Sunday Service

Please.

Now, you told me to hold you. He just wants me to hold him. Going to build up my muscles on this side will. Good morning guys. Good to see you guys this morning. Don't write it is good to see you guys. Are they come? They'll be coming around the mountain when they come. It is so good to see you guys this morning. I know we got some that are off on fabulous vacations for fall break and they forgot to invite us. Didn't they ridiculous? That's okay though. We are going to have a wonderful time. This morning you guys have a great week. Yes you guys I know that Anastasia has school this week and Samuel high school this week but the rest of you guys are on fall. Break Thomas you have school this week. Special fall break School.

You get to stay with your grandma all week long?

That is so awesome. You get to have a good time. Yes, ma'am.

You're going to go on a vacation, where you going today? Where you going? Is this your vacation? The church house, you're right here. That's awesome. That sounds so fun. We're going to have a lot of fun, huh? That's so good. All right. Everybody else have any special plans? Yes, sir.

A soccer game. That's awesome. You like soccer you pretty fast.

It's true. He does have a soccer game. He's not tricking me. That's awesome. I last one Annabelle.

A girl's day with your grandma. That is so good. He can use it down buddy. What's this? All right. That's so awesome. I'm so glad you guys are going to get to have that good time this week. Carson, you want to tell something? You're going to Arkansas. What what you going to do in Arkansas?

Coming with your grandma that amazing cars in the way that you sound just like Kennedy. That's amazing. Are you going to eat some chocolate gravy and say Suey stuff like that?

You just leave that up there. All right. So it's, you can bring the chocolate gravy but you can leave the Suey pigs. Hog is so good to see you guys this morning today about Jesus, going to the cross. And today, we're going to read about right before Jesus, went to the Cross. I'm going to read from Luke chapter 23, To you so you can see the cross up there. You see that one? So, do you know that in real life? Jesus cross was not that big. No, it's not that big. That's a giant Cross everybody. Can see it right back? Silly. Jesus, his cross was probably about this big, something like this. Yeah. Did you know that because they put Jesus there on the side of the road, where everybody could come and see him being crucified isn't

That's right. Not too high like all the way to the planets. That's right. Just a little high, get same Annabelle.

Well, we have a super big one there. So everybody in the building can see it, but the real-life one that's not the real one that Jesus was crucified on. It does look like letter T yep. The one that Jesus was crucified on what Jesus would have been about this High because he's up a little bit, but they want to be able to come by because you know what people are doing. They're spitting on him and they're making fun of him, and they're saying if you're really godson, then you better come down. I could Jesus have come down if you wanted to, yeah, but he didn't. Why did he stay on the cross? If you could come down Kevin Sager. So we could save us from our sin. That's exactly right. Yes, Sir, Thomas.

That's right. When he doesn't earthquake did happen. That's in Matthew. Not in Luke what you're exactly, right. So before Jesus gets there though, you see the cross has got two parts, the big middle part, and the cross part that goes side to side writes. The criminal would take the big part was already there, but they would take the cross part and they had to drag it to the cross that way, everybody could see them on the way and tell that person is about to die, so they can make fun of them and spit them, and pull on their beer and all kinds of stuff to hurt them. But Jesus has been beaten and whipped so badly that he can't carry that. And so I have to get somebody to help him. Let's read this here thing on and see if you're not quite yet. Let's do this right here. And I asked verse 26 of Luke 23, and as they led him away, they laid hold upon one's Simon a surenian coming out of the country and on him, they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. So, Jesus is walking and Simon. They get this guy named Simon. Who's a surenian, who's in town for Passover to carry the cross being behind them and he, they laid the cross on him, so he can bear it. After Jesus, there's a little bit of a funny thing here and not really funny. Like Ha-Ha, but funny like weird because if there's somebody else in the Bible whose name is Simon, even though he goes by something else, you have Anastasia heater is Peter following. Jesus know, Peter said he would follow Jesus ride. Jesus said, follow me and I'll make you Fishers of Men and Peter followed Jesus from way back. And then what did Peter do? What did he say?

