In a moment, a corrupted identity was exchanged for an in

In a moment, an old man became a new man

In a moment, a dead heart (In one moment, the beat of his heart neared its end—the next it would beat for eternity)

In a moment, a corrupted nature was imputed a divine nature

In a moment,

What crime did he commit? All we know is it was worthy of crucifixionWhile there’s no record of his name in Scripture, theThe thief, whose name is not recorded in Scripture, was in a moment recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. While we may not know his name, Christ knew exactly who he was

The thief, who in the realization of his circumstance, chastized his accomplice and proclaimed his guilt and the innocence of Jesus, was facing more than just physical death

Within this exchange the thief came to realize that Christ was dying because of, but also for him

Hope carries a much different meaning through the lens of Scripture

But biblical hope means trusting in God's character and choosing hope despite our circumstances. (“The Bible Project”)