Over The Price of Paradise

The Price of Paradise

4.15.22 [Luke 23:39-43] River of Life (Good Friday)

It’s amazing how quickly it all adds up! Of course this could describe many celebratory moments. Dinner with friends from out of town, a home improvement project, or that dream vacation.

The drinks and the appetizers, the main courses and the melt in your mouth desserts: It’s amazing how quickly it all adds up. Or the dream kitchen, bathroom, or backyard space: It’s amazing how quickly all those little touches add up to big project bid. That once in a lifetime vacation, with the room with the view, the thrilling entertainment, the out of this world service: It’s amazing how quickly it all adds up.

When we’ve prepared ourselves for the total cost of the fancy dinner, the home improvement project, or that dream vacation, it can be a little easier to swallow. It’s a lot, but we prepared ourselves a little.

But sometimes, it adds up quickly even when we’re caught by surprise. It could be that costs of a bridge rental car while they try to figure out what’s wrong with your daily driver. It could be a trip to the dentist or the veterinarian or the primary care physician that leads to a follow up and then a specialty consultation. It’s amazing how quickly it all adds up.

When it adds up quickly, we tend to experience that dreaded debt deluge called sticker shock. Sometimes, sticker shock prohibits us from doing something good because the cost is too high. But many times, sticker shock is inescapable because you can’t not fix the car, the house, the family pet, or your feet. Whether we want to or not, at some point, we will all come face to face with sticker shock.

This afternoon, we do, too. But the sticker shock isn’t financial. It’s spiritual. As we come to the foot of the cross, and see the Son of God suffer and die, we can be taken aback by the spiritual sticker shock of the shame of the cross and the pains of hell. But this is the price of paradise. It’s important we recognize exactly what our deeds deserve. It’s crucial that we also see that Jesus paid this price because he remembered all his promises and us.

There is a part of all of us that wants to avert our eyes this afternoon. The cross is gruesome. The Son of God is good. He doesn’t deserve this. He has done nothing wrong.

Yet he is not spared. He is deprived of everything. A fair trial. The opportunity for friends to speak in his defense. He was whipped and mocked, struck on the head and spit upon. They stripped him of everything—his reputation, his dignity, and even his clothes. The wages of sin are ugly and hard to stomach.

On Good Friday, the Son of God who had never even uttered a deceitful word was numbered with the criminals. Outside the holy city of Jerusalem they made an unholy scene. With his back flayed open, they forced him to carry his cross to his own execution. When his weakened flesh failed, they did not lend a helping hand, but mocked him mercilessly. Strong men surrounded him, but none volunteered to bear his burden. Sarcastically adorning his head with a crown of thorns, they surrounded him like wild hyenas, like roaring lions licking their chops. They enjoyed his pain. They reveled in him being reviled. They mocked this man who claimed to be the Messiah. They challenged the Christ to prove he was really the Son of God and (Mt. 27:42) come down from the cross. Then they said, we will believe in you. They openly scorned the Innocent Immanuel. God made his dwelling among them and they condemned him to death on a cross. And relished reviling the Holy One.

For hours they hurled insults at him. To them he was (Ps. 22:6) a worm, not a man. (Mt. 27:42) He saved others, but he can’t save himself! He thinks he’s the king of Israel? (Mt. 27:43) He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now, if he wants him.

But it wasn’t just (Mt. 27:41) the chief priests, the teachers of the law, the elders and the Roman soldiers who mocked him. (Mt. 27:44) In the same way, the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. Both the criminals who hung there alongside him joined in jeering Jesus as he suffered and died as they did.

To some degree that isn’t surprising. Hurting people hurt people. Jesus was the easy target and taunting him allowed these rebels to avoid any self-reflection. But at some point, one of the criminals looked at Jesus differently. After witnessing how merciless the crowds were and how toothless their accusations, he began to see this wretched man differently. And himself.

While he himself writhed in pain and likely hated those who were executing, Jesus prayed for his abusers and his enemies. Jesus didn’t curse God or lash out at onlookers. He continued to love those who hated him without reason. Through his humble obedience, his innocent suffering, and his merciful and gracious words, the heart of this hardened criminal was changed. His eyes were opened to see what no one else could see that day. That this dying man was the eternal King of heaven and earth. And ours, too.

This rebel who feared God began to trust that Jesus was the Son of God. This man who recognized that (Lk. 23:41) he was getting what his deeds deserved, understood that Jesus was being punished so that he might be justified. This criminal knew what he was. And he knew what he deserved. And so do we.

We may not have rebelled against earthly empires enough to earn a painful, shameful execution as this man did, but we have rebelled against the God of heaven and earth. The Lord who fashioned and made us, we have made a mockery of in our thoughts, words, and deeds. In our thoughts we have made ridiculous demands that God prove his power, love, or wisdom to us by doing as we demand. We have used our words to blaspheme his holy name. In our actions and inactions, we have violated this things he deems sacred—his day, his house, life, marriage, and material blessings. In our thoughts, words, and deeds we have despised those God loves. Sometimes because they have let us down. Other times because they had done exactly as God demands. It all adds up. And today we see the dreadful invoice. On the cross we catch but a glimpse of the wages of sin. The physical torture of the cross. The concealed torments of hell. Jesus was forsaken for us. But he has not forgotten us.

On Good Friday we see that God (Ps. 105:8) remembered the promise he made to Adam and Eve and generations of subsequent sinners. Today, we rejoice as we see God’s commitment. The sin of the world adds up far beyond our ability to put a dent into it. But God came and took on our sin debt. The Innocent Immanuel got what our deeds deserve. And he did not do so through gritted teeth, the way that you and I do when a surprise repair or medical bill gets dropped in our laps. Jesus planned for this. He prepared for it, with much great focus and enthusiasm that we expend even when we’re planning & saving for that once in a lifetime vacation. (Ps. 115:12) The Lord remembers us and blesses us with redemption from the sentence of sin. (Ps. 119:49) He remembers his words of promise to us and in him we have hope.

In this moment, an innocent man could have reacted in many different ways. But the Innocent Immanuel is full of grace and truth. When this dying criminal cries out: (Lk.23:42) Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answers him quickly and joyfully. (Lk.23:43) Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise. Jesus could make that promise because he had purchased and won paradise for sinners like him. And us. Because of what God chose to do on Golgotha, (Jer. 31:34) God forgives our guilt, our shame, our rebelliousness and remembers our sins no more. Today, these tender words spoken to a convicted criminal are announced anew. Truly, the way, the truth and the life say. You will be with me forever in paradise. Sin drove mankind out of the paradise God originally designed in the Garden of Eden. At Golgotha, the nails driven into his hands, his feet, open paradise to us once again. Jesus has paid the price in full and paradise has been opened to us forever.

And we won’t just be surrounded by God’s choicest blessings, we will be surrounded by God’s chosen One. Jesus remembers you and me. He redeems us and restores us to dwell with him forever. In everlasting innocence, righteousness and blessedness. It’s amazing how quickly all the blessings add up. Amen.