Hide and seek. He pretended he didn't know Jesus trying, he wasn't following him. So there's a Simon following Jesus but it's the wrong Simon. But this time it is faithful to follow him. And on him, they laid the cross that he might bear it. After Jesus, he takes up his cross and he follows Jesus. Which what we're supposed to do, right? We're supposed to take up our cross and follow Jesus. When he says, and verse 27, Jesus is important. That's right. And they're following him a great company of people and of women would also be wailed and lamented him. So it's like it a parade, OK, friend and Simon's behind him and then there's a bunch of people crying saying oh no, no, no, they're going to kill Jesus. But you know what? Jesus says, 28, but Jesus turning onto them said Daughters of Jerusalem. Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. Do you know what he's saying here? What does he mean here?

Oh, so not Peter Peters, not crucified until way later. So Peter denies Jesus and he leaves. There's two other people that are crucified next to Jesus and at first, they both make fun of him and then one of them says, you know what this man's innocent? Remember me, when you come into your kingdom, and Jesus tells him today, you'll be with me in paradise and so one of them trust Jesus on the cross, cuz it's never too late to trust God. And the other one doesn't, does that make sense?

Yeah, he has his Bible said you couldn't. Yep, Peter was crucified upside down. That's right. All right, so yes ma'am. Yes, ma'am.

Jesus died for us, that's exactly right. You guys are on a roll this morning, you guys know a lot this morning, or Jesus looks at these people crying, and he says, don't cry for me, but cry for yourselves and for your children. Do you know why you said that? He says, Don't Cry For Me one because he knows that he could stop at. If he wants to write, he's laying his life down willingly. To, he knows that they're about to suffer because once Jesus dies and the people reject him in a few years, the whole city of Jerusalem is going to be destroyed. And so he tells them that the day is your coming. Will people say be better not to be born at all? And I think most importantly because Jesus is innocent. And so, what's going to happen in three days The resurrection. That's right. He's going to rise from the dead. And so he says, if they do this to the Greenwood, what will happen to the drive to like if this is how they treat, somebody who's innocent, what will happen to somebody who's really guilty. And so Jesus says, don't worry about me, I'm not going to the Cross because of me worry about yourself and your sin. That's the reason I'm going to the Cross. So, did Jesus do anything wrong? No. Did Jesus deserve to die? No. Like, we already heard, he died for our sins. And so when we look at what happened to Jesus, we don't have to stay up. Or do you mean, we do to some level, but he chose that. Right? What we should do when we see what happened to Jesus is, look at ourselves and say, well that's what I deserved. But Jesus died instead of me so that I could be forgiven. So I could have eternal life with him. And so when we're thinking about time and dragging his cross and the people coming behind and Jesus saying, look at yourselves. Don't just look at me. Look at yourselves to see that. You're the reason that I had to go to the cross. That Jesus is the reason that we're the reason that Jesus had to go to the cross and because he loved us enough, that we can be forgiven if Annabelle.

Oh, that's a great question. You guys here in a question? She said, how were we the reason the Jews went to the Cross when we weren't even born yet. So Samuel you know you're busy, man. No not anymore not now that I looked at you. So the think about it like this. Do you know that God knows everything you're going to do before you do it? And so when God made the world, he already knew everything I would ever do wrong and everything you would ever do wrong. And he made his anyway, isn't that crazy? And so God knew what our sins would be. And so Jesus came and he died for our sins and he loved us and he forgave us before we even did them cuz he knew us and he knew how much you loved. Did I make sense? I very good. Alright guy. So that's the whole point is that God knew us and when he made the world, he already knew that Adam and Eve were going to send when he invented trees. He already knew that his son would be crucified on a tree, right, but he loved us enough that he did it anyway.

You wondering how did Jesus die before we were born? Well because he lived a long long time ago and he was crucified he was killed on a cross. And then he came back to life. And so when you were born, he had died for your sins and come back to life already. All right.

Nobody was born.

That's right. Yeah, that's true. I guess. So we're going to pray, we're going to dismiss because you guys are on a roll today, but I've got some stuff. I've got to talk to the grown-ups about maybe more time than you guys cuz they, they need time for you to really get it. Clear last night.

What was that an astonishment?

Yep, painting cover.

