DEATH ROW DECISIONS

DEATH ROW DECISIONS Luke 23:32-43 With grateful acknowledgement of these sources of direction and inspiration: the Holy Spirit; the Word of God; Chuck Swindoll, The Darkness and the Dawn; Philip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew; John R. W. Stott, The Cross of Christ; Max Lucado, He Still Moves Stones March 30, 2003 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introductory Nearly two years ago, Timothy McVeigh was executed by lethal injection. His crime was the murder of 168 human beings when he destroyed the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, April 19, 1995. His twisted mentality was evident even when he faced death that day. He betrayed his heart's attitude as his last words were the words of the poem by William Ernest Henley entitled "Invictus": Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. How a man faces his death has an awful lot to do with his faith. On Death Row, just days before his execution he said, "If I'm going to hell, I'm gonna have a lot of company." McVeigh said he was an agnostic. But, he also said that if he finds out there is an afterlife, "I will improvise, adapt and overcome." Delusional, he would not admit that his days of improvising, adapting and overcoming were decidedly over. "Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called 'The Skull,' there they crucified him, along with the criminals-one on his right, the other on his left Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, 'He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.' The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, 'If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.' There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: 'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!' But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'" [webmasters note: Luke 23:32-43] The Criminals Today we will look at the final moments of two other criminals on death row. We don't know their names, nor do we know their crimes. We do know that under Roman law they were condemned to die by crucifixion, and it so happened that it was the same day as the crucifixion of Jesus. We'll begin our study at Luke 23:32 - "Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals-one on his right, the other on his left." (Luke 23:32-33) These two men were apparently more than just hooligans; they were dangerous to have been sentenced to crucifixion. The Bible uses the word KAKOUROI - "Evil guys". They knew one another, judging by their dialogue. Some scholars believe they may have been co-conspirators with Barabbas. Mark 15:7 says, "A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising." It could well be that these men were those insurrectionists. But their similarities ended there, because while they hung on their crosses and encountered the Son of God, it became obvious that there was a world of difference between them in terms of their willingness to respond to the offer of God's mercy. And in that sense, these two seem to represent all of humanity. Because when it is all said and done, there will only be two classes of people: those who say "yes" to the forgiveness Jesus offers and those who say "no". The Crucifixion - "…there they crucified him… "(verse 33) They and Jesus were led outside the city to a place called KRANION ("cranium"), or "Place of the Skull". Seen from a certain direction the rock formations on this knoll look like a skull. The Hebrew word is GOLGOTHA and the Latin word was CALVARIA, and both mean skull. Some traditions of the day taught that Golgotha was the place where Adam died and was buried. Be that as it may, the place of the skull was the location that met all the Jewish and Roman criteria. The cross was one of the cruelest instruments of death ever invented. The Romans, who borrowed it from the Carthaginians who had brought the art of torture to near perfection. Crucifixion was such humiliating torment that, no matter how heinous a crime he would commit, the Romans would not allow a Roman citizen to be executed in this way (they were normally beheaded). Crucifixion was reserved for slaves and foreigners, and only for such crimes as murder and slave revolts. The Jews customarily used stoning and never crucifixion, yet, stirred by the religious leaders, the Jewish crowd yelled, Crucify Him!" In Roman crucifixion the victim was usually first stripped naked, the garments falling to the lot of the executioners. First the upright was planted firmly in the ground. Then the victim was laid down with arms extended on the crossbar to which they were fastened first by cords. Then the transom was raised to its position on the upright and nailed while the body was left to swing or its weight rested on an iron saddle peg driven into the upright. Then the hands of the condemned were nailed through the palms or wrists with iron spikes. Following this his feet were nailed either through the instep separately, or both together with a single iron spike. There the body was left to hang in agony sometimes two or three days, until death from pain and starvation ensued. The Conversation During the first three hours on the cross, from 9 am until noon on Friday, there were a number of things that transpired: Jesus prayed aloud for the forgiveness of His tormentors, the soldiers gambled over His clothes, and the inscription was nailed to the cross (verse 38). But I would invite us to focus on the conversation going on during this time. All the while these other things were taking place there was a steady stream of derision toward Jesus from the rulers (verse 35), the soldiers (verse 36-37) and even the two