An Eternal Relationship Established

Introduction

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Continuing in our series “The Final Words” leading up to Easter where we are examining the final words of Christ on His way to the Cross, we are going to start in Luke 23 today.

Last week we were in the Garden of Gethsamane with Jesus where he prayed to the Father. We saw that He sat an example for us to live knowing our identity in Christ, Confidently pursuing our purpose, and that God would provide the results.

Today we are going to the cross.

Luke was written by a man that was not an apostle of Jesus. He was a man that came to faith later and travelled with the Apostle Paul. He wrote both Luke and Acts to a man named Theopholis.

The purpose of the gospel of Luke is to establish Jesus as the Son of Man.

The Son of Man is a term that is debated regarding its meaning. Some say it refers to the humility of Jesus while others see it solely as a reference to His deity bc of the OT references in Ezekiel and Daniel.

In the New Testament, the phrase is only used in the gospels. It seems as though Jesus referred to himself this way but it was not a common means by which Christians in the early church referred to Him.

I lean towards it reflecting His deity. And in our passage today we will see that as the Son of Man, the Messiah, He fulfilled prophecy in multiple ways on the cross establishing the means by which mankind, you and I, may have an eternal relationship with God the Father.

Follow along with me as we read a few verses to hear 2 phrases from the mouth of Jesus while he was on the cross.

Luke 23:32–43 KJV 1900

32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 35 And 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. 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. 38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Luke 23:32-43

Exegete:

In these 12 verses there is much to unpack.

We have prophecy being fulfilled, attributes of God shown, foolishness of mankind, and an understanding of the afterlife.

Let’s start at the top and work our way down as we exegete this text.

First notice those first three verses

Luke 23:32–34 KJV 1900

32 And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

In these verses there is a prophecy from Isaiah that is fulfilled

Isaiah 53:12 KJV 1900

12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, And he shall divide the spoil with the strong; Because he hath poured out his soul unto death: And he was numbered with the transgressors; And he bare the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

Is 53:12

He was numbered with the transgressors. These malefactors or robbers were there because of their violent crimes.

The word translated from Greek here indicates Robbers rather than thieves. The distinction being the robber is one that violently stole from a person and a thief snuck into the house at night to take without harming others.

Now the perfect and sinless son of Man is hanging on a cross between these two men.

As an innocent man hanging there He is being seen as a vile sinner. Mocked by those he has served and loved.

In the midst of what is happening Jesus prays to the father audibly “Father forgive them ,for they know not what they do.”

Put yourself in Jesus’ place. You are innocent, you have done no wrong, and these people are not only taking your life they are mocking you in your last hours.

I’d be angry. I’d like to think I could go to through this humbly and I pray I’d represent Christ well however I KNOW I’d be fighting my flesh and seeking the Holy Spirit to suppress the anger.

Not Jesus. Jesus had compassion on them as He did others and does us.

Jesus prayed for the father to forgive them, but were they forgiven? Don’t respond.

Think for a moment.

Jesus is literally dieing for their sins at that moment. When He prayed to the Father to forgive them, were their sins forgiven?

I’m going to say no.

And the next interaction we see with Jesus helps me explain why.

One of the thieves on the Cross turns and mocks Jesus with the crowd “If you are the Christ, Save yourself and us.”

Then the other robber says “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we received the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”

He turned to the Lord and says “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Let’s stop before we hear Jesus’ reply. Talk with me.

Ephesians 2:8 KJV 1900

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:8

We are saved by what? Through what? Faith.

Faith in what?

Romans 10:9 KJV 1900

9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Romans 10:9

The death burial and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus offered the forgiveness to all there. Jesus offers forgiveness to all of us. However it was not recived by all.

Jesus responded to the Robber who had faith by saying “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Illustrate:

I found this true story online. United States v. Wilson, 32 U.S. 150 (1833), was a case in the United States in which the defendant, George Wilson, was convicted of robbing the US Mail in Pennsylvania and sentenced to death. Due to his friends' influence, Wilson was pardoned by Andrew Jackson. Wilson, however, refused the pardon. The Supreme Court was thus asked to rule on the case.The decision was that if the prisoner does not accept the pardon, it is not in effect: "A pardon is a deed, to the validity of which delivery is essential, and delivery is not complete without acceptance. It may then be rejected by the person to whom it is tendered; and if it is rejected, we have discovered no power in this court to force it upon him." Therefore, Wilson was hanged.

Argue:

Some, like those who follow the doctrines of the cult of mormonism, would say that everyone will attain salvation just at a different level.