That's right. For birth pain and birthing for work not to be fine. That's right. And Eve gave birth to Jesus and it hurts to bring the Savior to the world and then Jesus was raised as a carpenter's son. He worked hard and he's sweating, he bled and he did all those things, living a life for us and then he died on the cross for us. So, just like that. You got nailed to the cross. That's right. I guess. Let's close our eyes and bow. Our heads and will pray and will be dismissed. Heavenly. Father God, we are so grateful for this day. We are so grateful that you loved us enough that you gave your son Jesus to die for us. We're so grateful that even though we send even though you knew we would send that you loved us anyway, and made a plan to bring us back to you to look at these people weeping and wailing and that didn't understand fully what was going on. And we just pray that we will understand that we will weep for our own sins that are the reason that your son had to go to the cross that will be broken-hearted over the things that break your heart will be comforted and encouraged by the things that comfort you and encourage you to Father watch it with these young people today as they go into their classes and help them to learn your word and be made more like your son and his name. I pray. Amen. Thank you so much.

Alright, we are in Luke chapter 23. This morning.

We are in the beginning beginning in that same section but I were going to go through through the crucifixion of Jesus today when going through Luke for some time and we are almost to the end, we are coming up very close today or we're coming up today through the crucifixion of Jesus for his sacrifice for us. The Kids already know all the answers. I do wonder what would happen if I start asking all of you questions like that, what would happen if I The. That originally when I was working on the sermon title, it rejected but not rejecting as Jesus is denied and rejected and he continues to serve his people but I did I changed it this morning. To behold the king is that other message this morning is behold. The king here is Jesus as King on the cross. Jesus, as king showing who he is by his love and his forgiveness and buy willingly. Laying his life down really focusing. Today on the three things that Luke record of Jesus saying on the cross that is Jesus being crucified. He said, first father, forgive them for they know not what they do. He said today, you'll be with me in paradise and then he said, father into your hands. I commit my spirit by Jesus said these three things to, to his father and one to the thief beside him. As he was in control the whole time, you know, perhaps that when a thief was crucified or when a criminal was crucified, they put above their head, the charge against them that the purpose of crucifixion was not just to kill somebody. They're easier and quicker and cheaper ways to kill somebody. The purpose of crucifixion was to humiliate somebody and to make an example of them. That's why you dragged your cross. That's why they put you up just high enough that people can still spit on you. That's why they strip you naked and put your charge above your head because you're supposed to be a mockery and a shame. If only in very modern times at executions are a private thing. Most of the point of execution, through most of human history, was for people to see and to be afraid. They want to make an example of Jesus. I want to put all of his shame on display. Of course, we know that Jesus is dying for arson and it's our shame that he has that Adam and Eve were naked in the garden and not ashamed. But that Jesus has his shame. Put our shame put on him as he stretched out to be crucified. And the charge. They put over his head is, of course, King of the Jews. His crime is being the king. The reason he dies because he is the king dying for his people. And so, today, we see who the king is by these three things he says on the cross and I think they'll teach us some important things about him who are going to be starting in verse 20, verse, 36 verse 26. And then we will read down to verse 49 if you're able

We look at Luke 23:26 together. Luke the, in the physician, the missionary, the companion of Paul rights under the infallible inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and let him away. They laid. Hold upon one's Simon a surenian coming out of the country and on him, they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. And they are followed him, a great company of people and of women, which also bewailed, and lamented him. But Jesus turning into them said, Daughters of Jerusalem. Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children for behold the days are coming in the, which they shall say, blessed are the baron in the wombs which never bear in the past which never gave suck. Then, shall they begin to say to the mountains fall on us into the hills cover us for? If they do these things in the green tree, what shall be done in the dryer? And there were also two other malefactors LED with him, to be put to death. And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, they are, they crucified him and the malefactors one on the right hand? And the other on the left and said, Jesus, father, forgive them for they know, not what they do and they parted his raiment and cash slots. And the people stood beholding, and the rulers, also with them, to ride at him saying, he saved others. Let him save himself. If he be Christ, The Chosen of God and the soldiers also mocked him coming to Hammond offering him vinegar and saying, if I'll be the king of the Jews, save myself and the superscription also was written over him and letters of Greek, and Latin and Hebrew. This is the king of the Jews and one of the malefactors, which were hanging rail on him. Saying if they'll be Christ, saved myself and us But the other answering rebuked him saying. Smoke without fear. God saying that we're to the same condemnation for indeed. We just lie for we receive the reward of our Deeds, but this man has done nothing and he said unto Jesus Lord, remember me, when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, verily, I say unto thee today, Thou shalt be with me in Paradise. It was about the 6 hour and there was Darkness over all the Earth until the ninth hour, and the sun was dark and in the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus said, cried with a loud voice, he said, father into thy hands. I commend my spirit and having said that she gave up the ghost. Now in the Centurion saw what was done? He glorified God saying certainly this was a righteous man and all the people that came together to that site. Beholding the things which were done, smoked their breasts and returned, and all his acquaintances and the women that followed him From Galilee. So far off be holding these things. In August people said, amen, you may be seated.

