Three Crosses

Three Crosses

Introduction I think one of the reasons Luke records Jesus being crucified between two thieves might have something to do with illustrating two different ways of responding to Jesus.

Read Passage

-43New King James Version (NKJV)

32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 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. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”[b]

And they divided His garments and cast lots. 35 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.”

36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:[c]

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “Are you not the Christ,[d] save Yourself and us.”

40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Jesus,[e]remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

43 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Prayer

Comments When we read any of the accounts of the crucifixion, we have a strong tendency to focus on Christ and the purpose of His death there. We also need to take the time to think about all the implications of that event. Luke goes into great detail about the thieves crucified as well. And so I believe there is something he is trying to show us.

Cautions

Dangerous to deduct doctrine entirely from inference based on a story.

Be careful with our conclusion derived from this passage

Technically under the Old Testament yet

Jesus had authority while on earth to forgive sins

This passage is probably not to teach the way to salvation but there are several essential attitudes expressed in the second thief that make a huge difference

Goals

Exalt Jesus by pointing to his work on the cross

See attitudes that are essential to saving faith

Sermon

Two Thieves

Similarities

Similarities between the thieves

Both are on crosses suffering right beside Jesus.

Both are guilty of crime ("We are receiving the due reward of our deeds," v. 41).

Matthew says they were both robbers

Both were hurling insults at him ()

Both see Jesus, the sign over his head ("King of the Jews," v. 38);

Both presumably hear the words from his mouth ("Father forgive them," v. 34).

Both of these thieves want desperately to be saved from death.

And both even call out to be saved

Similarities to us Most of us have these things in common with these two thieves:

We have, are, or will suffer sometime in our life.

We have sinned and therefore none of us will be able to say: "I do not deserve this."

Most of us have “seen” Jesus on the cross and have “heard” his claim to kingship

Most of us have “heard” his gracious words of forgiveness.

And all of us want to be saved from death one way or the other.

Yet at times we may have “hurtled insults” at Jesus

It doesn’t look good but in this scene we are the thieves.

Differences

The First Thief

But then the ways divide between these two thieves. The first thief says, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" This is a picture of a spiritually destitute, worldly man. He doesn’t care that he is suffering "the due reward of his deeds." To him right and wrong are of no interest: his one objective is to save his earthly skin. When this he cries out to Jesus to save him, there was no brokenness or humility in his heart. He had no repentance over his sin. He just saw Jesus as someone he could manipulate to get him off the cross.

You would think that if you were on a cross bleeding and dying with just a few more minutes to live, you would be open to the gospel. But he wasn’t.

(ESV) 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

This is the Greek word moronos, where we get the word moronic. These people are going to hear the message that God created us, we sinned, so He came in the flesh and lived a perfect life then died on the cross paying the penalty, absorbing the wrath of God for us so that if we trust in Him we can have eternal life. They’re going to hear this and say it’s moronic, foolishness, and stupid.

And so he hurled abuse and rejection at Jesus. He blasphemed Him all the way to his dying breath. He rejected the only hope he had in the world that was right next to him.

The Second Thief (this is who Luke wants us to be like)

Change of Heart 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “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. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

This man was going right along with the crowd when something changed. He saw Jesus for who he was and he recognized what he was doing was wrong. He must have fell silent for a moment then suddenly he begins to rebuke his partner in crime. This kind of a drastic change reminds me of where we read 1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2in 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— 3among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the bodya and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.b 4Butc God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

Feared God "But he rebuked him saying, 'Do you not fear God?"' God was real to him. God was his creator, and he knew that a pot can't take up arms against the potter.

He started realizing that It is fitting that a creature bow in submission before his creator and subject all his life to his wisdom.

Salamander Story A few evenings ago I was at Lamar’s house and we were outside talking when a salamander came out of his home (Lamar’s or salamander’s???). This fellow had a very low ground clearance and it was taking him quite a while to get around. He had such a low ground clearance that we weren’t even sure he could go through the lawn. This got me thinking. That salamander has more right to back up and kick against the foothills of Mt. Everest demanding that is flatten out into a smooth plain than we have to rebel against God.

