The Greatest Love Expressed by Jesus' Compassion for Others

Luke 23:32-43

MAIN POINT: Jesus’ interaction with the thieves on the cross shows His mercy and grace despite the circumstances He was enduring!

INTRODUCTION

Jesus with all the pain and suffering He was going through and all the harassment, thought of, and ministered to the people who in ignorance crucified Him as well as the thief next to Him.

LOVE EXPRESSED IN MERCY

1st Statement - v.34.

“Father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

Rulers: sneered at Jesus v.35a and Mocked Jesus: v.35b

Soldiers: Mocked Jesus - tried to give Him wine vinegar - if you are the king of the Jews then save yourself. Gambled for His clothes.

The sign: Mocked His claim as King of the Jews

1st Criminal: Mocked Jesus v.39. Aren’t you the Christ, Save yourself and us!

LOVE EXPRESSED IN GRACE

2nd Criminal: v.40-42 READ

Rebuked - the other criminal

Repented - of his sin / stated Jesus did nothing wrong

Remember Me - when Jesus goes to His Kingdom.

2nd Statement - v.43 “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The man was saved wholly by grace; it was the gift of God

(Eph. 2:8–9)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

He didn’t do any works for his salvation

He wasn’t baptized for his salvation

He repented and confessed his sin

He believed and placed his faith in Jesus

He did not deserve it and he could not earn it.

His salvation was personal and secure, guaranteed by the word of Jesus Christ.

The man hoped for some kind of help in the future, but Jesus gave him forgiveness that very day, and he died and went with Jesus to paradise (2 Cor. 12:1–4).

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 275–276). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

CONCLUSION

App: when our life is not going the way we want it to, when it is all falling apart do we have the frame of mind that when an opportunity to minister to another person comes, we would take that opportunity despite what is going on with us? Jesus is an incredible example of this. He is in torment and incredible pain after being scourged, beaten, hit, a crown of thorns pushed down on his head, then nailed to a cross, but it is not all about Him! Even though He is none other than the Son of God! It is all about others!

He asks the Father to forgive those that hung him on the cross!

He then assures the believing and repentant criminal next to him of his eternal salvation.

Illustration: Betty Boldin - pancreatic cancer - getting released from the hospital on the stretcher going into hospice care - asks one of the young men taking her in if he knew Jesus, was he saved…