Behold The King. Here he is crucified laying his life down for us. There's so much in this passage that we could spend a month or two on it, but that is the challenge of Luke is, you can go through one verse set, a time for 47 years or you can go through in some bigger chunks and try to see the big picture for well 2 years. So not that fast either, but I'm doing my best. The people are almost there points that we talked about. We want to see Jesus as the king first

Drum roll, please.

Okay. First he says.

Father, forgive them.

He's the sinless, son. Second. He says,

Today, you'll be with me in Paradise. Thank you, sir. All right, first the sinless son, says, father, forgive them then we'll see that the merciful Master says today. Thou shalt be with me in paradise and finally, the Lord of life itself, says, father into my hands. I commend my spirit who were going to think through these three statements of Jesus on the cross. And how they show us that he was, rightly charge the king of the Jews, how he is the true king? The Son of God, sinless dying for his people, how he is the merciful master. That looks at the servant being crucified beside him and says, today, you'll be with me in paradise and how he is the Lord of life itself. It says, I can lay my life down and I can take it up again, in Jesus's life was in his hand the whole time. My life is not in my hands. Are your last night on your hands? Any one of us could die at any time, we could live a long time, the doctors can tell you, you're going to die tomorrow. And you can be here five years from now, the doctors can say, hey, you're doing great, and you can have a stroke tomorrow, right? We are life is not in our hands, and our lives in God's hands. But Jesus, his life was in his own hands. He is God himself, he said I Lay My Life down, father into your hands. I commit my spirit and nobody could kill Jesus in Acts chapter 2, Peters, preaching. And he says he was having loose the Pains of death because it was not possible for him to be held by it, right. Death couldn't hold him. He lays his life down. He takes it up again. Here is the king. We're going to look at it first as the sinless. Son, 426 will reuse through that, they led him away. They laid hold upon once I'm in a surenian coming out of the country, and on him, after they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus. And there, followed a great company of people and of women in which also bewailed. And lamented him. They love men's him. And yet, there's no change. There is a, is a sympathy for him. But I think it falls short of really understanding of who they are, or what, and why Jesus is being crucified cuz you just turned to them and said, Daughters of Jerusalem. Weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children, in the profits, when Israel's being judged, got off and says, Daughters of Jerusalem as their stand in for the people that there's these women here, but they're representing the nation as a whole that sees Jesus and says, oh, isn't that a shame? But their hearts don't really recognize who he is there. Lots of people like that today. I owe Jesus is a great teacher. Jesus is a, you know, a great man. But don't understand the fullness of who he is. Then it says, the for behold the days are coming in the which they shall say. Blessed are the bearing in the wombs and never bear and the paps, which never gave suck. He's pissed, don't weep for me, weep for yourselves and for your children because soon people will say blessed are the baron blessed are the mothers who've never nursed. He's of course, speaking first about the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD but we know that the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD is just a foretaste of the Judgment. We read about in the tribulation when God's Wrath is poured out. He says, for then they shall begin to say to the mountains fall on us into the hills cover us of course you read that in Revelation 6 where they say, you know, we wish that we would be buried alive rather than continue to face this for. If they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? It is hard to burn. Green wood. Ever tried to burn wet wood. Said if they can treat an innocent man like this a green tree, if they'll burn the Greenwood, what will they do to the dry wood? This is what happens to an innocent, man. What do you think is going to happen when God's Wrath is justly poured out? If God spared not his own son. Judgment begins at the house of God and we think about that reality that yes we have all sinned, we've all come short of the glory of God. If this is the wrath of God poured out What will be done in the dry? So then we see the Jesus is, of course, he's innocent the first 32, really, what I want to look at today. I wanted to finish out that other section. I didn't want to finish that with the kids because I did not want to answer their questions on Mike about the paps, which never gave suck. And so I thought we're just going to send them off to class and move along. First 30, then, shall they? Begin to subside verse 31 verse 32. And there were also two other malefactors LED with him to be, put to death. They intended to crucify three, people the whole time. The third was supposed to be Barabbas, the son of the father, but instead you have Jesus, in the middle between two thieves, Isaiah 53 and said that he will be numbered with the transgressors and then he's counted like a sinner and he is Among Us and so what symbolically true of him, but he's 10, he's associated with us and he dined with Sinners and tax collectors is now literally true in his death that he's there in the middle and there's a thief on either side.