criminals (verse 39)-at least at first. You can almost understand the Jewish rulers continuing their diatribe against Jesus. There is something about self-justification that can't shut up. The Sandedrists had to keep up the insults lest the passers-by would begin to ask questions about the injustice being perpetrated. "…He 'saved' others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." [webmasters note: Luke 23:35] You couldn't miss the sarcasm. How they had hated the growing public belief that He was the Messiah. And the praise given Him when He came into the city on the donkey! The children, the palm branches-it all drove them to insane anger! Now was the time of their just desserts. The soldiers? They were probably bored-they'd played guard to dozens of these executions and they knew that once the clothes were gambled away it became a long routine. So they joined in the game of mockery. By now the jokes had pretty well played themselves out-the temple guards had nearly killed Him already with their clubs and their crown of thorns. So while they offered him the traditional wine-vinegar for relief it seemed natural to taunt. "…If you are the king of the Jews [like the inscription reads], save yourself."[webmasters note: verse 37] Verse 36 says they "mocked him." Then one of the two criminals joins in. Now, you'd think this man would be totally preoccupied with his own pain and agony. What would drive him to use what little energy he had left to insult Jesus? Was it a desperate attempt to fraternize with the mocking soldiers in order to curry favor? Maybe he actually thought he could be released. Was he out of his mind with suffering? What would cause this convict to "hurl insults at" Jesus? [webmasters note: verse 39] Alexander Solzenitsyn wrote The Gulag Archipelago during the years he spent in the Russian prison system. There he saw human depravity at its worst. He wrote about how evil men can be so possessed by their own evil that their souls become totally, irretrievably mired in malevolence, and their behaviors graduate to unbelievable depths. Is that what is happening in this man? Even his partner is shocked by his audacity and tries to talk sense to him. And here is the next question-Why? The Conversion This second criminal has apparently had a change of heart. What happened? The text gives us three clues: First, he suddenly understood the awfulness of remaining evil when he watched his compatriot flip out. He might secretly have asked himself, "Is this what I'm becoming?" Many people take their first step of faith toward Christ when they become shocked at their own behavior. There is a sudden revelation in their minds of how far bad they've gone, and just as suddenly there is a dawning affinity for God. People today have come face to face with evil-in the corporate boardrooms of deception, on the streets of cities where violence has become a way of life, and in the shadow of Jihad playing itself out in New York and Baghdad. And they are becoming scared. Evil is no longer comfortable. May the church rise to the occasion to point them to Christ so they can turn to Him while He is near. Secondly, he noticed the sign above Jesus' head: 'This is the King of the Jews.' The inscription was not intended as a declaration of truth; it was Pilate's derisive slap in the Sadducees' face. But the second thief looked at it and saw the possibility of truth in his hour of desperation. Perhaps moments from his own death, this man reached out in blind faith to find anything he could that was holy and righteous. He knew enough of the well-published Jewish expectation of a Messiah. Maybe it was true, 'This is the King of the Jews', and he began to believe it to be the truth. If you are in a time of desperation in your life, if the most important thing to you is no longer the things of the world, but only truth, God is not far from you. Turn to the living demonstration of the light and glory of God in Christ and with whatever minute measure of faith you can muster, trust Him. He will be your Savior. The third factor that changed his heart was the silence of Christ-the way He handled all the abuse. He watched and listened as this innocent man took the abuse in all meekness and did not try to defend himself. He was coming to know the truth about Christ. 1 Peter 2:23-24 says it plainly: "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." Before the criminal's very eyes Isaiah 53 was being fulfilled ("Like a sheep before his shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth") In His silence and control, Jesus offered the good news (the gospel) that has the power to change a life. And the once-hardened criminal responded. He realized the uniqueness of Christ. He saw in Him more than just a man. But more than anything else, the thief saw the possibility of forgiveness. Early in his suffering Jesus had prayed aloud, "Father, forgive them" [webmasters note: verse 34] in such a compelling way that criminal #2 couldn't shake it. I suggest this man was so deeply sorry for his sins, and so ready for a forgiving word, that he was already converted at the moment he heard those words. God had him at "forgive." When we sin, we know we have offended the holy and righteous God Who made us. We don't need anyone to argue the point, because the Holy Spirit of God is busy convicting the world of this truth. No matter how many people, including ourselves and those we love, that we have hurt by our sinful behavior, it is primarily God we have offended. He is the Creator and the Judge, and when it comes to judgment, nothing else matters but to be forgiven and accepted by Him. No wonder the words "Father, forgive