Confessed He Had Done Wrong: "We are receiving the due reward of our deeds" (v. 41). He had no desire to save face any more; he had no more will to assert himself. He was here and laid open before the God he feared and there was no way to hide his guilt.

Recently I read a news article where a fellow running for U.S. Congress or something like that took a screenshot of some complement or something he received online, but… he forgot to close the other tabs he had open and they weren’t exactly sites he wanted everyone to know he was on. Rather than admit it he came up with a story of how he was testing to see if “there was some evil operator waiting for the one in a gazillion chance that a candidate for federal office would go to that particular website and thereby be infected with a virus that would cause his or her FEC data file to crash the FECfile application each time that it was loaded on the day of the filing deadline, as well as impact other critical campaign systems.”

We go to such great lengths to justify ourselves…

The penitent thief gave it up.

It's a hopeless task, anyway, before an all-knowing God!

Accepted Justice "We are under the sentence of condemnation justly." This is the real test of humility before God. Many people are willing to mouth “God be merciful to me a sinner” but when some trouble comes, they get angry at him.

Did you know anger is a sign of an idol. When you get angry usually there is something that you believe you deserve and you have so set your heart and priorities on it that when that get disrupted your response is anger. Check it out. It’s very humbling, but true. This fine young man here had several times just this week to see it first hand in his own life. People would step between things that I was holding far too precious and I would get angry. Sometimes you need to just preach to yourself.

This anger also reveals that we do not really feel undeserving before God. We still feel, deep down, that we have some rights before God. There are not many people like Job, who, when he lost everything, said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked shall I return; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." But this penitent thief became like Job in the last minutes of his life—he took his suffering without complaint, and feared God.

Acknowledged Jesus' Righteousness: "This man had done nothing wrong." It didn't make any difference to the first thief if Jesus was right or wrong. He just wanted to do what he wanted to do and then use Jesus to save his skin. But it matters a lot to Jesus if we think his life was good or bad. He wants to be followed because we admire him.

We must say with the thief: "This man has done nothing wrong." This man is worthy of our faith, allegiance, and imitation.

Jesus is a King. "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." Even though Jesus is suffering on a cross, this thief had the faith to believe the sign above Jesus and acknowledge that Jesus is King. Jesus is King of all the earth and one day he will vindicate his great name, and every knee will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord—to the glory of God, the Father.

Pleads For Mercy He fears God, admits wrong, accepts justice, acknowledges the goodness and power of Jesus. Now he pleads for help. "Jesus, remember when you come into your kingdom." The last thing he did was to throw himself on the mercy of God. He knew that God didn’t owe him anything but now that he had no other hope he cried out to the mercy and forgiveness of Jesus that he saw when Jesus forgave those who nailed him to the cross.

Both thieves wanted to be saved from death. But O how differently they sought their salvation: 1) "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 2) "Jesus, remember when you come into your kingdom!"

Jesus

Who is Jesus? (sinless son of God)

, “I and the Father are one.” the Jews’ reaction to His statement clarifies his statement. “‘We are not stoning you for any of these,’ replied the Jews, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God’” (). The Jews understood Jesus’ statement as a claim to be God.

21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

How did Jesus get here (he is sinless)

By the will of God

In : Peter and John were preaching and the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people so they arrested them but…

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,[d] said by the Holy Spirit,

“‘Why did the Gentiles rage,

and the peoples plot in vain?

26 The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers were gathered together,

against the Lord and against his Anointed’[e]—

27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.

The sinless Jesus was counted with the sinners

Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs?

says he was crucified between two robbers

For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.”

English Standard Version (ESV)

10 Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;

he has put him to grief;[g]

when his soul makes[h] an offering for guilt,

he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;

the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see[i] and be satisfied;

by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,

make many to be accounted righteous,

and he shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,[j]

and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,[k]

because he poured out his soul to death

and was numbered with the transgressors;

yet he bore the sin of many,

and makes intercession for the transgressors.

The captives could be set free. sometimes I'm not exactly sure why we have the account of Barrabas but as I was studying I saw a dimension of the story that I had never seen before.

(Barabbas vs. Jesus) Jesus was on trial but Pilot could find nothing wrong so he decided to offer to free one of the prisoners on death row and so he offered Barrabas vs. Jesus.

