Luke 23:32-43

Which Side of the Cross?

Often in life we think we can operate in what is known as the “gray area.” Where there are potentially two distinct options we claim that there is a gray area that does not necessarily speak to a particular issue. Yet, when we come to the necessity of salvation, being saved from the wrath of God because of our sins, and being saved from those sins because of Jesus Christ, it is only black and white. There are only two options in this life: 1) repent and believe, or 2) reject and neglect. You either find yourself in Christ at the day of jugdment, or you find yourself in your sins at the day of judgment. One path leads to life, the other leads to death. One path leads to eternal communion with God, the other path leads to eternal condemnation and wrath.

There are only two paths. This is precisely what Jesus says in Matthew 7:13–14““Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” Which side of the cross are you on today? The side of the cross that recognizes who Jesus is, King of Kings, Lord of Lords? The side of the cross where you can confidently confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead? Or the side of the cross like the thief? Constantly condemning the saviour. Suppressing the truth in your own unrighteousness.

The message is simple, as it has been in our study on Romans, “call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved.”

Which side of the Cross do you reside on?

1. The Side of the Cross which Leads to Condemnation (23:32-39)

2. The Side of the Cross which Leads to Salvation (23:40-43)

[1.] The Side of the Cross which Leads to Condemnation (23:32-39)

Luke 23:32–39“Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 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!””

It is astonishing the Jesus is led to death alongside of two criminals. Yet, all of this was the plan of the Father from the beginning. Nearly 700 years before Jesus’ incarnation, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed the great dealings of the Suffering Servant. This Servant would be the one who bears the iniquities, the sins, and condemnation of those he came to save. In Isaiah 53:10 we are told “Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.”

None of this happened by chance or by accident. It was the foreordained plan of God from the beginning. We see this all the way back in Genesis 15, when the Lord makes a covenant with Abraham. A covenant making ceremony was an important act. Typically, two parties would walk in between the sacrificed animals and make a covenant with one another. The suzerain, or king, would walk alongside of the vassal, or subject, in order to make this treaty. They would agree if either of them broke the vows of the covenant, they would be split in two just like the animals.

If you remember, the Lord puts Abraham in a deep sleep. Yet the Lord does not walk with Abraham in between the animals. Instead, he passes through the animals Himself. The Lord takes upon Himself the obligations and curses of the covenant on behalf of Abraham. This is made manifest in the work of Christ. Jesus Himself took upon the curses of the covenant breakers, of those who sin against him, and bore the wrath and curse. It pleased the Lord to crush him.

Jesus proclaimed this truth all throughout his own ministry, that he would suffer and die on behalf of his people. Matthew 20:28 “even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”” John 12:32–33“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.” Even Peter tells us that this was part of God’s plan from the beginning. Acts 2:23 “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.”

Yet here is the Christ, led up outside of the city with two criminals. Not only did Jesus endure the brutality of physical pain and punishment but he endures the barrage of mocking by all of those around him. Both the rulers and religious leaders of Israel and the Roman soldiers subjugate him to mental torment. Here at the cross we see the continued fulfillment of what the prophet Isaiah proclaimed.

Here at the cross, the totality of our sins, depravity, and evilness is portrayed. Isaiah 53:6 “and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:7“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”

Here at the cross, the magnitude of our sins, depravity, and evilness is placed upon Christ. Isaiah 53:4–5“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Here at the cross, the King accomplishes the work set before him. It is ironic that the inscription given of Jesus was meant to humiliate him, but actually spoke to the truth of who he is. We are told of this Suffering Servant, the Lord Jesus Christ, in Isaiah 52:13 “Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted.”

And so we come to the totality of those who are on the sinful side of the cross leading to condemnation. One of the criminals joins in on the mockery and blaspheme. In the ESV it says he “railed” at him. But in the Greek it is literally the word where we get “blasphemy.” The criminal on the cross continue to blaspheme to Lord of Lords while he hangs.

There are some among you who continue this blasphemy against the Lord. There are many in the world who still mock Jesus Christ. And truly, the criminal on the cross is representative of sinners as a whole. We can see him in Ephesians 2:1–3“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

However, one thing we must be aware of is that our own sins and trespasses were the very thing that led Christ to the Cross. The crushing weight of the physical cross and the crushing weight of our sin was upon him.

Dutch poet Jacob Revius in his poem entitled “He Bore Our Griefs” brings this out clearly:

No, it was not the Jews who crucified, Nor who betrayed you in the judgment place, Nor who, Lord Jesus, spat into your face, Nor who with buffets struck you as you died. No, it was not the soldiers fisted bold Who lifted up the hammer and the nail, Or raised the cursed cross on Calvary’s hill, Or, gambling, tossed the dice to win your robe. I am the one, O Lord, who brought you there, I am the heavy cross you had to bear, I am the rope that bound you to the tree, The whip, the nail, the hammer, and the spear, The blood-stained crown of thorns you had to wear: It was my sin, alas, it was for me.