They also say you have to work for it and do all these things. Neither of which is true.

Salvation is available to anyone who chooses to believe in their heart that Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead.

However it will not be forced upon you.

Notice the interaction between Phillip and the Ethiopian Eunich

Acts 8:34–38 KJV 1900

34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Acts 8:34-38

Phillip did not force anything on this Ethiopian Eunich. He also established clearly baptism follows salvation and should not be performed on infants.

Apply:

hav you received the forgiveness Jesus offers to you through his sacrifice on the cross?

Do you have a relationship with God based upon who Jesus is or are you trying to have one based upon your own righteousness?

Isaiah 64:6 KJV 1900

6 But we are all as an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; And we all do fade as a leaf; And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Is 64:6

I. You determine whether or not you have a relationship with God

God does not enter into a relationship with you, me, or anyone else without that person accepting Him.

We have no reason to believe the robber that mocked Jesus on the cross was saved. We have every reason to believe the robber that asked to be remembered was. The difference? It wasn’t the lack of forgiveness or sacrifice offered by Jesus, it was the difference in what they believed about Jesus.

The 3rd statement we will hear from Jesus on the Cross is in Matthew 27

Matthew 27:45–46 KJV 1900

45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Matthew 27:45-46

Exegete:

Jesus has now been on the cross for about 6 hours. its around 3pm and there has been a miraculous darkness over the land from 12-3.

It is in this darkness, as Jesus hung on a wooden cross beaten, bloody, and disfigured between heaven and earth. It’s in this moment He experiences something new. Something He had never experienced before. Something that you and I walk around with every day yet don’t realize how bad it is or how great it could be if if were different.

hanging there Jesus cries out “ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?”

My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV 1900

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2 Cor 5:21

1 Peter 2:24 KJV 1900

24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1 Peter 2:24

In this moment, a theological happening that is debated often is taking place. God the Father has turned from God the Son.

God the Father cannot have sin around Him. And now, Jesus, the Son of God, has taken on the sins of the world.

It’s in this moment we see the most excrutiating thing Jesus went through while on the cross.

It wasn’t the nails through his hands or feet. It wasn’t the crown of thorns. It wasn’t the mocking. It wasn’t the scourging and beard plucking he had faced earlier.

It was the separation from His father.

We often walk around separated from God. A strained relationship that his hurt by our pride, our lust, our greed, and whatever sin that hurts your relationship.

We can choose to have a relationship with God and once that relationship is established, you have to choose what that relationship will look like.

Illustrate:

In many relationships, the problems that are faced can be based on expectations and what that relationship is to the other person.

For instance: ever had a crush on someone way out of your league? I got lucky and married mine.

There is a movie from the early 2000’s that I haven’t seen in years and can’t tell you you should watch it however the principle of the movie serves as a great point here.

It’s called “Love don’t cost a thing” a remake of a 1980’s film titled “Can’t buy me love.”

In the film there is a young man that is considered nerdy and a popular girl. He has a crush and wants to date her…she wants nothing of it. Until she crashes her car and he needs to fix it. She gives him a makeover and pretends to date him for 2 weeks. During that time she gains real feelings for her but he enjoys the popularity he now has.

In the beginning He wanted to go out with her and she wanted nothing to do with Him…no relationship.

They chose to have a relationship and she wanted to be more but he didn’t want that or at ellast didn’t realize he wanted it…bad relationship

In the end of the movie, they both realize they love each other and start dating....good relationship.

God has and is pursuing after you. He sent Jesus to die for you, the Apostle’s to spread the gospel, the writers and translators throughout the years to put it into your languge, and a pastor like me to tell you today that God wants a relationshpi with you. Some of you are at the same place as the girl in the story: you haven’t pursued Him leading to no relationship.

Some of you are like the boy after they got into the relationship: ignoring God or onyl giving Him half of your attention and life…bad relationship

And then there are those who faithfully live for the Lord and seek to grow closer to Him daily. Those in a good relationship. Most in this place would not admit it. they woudl tell you they are not as close to God as they want to be.

Apply:

Unilke in the movie, you don’t have to buy your relationshpi with God. That has been paid for on the cross.

You can have a relationship with God by trusting in Jesus as your Savior.

Your relationship following that moment of salvation and the quality of it is depending upon you. Now, let me pause and say this...

You are not lliving to earn God’s favor or acceptance. He showed you His love, Favor, and Acceptance on the cross with Jesus. We live for Jesus to demonstrate our love for Him because of His love for us.