The end when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary. Where they crucified him and the malefactors one on the right hand and the other on the left Calvary Latin, it means place of the skull and Hebrew. It's Golgotha the other gospels tell us that is Golgotha Luke is writing for a gentile audience and so he doesn't use Aramaic phrases like Golgotha very much at all. And so he just uses the term Calvary. If you've been there a debate there's two sites. There's the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in. This was called Gordon's Calvary. If you go to Gordon's Calvary where the garden tomb is you can see this hill and there's kind of pock marks in it where it looks like a skull. I be today. If you go there, I should put some pictures. There's a bus stop at the foot of Calvary and that seems strange to. I see everything as a holy place, but actually, that was the reason that they crucified Jesus, there was a crossroad. It was a busy place, they wanted people to see, and they took him, and they crucified him there on this famous Hill, the place of the skull. And they put these two bad guys. Malefactor means I put these two bad guys on either side of him. Then said, Jesus. Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do. And they parted his arraignment in cast, lots. Focus on the second half of that verse and then the first half, imagine Jesus being crucified. They strip is closed off. The gun back and forth with this Ally in this trip is closed off and they put a royal robe on him to mock him and they take that off. I put closes his own clothes on him again. They take him to the cross. And there, they strip is closed off to humiliate him. And while he's hanging there, being crucified at the foot of the cross, the soldiers are gambling for his clothes, and he's not going to need him anymore. You know, rolling dice for his clothes. Humiliation and cruelty. And Jesus looks at these people. Who are taking his death so lightly and he says, father forgive them for they know not what they do.

at what a Challenging staggering thought. I challenge you in a couple ways one just on its face, praying for your enemies thing. Father, forgive them.

Jupiter pray for the Forgiveness of those who hate you, who despise you? You mock you

that shows the grace of Jesus.

And then in another sense, it's hard. Because what does he mean? They don't know what they're doing. Cousin. Sometimes they knew exactly what they were doing, right? They gathered up false Witnesses, they found people. They knew they were killing an innocent, man, cuz they found false witnesses to crucify. Him pilot, knew that he was killing an innocent man cuz he says I found no guilt in him, but have it your way in one sense? They knew exactly what they were doing.

we think that they in a deeper sense,

I never got to their heart, their hearts were too hard for them to understand what they were doing. They didn't realize that it was a sinless, Son of God that they were killing. They didn't realize that it was the one who was dying for their sins. That was there before then. So he's his father, forgive them.

For they know not what they do. Do you know why Jesus is able to forgive? You know, why? Jesus able to forgive me? Because our sins have been paid for. Let's suppose that you that I borrowed some money from you. I ain't so I said, hey, I need to borrow $100. You said, okay, I'll loan it to you and then later you said, you know what I forgive you. Do you know what happens to that debt. It doesn't disappear. That be nice. But I forgive you, it's gone. My money is back and we're friends again. If I make you alone, are you make me alone and you forgive the loan? That means that you pay it. If we owe God a debt and God says, I forgive your dad. God says, I pay it. The Reason God is able to forgive you and me is not because send doesn't matter. If sin didn't matter God would not have sent his son to the cross. The reason that God is able to forgive you and me is that it's been paid for, he says I'll pay it myself. That this debt, we owe God, the punishment that we should pay the harm to God caused by our rebellion and arson. God says, I'll take that on myself.

