Thief on the Cross

Intro

I know we just had Easter. We have been talking about the build up to Easter and it happened we celebrated our king Jesus being risen from the dead and conquering death. but Im not done talking about it yet. It is too important. There are too many things i learned this Easter season that has deepened my view of Jesus. I want you to experience it to.

I really want to focus in on the cross tonight.

Luke 23:32–43 ESV

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!” 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.”

The reason I want to focus on this today.

1.The Cross isn’t a side note to Christianity. It is the Center.

The cross is central to what we believe. If there is no cross. Than there is no forgiveness of sins. If there is no cross there is no restoration of our relationship with the father. if there is no cross John 3:16 is a lie. If there is no cross we can’t be born again. If there is no cross we have no hope.

Easter is all about celebrating the resurrection, but without the cross there is no resurrection.

It is when we reflect on the cross and all that jesus willingly allowed to happen to him on it, that we realize just how big of a deal our sin is.

When we look to the cross we realize that our sin is a big enough deal that Jesus knew that His death was the only way to pay a debt that big. Our sin put Jesus on the cross but not before we was beaten, and whipped to the point that you could see the muscles of his back, and then a cloth was laid over the open wound accross his whole back, and right when the blood had dried they ripped it off him to reopen the wounds. like ripping off a band aid across his whole back. and even though his head was so swollen it would have been as big as a basketball they shoved two inch thorns into his skull. Then they made him walk miles carrying a cross till he collapsed. They drug him the rest of the way and put nails through his feet and his hands and hung him up. Naked there was no little loin cloth. while hanging if he didnt push up on the nails he couldn’t breath so every time he had to breath or speak he had to push up. he did this until he suffocated and died.

Thats how big of deal your sin is. The son of God did that for you. If you ever hear anyone including yourself try to convince you that sin isnt a big deal. You look to the center of our faith. You look to the cross and realize your sin is great but his love is greater.

2. Jesus is better at saving than you are at sinning.

It is dangerous to think our sin isn’t a big deal. But it is also dangerous to thing your sin is too big of deal it can’t be forgiven.

Looking at the thief on the cross his sin was great. We have a lot of reason to believe that he was a part of Barabas’s rebellion. Meaning he thought Barabas was the messiah. he was literally following a false messiah and probably killed in his name. and according to Matthew both criminals were mocking Jesus at the start of the crucifixion. But something changed for one of them. Maybe it was the fact that he watched Jesus forgive his murderers. Jesus from the cross said “father forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.” and the indication in the original language is that Jesus said this multiple times. He kept forgiving people. Remember he’s on the cross. He has to push up in pain and hold himself up on his nails to even get a word out and he in that pain pushes up. Not to curse at people who were mocking him but to he pushed up in pain to forgive.

That had to have had a major impact on criminal watching this like it did the Roman centurion. and the criminal goes from mocking him. To realizing who he is, to asking to be a part of his kingdom.

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.”

The criminal asked for the basic to be a subject in Jesus’ kingdom. The basic but still more than he deserved. But look how Jesus responded. Today you will be with me in paradise. The Greek word for paradise is interesting heres what it means. Imagine you are a king. You cant go out into your kingdom without protection and people following you everywhere. So what many kings would do is they would create lush gardens in their castles where they could be alone. To be invited as citizen into the kings private paradise was the highest privilege.

So we have the criminal asking Jesus can I just be a part of your kingdom one day. And Jesus says you get join me in the paradise of the king today. Thats grace.

This was a murderer who followed a false messiah who had no time left to make ammends or straighten up his life or be baptized and he gets to walk with the king in his private place. and so do you. Because no matter your past. Jesus is better at saving than you are at sinning. Jesus is enough.

If this guy sin wasn’t too big yours isnt either. if you start thinking your sin is too big of a deal you look to the cross and realize Jesus wouldn’t have gone through all that if it wasn’t enough. and if you start thinking your sin isn’t a big deal you also look to the center of our faith the cross and realize that it is a big enough deal that Jesus had to go through all that to pay the price for it.

Luke 23:44–49 ESV

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

Witnessing all this demanded a response from everyone there. Both criminals, the centurion, the crowd, the followers who stood at a distance. you today hearing about it.

3. The Cross Demands a Response.

Christianity is not about observing what Jesus did. It is about being transformed by. We don’t get to sit back and just hear about the son of God dying for us without it requiring a response. What is your response? what has it been in the past. Have you just stood at a distance watching or have you done what the criminal and the centurion did realized just how incredible what we have seen is. Jesus would do that so you could be in his paradise with him. To have your debt collection papers thrown in the shredder. You have to respond.

For some of you. You need to respond by asking Jesus to join him in paradise. To give your life to him and trust him for your salvation. Some of you need to respond by realizing you have just been observing and you need to let what you have seen and heard transform you.

Maybe you have bought the lie your sin is too great, but now you see he is better at saving than you are at sinning. Maybe you have bought the lie you don’t need Jesus because your sin isn’t a big deal. Either way look at the center of our faith. Look at the cross. Look at Jesus.

Respond by surrendering. The cross demands a response. The empty tomb invites us into a new way of living that is life giving and not life taking. Respond today.

Scripture Luke 23:32-49

1.The Cross isn’t a side note to Christianity. It is the Center.

2. Jesus is better at saving than you are at sinning.

3. The Cross Demands a Response.

Questions

1.How does hearing the physical details of the crucifixion impact the way you view your own sin?

2. How does it make you feel that the first person that followed Jesus into heaven was a criminal.

3. Are someone who is more inclined to view or sin as not a big deal, too big of deal? How is the cross the answer to both.