Barrabas

Rebel, murderer, leader of an insurrection

Deserves the crucifixion

Jesus

Does good, restore, heal the sick, the blind, the dumb, and the lame

“Who do you want.?”

“Barabbas” “give us Barabbas”

As the guards unchain Barabbas he walks back to his thug friends totally ignoring Jesus. There is no record of him ever turning to Jesus saying “I owe you everything now, for you have set me free.”

He thought it was his people who had set him free. He never realized that behind all the shouting behind all the people was God.

It was the love of God who set him free.

God knew this would happen. But Jesus stood there silent for he knew the will of the Father. He said “It’s fine Father, let them have Barabbas.” For…

Jesus knew that the Father would have to treat Jesus like Barabbas so He could treat Barabbas like Jesus

Barabbas thought it was his people who set him free. No, no, no, it was the love of God who set him free.

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

How many times we stand on stage with Jesus and ignore the fact that Jesus is taking our place to set us free.

Are you bound by sin? What are you going to do? If you are going to try harder, stop it. You're no Mach for the powers of darkness. Your only hope is in the one who took your place. The one who said let them have Barabbas I'll go in place of him.

Purpose of the middle cross (By the will of God Jesus was counted with the sinners so the captives could be set free)

What the cross is all about

Justification

(ESV) he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

(ESV) 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”

The death of Jesus reconciles us to God. The cross of Christ is not just about justification it's one great purpose is reconciliation. Jesus’s death enables us to have a relationship with God.

Paul writes, “And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him” ().

We have three crosses.

Redemption & Reconciliation Where Jesus is made to be sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God. As he hangs there he splits all of humanity into two groups those who stand in rebellion and those who repent

Rebellion those who rebel are characterized by their constant pursuit of their own interest and disregard for God and his claim over their life.

Repentance those who repent are characterized by a regard for God and his ownership of their life. They confess their sin and willingly accept justice. They acknowledges the goodness and kingship of Jesus and rely solely on the mercy and merit of Jesus Christ.

(ESV) Gives us a little insight into what repentance might look like and the results

8 For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. 9 As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

Conclusion

I’d like to encourage you to daily turn to Jesus and express these attitudes of repentance and humility before God.

Live every day from the perspective of God

Acknowledging what he says about you is true

Living to be like Jesus because you love him and want to be like him

Live every day for God not yourself remembering that...

It’s not about you… It's about Him

He owes you nothing and you owe him everything

Turn to Jesus (I’d like to sing the new song in your folders, #27)

We rejoice for the thief that was saved, but remember there were two. While one received redemption, the other died so very close to the Savior and yet died in his sin.

So it's absolutely important this morning.

What side of the cross are you on?

Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? Have you turned to him in repentance, or are you like the Roman soldiers gambling at the foot of His cross?

I’d like to give you opportunity to turn to Jesus on the cross. And whether you are in need of forgiveness or you've begun to believe God owes you salvation or a good life and you are holding so tightly to your things that you've lost your first love for him. I’d like to give you opportunity to turn to Jesus and talk to him. Ask him is there hope for me? Jesus, Remember me.

It’s all you have. Your only hope is in Christ. And know this about the heart of Jesus. He said in “whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/X62yjK7CiINz5E8G2-1fgQWhhNgga58q5WRKjYp2vhKQRuoUHOIylku6f7oLdqFMtLV8fl-nbS9O0MHusLLXShGAvJr7xVpMJNQ8th_7hSxBsrlmveJwc64d8iYSTLUzvTVMhLJr

http://austinstone.org/resources/sermons/481--today-you-will-be-with-me-in-paradise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEI6OTDwCHw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UCsoJKBjh4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl9WeHb7u9s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWfos82PGqo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aC4SYoiOGbw

English Standard Version (ESV)

24 Because I have called and you refused to listen,

have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

25 because you have ignored all my counsel

and would have none of my reproof,

26 I also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when terror strikes you,

27 when terror strikes you like a storm

and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,

when distress and anguish come upon you.

28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;

they will seek me diligently but will not find me.

29 Because they hated knowledge

and did not choose the fear of the Lord,

30 would have none of my counsel

and despised all my reproof,

31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,

and have their fill of their own devices.

English Standard Version (ESV)

God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.