And so he becomes a man. And he dies. In our place sinless, cuz if he wasn't Thin Lizzy, have to die for his scent, not for my son. I couldn't die for your sin because I've got my own sense to die for you. Couldn't die for my send, you got your own sent to die for the sinless. Son of God dies in your place in mind.

And so the sinless son is a savior that he can pray. Father, forgive them. Because he has made the provision. For us to be forgiven at the first way that you see, he's the king is that he's the one who can forgive our sins, he's the one who can take our sin away. I can't forgive your debts to somebody else. Izone said of you loaning money, to me, let's say you loan money for the Gary. And I said, don't worry about it. I forgive you, I really Gary gives you $10,000 and you say, I don't know what I'm going to do it. Don't worry about it. I forgive you. I just do very much good for me to forgive you if you owe him the money, right? I can't forgive you for your sins.

My God can and he is the king. Now course, that does set of pattern for us, that we got to forgive one another. We know this. Don't we, that Jesus gave that wonderful parable about the man who owed his master, a huge sum and his master said, I forgive you, And so he went out and he found a servant who owed him some money and you grabbed him by the throat and said, pay me back. What you owe. The master threw them in the prison. Because if we understood what God has forgiven us, could we ever fail to forgive somebody else? That means imagine the things you're saying, the things in my life, not just the things I've done, but the things I bought and the things I've said, that all the sin in my life, God looks at me, God, looks at you

And he forgives it all. What is the worst thing that any other human being has done or could do to you compared to that? It's like the man who was forgiven a hundred million dollars and went to hunt down $50. It's just that he wasn't ever, really, sorry in the first place. If he was, never really acknowledge his own guilt in the first place, but Jesus set this example for us that he who truly was sinless looked at them and said, father, forgive them for, they know, not what they do, even while they're still doing it. I forgive them, once they come and they grovel a little bit. I like gambling for his clothes while he's saying it.

You cannot walk with God and have unforgiveness in your heart. I cannot walk with God and have unforgiveness in my heart. Because I could not be less like Jesus.

Am I holding a grudge, right? I could not be less like, Jesus them by refusing to forgive. I could not understand less what Jesus did for me. Been to think that I'm entitled to not forgive someone else when the king of glory for gave me.

He's okay. Second. We got our points again. Please is the merciful master. He's a sinless son that has no sin and begs. His father to forgive second, he is the merciful Master. He's the one who looks at the guilty and makes them white as snow. We're starting 5 in the people, stood beholding, and the rulers also with them derided him saying he saved others. Let him save himself. If he be Christ, The Chosen of God, you can say they're not that move my father, forgive them if they are. There's a crowd that just standing there watching rubbernecking. And the leaders, the People Order riding him saying hello, where's all that? Miraculous power now and save yourself. And the soldiers also mocked him coming to have an offering and vinegar. Sour wine and saying, if I'll be the king of the Jews saved myself as mockery, and the superscription also was written over him and letters of Greek, and Latin and Hebrew. This is the king of the Jews. And one of the malefactors which was their hands on him or hang railed on him saying if they'll be Christ save thyself and US you've noticed by now, the repetition of Threes in the gospel narrative write that Jesus is condemned by the People, by the soldiers and buy one of the malefactors right three denials there. Peter denied him three times the people deny him three times, but there's this repetition of the completeness of his rejection. Bye. The other verse 40 answering rebuked him saying Dost, not thou fear God seeing that aren't in the same condemnation. He said how can you say this? And we know from the other gospels that the other one is that both of the criminals were mocking Jesus at first And this one apparently realized. How ridiculous it was. Maybe it was hearing Jesus, say father, forgive them for they don't know what they do that. He said this man's not like me, I don't know. So don't you fear God saying we're in the same kind of nation, is it? Don't you? Don't you realize, you're going to have to answer God in a little bit. Does you feel a little bit bad? Having this stuff on your mouth? When you know you're about to face God in a few minutes?