It was not ultimately these wicked rulers or soldiers simply performing their duties. It was your sin. It was your wickedness against the Lord. It was your blasphemy. It was your idolatry in serving man-made creations instead of the Creator. It was your adultery for looking upon another with lustful intent. It was your murder by hating your neighbor. It was your covetousness by looking for your neighbors possessions. It was your lying, your thievery, your hatred of God that pierced Christ’s side, that crucified him, that killed him.

Yet today he offers the same gift of salvation as ever before, “repent and believe that Jesus is the Christ and you will be saved.” Turn from your wickedness and cling the Saviour who is willing to save. Which side of the cross are you on? The Side of the Cross which Leads to Condemnation (23:32-39) or secondly, The Side of the Cross which Leads to Salvation (23:40-43)

[2.] The Side of the Cross which Leads to Salvation (23:40-43)

Luke 23:40–43“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.””

There is a distinct difference between the mockers, the revilers, and the blasphemers. It is quite clear that these men indeed deserved their punishment. Yet the other thief on the Cross represents true, genuine, and authentic repentance and acknowledgement of who Jesus is, that is, He is Lord.

One remains dead in their sins and trespasses and mocks the King of Kings. The other stands in opposition, recognizing that they are being rightly condemned but Jesus is not. The criminal in stating, “Do you not fear God” is representative of a proper attitude toward God. Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Unlike the others, who assumed they did nothing wrong, this man recognizes the truth of his sinful estate.

He also recognizes the injustice found in Christ enduring the Cross. This was a profound death not only for the Roman empire but also in light of the people of Israel. Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—” To the people of Israel, the hanging on the cross was reserved for the cursed. Even Paul tells us of the magnitude of this sort of death in Philippians 2:8 “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

For the repentant criminal, he recognized that this very death was just for them but unjust for Christ. Likewise, he recognized the nature of sin and the just reward for it. Paul likewise tells us in Romans 3:10 “as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;” Romans 3:20 “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

As this criminal hangs upon his cross, he pleads with the Saviour knowing He alone can save. The thief is not asking for Jesus to recall his memory. The word is stronger than that. He is asking Jesus to give careful consideration of Him, to be concerned about Him. This is so beautiful. This man is reflecting upon the very truths about Christ as one who cares for His own sheep.

John 10:14–18“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.””

Jesus guarantees this man’s salvation. No works are involved. No special merit is involved. No purgatory. No baptism is involved. Nothing but a promise that today this very day that Jesus will go to the grave will be the same day that this man will be saved.

We see clearly by this man’s profession the principal in Ephesians 2:4–9“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— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

It is often said “why do bad things happen to good people.” We frequently sympathize with this expression as we walk through life, boasting in our own merits and self-righteous goodness. We think that nothing should happen to us. Yet this is the wrong question to ask. Instead, we should find ourselves asking, “Why does anything good happen to bad people.”

The Bible makes it clear that apart from Christ you are dead in your sins and trespasses, you are alienated from God, you are imprisoned to sin. You say to yourself, “I am no sinner.” Have you lied, have you hated someone, have you lusted after someone? If any of these you have broken, you stand condemned before a holy God. If you have not loved and served the Lord. If you have not worshipped him alone, then you have once again violated His law.

Why then do bad things happen to good people? There has only been one occurence in all of history where something bad has happened to a good person. Only one time. Jesus Christ lived perfectly. He was without sin and knew no sin. This Servant of the Lord endured treachery, endured shame, endured oppression, endured affliction, and endured the wrath of God, to save sinners. This bad thing turned into a good thing, the salvation of all who call upon the name of the Lord.

So I circle back on the principle established earlier. There is no gray area. When we come to the necessity of salvation, being saved from the wrath of God because of our sins, and being saved from those sins because of Jesus Christ, it is only black and white. There are only two options in this life: 1) repent and believe, or 2) reject and neglect. You either find yourself in Christ at the day of judgment, or you find yourself in your sins at the day of judgment. One path leads to life, the other leads to death. One path leads to eternal communion with God, the other path leads to eternal condemnation and wrath.

Which side of the Cross are you on today? Which side will you follow? The road is wide that leads to eternal destruction but the road that leads to everlasting life is narrow and full of persecution. It is not easy, but it is worth it. If you serve Christ today he will never leave you nor forsake you. He will hold you fast until the last of your days. Repent and believe for the Gospel is the power unto salvation for all who believe upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.