them…" [webmasters note: verse 34] were such comfort to this man. When he heard them he knew it was possible to get the only thing in all the world that really matters-God's forgiveness. No wonder those words are so precious to us. They were spoken by the only One who could provide that forgiveness-the sacrificial Lamb of God, by whose obedience on the cross our sin debt is satisfied. The man on the third cross knew what to do to be forgiven. It wasn't by looking good and impressing others-he hung there disgraced before the world. There was no cosmetic goodness for him. It wasn't through straightening up his life and trying to live better-it was too late for that. He had to come as an abject failure in repentance and throw himself on the mercy of Jesus. So with a mixture of a lot of desperation and a little faith, he pleads, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!" [webmasters note: verse 42] In His magnificent grace and mercy, Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." [webmasters note: verse 43] Forgiveness and eternity in paradise. What a beautiful picture of the fullness of God's grace and mercy. Here is Jesus, hanging on the cross, minutes from His death for the sins of all humanity, writhing in pain. But He turns to this penitent sinner and tells him he is forgiven based on the very sacrifice He is making at the moment. God's love for us is a saving love, and came at a great cost. It was five days before Christmas when a stranger approached ten-year-old Christopher Carrier, claiming to be a friend of his father. "I want to buy him a gift, and I need your help," said the stranger. Eager to do something good for his dad, Chris climbed aboard a motor home parked up the street. The driver took Chris to a remote field, claiming to be lost, and asked Christ to look at a map. Suddenly Chris felt a sharp pain in his back. The stranger had stabbed him with an ice pick. The man drove the wounded boy down a dirt road, shot him in the left temple, and left him for dead in the alligator-infested water of the Florida Everglades. Chris lay lifeless for six days until a driver found him. Chris miraculously survived his injuries, though he was blind in his left eye. Because he was unable to identify his attacker, police could not make an arrest. For a long time young Chris remained frightened, despite police protection. Finally at an invitation given after a church hayride, Chris trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior. He recalls, "I was overwhelmed with emotion…because I knew I had never really accepted and personally met the Savior." This turning point in Chris' life came three years after the attack. At age 15 Chris shared his story for the first time. He eventually decided to pursue full-time ministry, helping others to find the peace he had discovered in Christ. In 1966 a detective told Chris over the phone that a man had confessed to the crime that had cost him his left eye. The man's name was David McAllister. Chris made plans to visit the feeble and now blind man, living in a nursing home. The strong young man Chris remembered was now a broken, humbled 77-year-old. Chris learned from the detective some of the background of what had happened years ago. McAllister had been hired by Chris's father to work as a nurse for an ailing uncle. Chris's dad had caught McAllister drinking on the job and had fired him. The senseless attack on Chris had been motivated by revenge. As Chris now talked to the old man, at first McAllister denied knowing anything about the kidnapping. As Chris revealed more about himself, the old man softened and eventually apologized. Chris said, "I told him, 'What you meant for evil, God has turned into a wonderful blessing.'" Chris told his attacker how God had allowed his wounds to become open doors to share the good news of Christ. Chris went home and told his wife and kids about meeting the man who had tried to kill him. The entire family began almost daily visits to McAllister's nursing home. During one Sunday afternoon visit, Chris asked the most important question he had yet asked McAllister: "Do you want to know the Lord?" McAllister said yes. Both men basked in forgiveness as McAllister gave his heart to Christ. A few days later McAllister died-peacefully-in his sleep. Carrier says it is not a story of regret, but of redemption. "I saw the Lord give that man back his life, and so much more. I can't wait to see him again someday-in heaven." Conclusion Both the criminals had sinned and had been rightfully judged. But one repents while the other doesn't. We have sinned, each of us, and we stand judged before God's righteousness. We are incapable of making things right between us and God. Jesus died to pay the debt of our sins and to put us right with God. Ultimately the only thing that matters is what we do with the offer Jesus extends to us. Our sin is not what keeps us from God any longer. There is only one sin that will keep you from forgiveness and heaven today - not trusting Christ as your Savior. These criminals represent us. One of them recognized Jesus for who he was and received him; Jesus promised that when he died he would be in heaven with him. The other man rejected Jesus and closed his heart. Unlike the other criminal, when he died he didn't go to heaven. He went to hell. In that sense, those two men on either side of Jesus are just like every person. We either embrace Christ as our Savior and spend eternity with him, or we reject him and say, 'I don't believe it. I'll have nothing to do with that.' And these people spend eternity separated from him. "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24)   [Back to Top]