He said and we indeed justly. He's as we deserve this condemnation, we're dying for us. We're dying for our sins. I can't die and say this isn't fair cuz it is fair. All of them, all of sudden to come short of the glory of God. In the wages of sin is death. Any time in my life that I say, this is not fair. I've lost sight of what my sin is and what I deserve from a holy God. But God doesn't give us Fair. God, gives us Grace, aren't you? Glad? God never gives anybody, what's fair. God gives us Grace and so here he says don't you see? Don't you fear God this and we do this just leave but this man said nothing amiss Isn't anything wrong. Speaking of the repetition of Threes, this is the second person to say. Jesus didn't do anything. Wrong pilot was the first. This man is the second, the Centurion. After Jesus dies, will be the third and fourth obese against three people to three witnesses, to testify that Jesus is innocent. so, He says in verse 42, he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

That's a bold request, right? There's a lot of faith in that. Cuz he sees Jesus suffocating beside him. And he says, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

Now when you see somebody dying, you don't usually make plans for next month. Now, crucifixion people don't come down from a cross and survive, right, famously. I told you before Josephus was a Roman collaborator and a Jewish historian and he had some clout and he walked up on three of his friends being crucified one day and he used his influence to get them taken down after they've been crucified for a brief time and two of them died. Anyway and the third one never walked again. Right. Crucifixion was not something that old named way. Never mind go ahead and take him down. Because their body was racked. and so this thief dying looks at Jesus and says Lord remember me, when you come into your kingdom when you reign Remember me? I don't know what all he understood about. Who Jesus was, but he understood enough to know that this was not the end of the line for Jesus. It says remember me. and, of course, she does remember him because Jesus says verily, I say unto you today, Today, you think about that? Not here. When am I going to come into my kingdom? He said today, you'll be with me in Paradise. He says the verily I say unto thee. Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise cuz I remember you and I gave you this promise that today you will be with me in Paradise. This is not the end of the line. that, because you, How's this? You have recognized? That you are a sinner. And you have believed in me. I promise you a place in Paradise. you know that him are you able said the master Are you able to remember, when the thief lifts up his eyes? That is pardoned. Soul is worthy of a place in Paradise. That we can look and say well, he's just saying that cuz he's dying. Of course you just saying that cuz he's dying. He's not just saying that cuz he's dying. Because he believes. It was dying. That it took to open his eyes and sometimes God has really got to knock us down to our knees before. We're ready to trust him. And some people, it doesn't take much and that's great. Some people are classroom Learners, right? You go to school and they tell you, hey, don't do this and you say got it. I won't do that. Some of us have to go on the field trip, write and learn Hands-On. Oh hey I shouldn't do that. I've got three kids and we've got the whole Spectrum. I promise you got some kids. They can say, hey we got one kid. You can say, hey don't do that. Of course, not at And you've got we got another kid said, hey don't do that. Don't do this Way. Estero way.

And we're like that too when we got says, hey, don't do that. It's going to hurt. Say well, don't you wet? Give a go to a Mexican restaurant and they bring you a plate. They say careful hot plate. Like this and like the looks of this guy doesn't look very trustworthy. Let me check how hot. Got this look out. Hot plate shark.

That is an amazing that you can walk past a hundred benches without touching them until there's a sign on it, that says wet paint. You like, why don't know how wide is it? Why you trying to Johnny Carson. How wet is it? You're not going to reach out there and touch it. Is that the way that works? Is that a funny thing? You never. Look at a paint at, but Vengeance. I wonder if that paint sweater look at a wall and see if I wonder if that paint sweat. I do somebody tells you, it isn't it is cuz I want to be in charge. Nobody's going to tell me what to do. I didn't want to touch it till you told me I couldn't.

And sometimes God gets our hand hot. Get their hand burned or gets wet paint on her hand to teach us a lesson.