We are saved by faith and our relationship wtih God after salvation is still by faith. You are not in a better place with God than anyone else because of your works, your clothes, or your standards.

You are close to God becausee of your choice to believe in him. Your behavior should match your belief. Jesus said “You are my friends if you keep my commandments”

You feel distant from God, not because God isn’t there or because he has walked away. You feel distant from God because you have stopped living out your faith.

II. You are as close to God as you want to be

God is always there. God’s love is never ending. When we sin we hurt that relationship but do not effect our salvation.

When we see this exclamation of Jesus it should help us to see how terrible it is to have any separation between us and God. We can become numb to it but Jesus had never been in that state before.

When you are close to God there are often emotional reactions. tears of joy and happiness becuase you are in a place different than how you normally walk. What if you could just live in that place?

One day you will be made like Christ in heaven, until then, the best we can do is to die daily to self and pursue Him.

The last phrase we will look at today that ties our eternal relationship with Christ up in a beautiful bow is found in John 19:30

John 19:30 KJV 1900

30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

John 19:30

This phrase is accompanied by another in Luke

Luke 23:46 KJV 1900

46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Luke 23:46

Exegete:

This is it. The final words of Christ before His burial. It IS Finished. Father into your hands I commend my spirit.

The greek phrase that “It is finished” Is translated from is what I want us to concentrate on today.

the greek word it is translated from is

Tetelestai- Is finished, Stands finished, and Will always be finished.

When Jesus died fro your sins, it was a complete and total sacrifice that need not be done again.

That relationship that was made available to all of mankind on the cross is an eternal relationship. It is one that you can’t walk away from or try to end.

John 10:29 KJV 1900

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

John 10:29

No man. Not even you.

Illustrate:

Marriage is a picture of the gospel. When you enter into the holy bonds of matrimony it is intended to be forever.

Genesis 2:24 KJV 1900

24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Gen 2:24

I know, this doesn’t always happen. The sin of man doesn’t change the intents and purposes of God though.

I know a man that shared a story about he and his wife when they were having an argument.

They were upset with one another and hadn’t really been talking. they were driiving down the road and after another heated discussion he turns to her and says “I know two things”

“What do you know?” she retorts

“We’ve got issues. And we’ve got our entire lives to work them out.”

This husband was reaffirming his love for his wife in this moment and showing the love of Christ.

Just like Hosea in the OT, the prophet that married a prostitute that didn’t quit her night job when they got married, and the father of the Prodigal son. God is there for you when you walk away and live apart from Him.

He is waiting with open arms. There will be no snide remarks or looks of derision from your Heavenly Father.. Only loving forgivness offered.

Argue:

It is unfortunate that too many believe our relationship, our salvation, is dependent upon us and a contual reception of grace from God.

The Catholic Church teaches that you must perform sacrements to remove the dark spots of venial sins from your life to only hope for pergetory and someone to pay or pray you out.

One of the sacrement s that they perform is known as the Eucharist.

According to the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

271. What is the Eucharist?

1322-1323 1409

The Eucharist is the very sacrifice of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus which he instituted to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until his return in glory. Thus he entrusted to his Church this memorial of his death and Resurrection. It is a sign of unity, a bond of charity, a paschal banquet, in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.

AND

292. What are the fruits of Holy Communion?

1391-1397 1416

Holy Communion increases our union with Christ and with his Church. It preserves and renews the life of grace received at Baptism and Confirmation and makes us grow in love for our neighbor. It strengthens us in charity, wipes away venial sins and preserves us from mortal sin in the future.

The observance of Holy Communion or the Eucharist is believed to cleanse of sin.

The question I ask in regards to that is “Chapter and verse”

When Jesus died on that Cross almost 2000 years ago He knew you r sin . He knew what you woudl do yesterday, today, an tomorrow, and stil He said…IT IS FINISHED.

Apply:

When God says somthing is done…it’s done.

You can take that to the bank.

Have you trusted in jesus as your savior today?

Are living as close to God as you want to be?

Have you walked away from your faith or beleived you had to be good enought o be loved and accepted by God and others?

Oncee you put your faith in Jesus you are saved for eternity.

Which is my last point today

III. Once you are His, you are always His

Would you like to know for sure your going to Heaven? Would you like to have a relationship with God? Woudl you like to stop living in your sin and see God transform your llife?

You can do that today. Not by getting up, not by paying money, not by being baptized…you can be saved by choosing right now to have faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation.

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