It examines. That's what it takes. Sometimes it takes a sting to teach us a lesson. You can't see it with my jacket and my long-sleeve shirt on, but I pan-fried my arm this week. I was Browning a roast. I was like, you know what, I'm going to do, I'm going to get some tongs and I'm in a hole on the side, and I'm going to do it is going to be perfect, and then I dropped it and a half a cup of olive oil, and butter splashed up on my arm. And I've got, I look where my kids said that. You look like a zebra. Like thank you. Really love you too, anyway. Go to your grandparents house.

Yeah, I knew better right when I was doing it. I was like these are not very good. Tongue is not a very good idea that well it's going to be fine. And it was fine right up until I get grease all over my arm, right? And on my face, that's a good thing. I was wearing my glasses, right b, a start calling me squinty. I got her all over myself because sometimes we do something and we know it's not wise but we don't until we get burned. We just don't take it that seriously. This thief on the cross. We can give him a hard time and say, wow, talk about the last minute. But how many times is it, that you and I have not realize what God is doing until the last minute, till we get burnt. Till it stings friends, Jesus dies in our place, and as the merciful master, He says it's my house. I have the authority to invite you in. I've made the way for you to come in and so I forgive you I don't want us to be like the thief on the cross cuz what a waste that would have wasted life. Think of all the things he could have done for God, that he's wasted instead, but I'd rather have an eleventh-hour conversion. The nun Some of you can look at your life and say, well, I should follow Jesus, I should do this. I should surrender to this kind of ministry. I should do that but it's so late. I should have done it a long time ago. I need to go apologize to this person. I need to go make this thing, right, but it's been so long now. Well, that's true. And doing it yesterday. Would have been better. And doing it. The day before, that would have been better. But doing it now is a whole lot better than not at all the thief on the cross. Sing. Lord, remember me on the last day of his life as a lot better than him, realizing Jesus was Lord the next day.

And it's not too late, as long as you drop wrath to serve the Lord and the merciful Master is ready to receive you. Alright, finally, Jesus is, of course, the Lord of life. I needs a sinless son, who said father forgive them. Pizza. Merciful master that says, today, I'm going to receive you into my kingdom today. Despite a person because you admit your sin and you trust me, I'm going to receive you finally though he is the Lord of life itself first 44 and it was about the sixth hour so that High Noon 6 hour from sunrise and there was Darkness over all the Earth until the ninth hour. 3 hours of Darkness, The sun was darkened and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. Every 3 hours, there's Darkness people say, well, maybe it's an eclipse or something. That's not, that's not, I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you. It's a miracle. The this is on the Passover which is a full moon. You can't have an eclipse on a full moon scientifically impossible. Then somebody says, well, it was just an eclipse that they interpret it as something. Nope, it is. God showing his judgment. I ain't that the father turned his face away. And the veil of the temple was rent in the midst, I don't have time to talk about this in detail by, you know, the in the temple was broken into three portions, the out-of-court, the holy place and the most holy place, the holy of holies the place. Where God dwells where only the high priest was allowed to go and only once a year. The Ark of the Covenant was in there is a picture of the Throne of God. And that before the holy of holies, there's a curtain And only the high priest can go through that. Curtain. Lest he die. and then, when Jesus dies, The veil is torn. The thing that separates us from God is torn. So that now the Bible says we can boldly approach. The throne of grace, we have an anchor within the veil that God gives us access to himself not because of who we are because of who he is. The high priest has made a way for us. That Jesus. His blood is the ultimate atonement that now we can come to God personally. You don't need somebody to go to God for you. Except for Jesus, the only God, you need to the only one you need to go to God for you is God. But there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus. But you don't need me to come to me and say, oh, you know, just made it this bad thing. Can you fix it? I can't fix it. I'm happy to pray for you. Pray with you but I can't fix it. The one who can. Is that great high priest who died in your place in mind? And Jesus tore the Veil. Top to bottom that the veil is torn. And so now, torn, right in the middle. So now we have access to God. It says, and when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, Luke doesn't tell us what Jesus cried, because it's in Aramaic Lux running for a gentile audience. He doesn't usually record things that are near Merrick, but he said, Eli, Eli, Lama sabachthani right, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And then he says, at the last, I it is finished. And then he says, father into your hands, I commend my spirit. Since I Lay My Life down. I put my spirit in your hands and having said that she gave up the ghost,