We are in Luke chapter 23 I'm going to be focusing on verses 39 through 43 but I'm going to begin back in verse 32 before we read God's word, let us go to the Lord in prayer, remembering we need the Holy Spirit to open up our eyes and our hearts, our ears, or we are here in vain. We're wasting our time. And so let us pray for that. Let's pray, Father, we thank You that You give life to those who are dead, that where there is darkness, you speak light and Lord, that is our hearts.
I pray that you will give us understanding of your Word as we read it, and give us eyes to behold our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Give us the faith to embrace him and rest upon him. Let the things of this world grow strangely dim to us, and let us lift our eyes heavenward to be reminded that this world is not our home. We are Miss. We are vapors. We are passing through.
We are pilgrims.
And so let us have the heavenly perspective as we consider your word. And it's in Jesus's name we pray. Amen, Luke, chapter 23 Imma be beginning there in verse 32 two others who were criminals were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that's called the Skull there, they crucified him and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do, and they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, He saved others. Let Him save Himself. If he is the Christ of God, His Chosen One, the soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, if you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. There was also an inscription over him, this is the king of the Jews. One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us. But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation, and we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward for our deeds. But this man has done nothing wrong.
And he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.
And he said to him, Truly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise. He who has ears, let him hear the Word of God.
Please be seated in the book of Isaiah. In fact, Chapter 53 which may or may not be a familiar chapter to you, Isaiah prophesies that the Messiah would be numbered among the transgressors, and that's what we have happening in this text, we see a transgressor on Jesus's right side and on Jesus's left side. There are other prophecies that are all coming true here in this one chapter. In fact, there are over 28 prophecies that are all being fulfilled here in our text, and many of these prophecies are coming from the Psalms. And one of the things that I love about the Psalms is here, Luke is giving us the account of what happened, this historical account. But the Psalms often give us a picture of what Jesus felt. And if a close Psalm that is being fulfilled here is in Psalm 22 where the psalmist writes, but I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. All who see me mock me.
They make mouths at me. They wag their heads. He trusts in the Lord, let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him. For dogs encompass me. A company of evildoers encircles me. They have pierced my hands and feet. I count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me.
They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing, they cast lots, and hopefully, even in that brief part of the Psalm, you can see various aspects that are being fulfilled. And that psalm is prophesying hundreds of years before, what happens here in our text. And everything is happening. Everything is happening just as God said it would. And what we see in maybe those brief verses that we read is everyone is mocking Jesus, everyone, everyone has joined in to mock and rail, revile scorn Jesus, the chief priests, the soldiers, the people, they are all mock.
They're all insulting Jesus, and even Matthew's account tells us and the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. So even both of the thieves are engaged in this scorn and disdain of Jesus. But what is amazing is that one of these thieves stops reviling and starts worshiping.
One of these thieves is converted on the cross. And what I want us to consider this morning is that these two thieves represent all of humanity. Uh, you are represented in one of these two thieves that are hanging next to Jesus. There are two responses here to Jesus, and therefore two eternal destinations as a result of that response. And so this historical account that we have just read, it compels us, and it compels you this morning that you are making a choice. There's no neutral ground. You are making a choice this morning, whether you will believe and worship God or not. Do you believe that Jesus is your King, your Savior, your Lord, or not?
Will you end up on the right side or the wrong side of Jesus on Judgment Day?
First we see in our text, the wrong side of Jesus. We see both of these men are on the cross.
They are both thieves, and these are probably the type of men Jesus describes in the parable of the Good Samaritan that beat up the man on the road and leave him for dead. These are the types of thieves that are vicious. They are cold hearted men who think of their own gain at your loss. You would not want your children to be around these men. They are wicked men. They are dangerous men. Their crimes are so severe that Rome thinks that they ought to be put to death, even crucified.
These men are also most likely Jewish, because here we are in our text in Jerusalem, and also Rome didn't typically crucify a Roman citizen. Both of these men are equally close to Jesus. They have both observed and have heard what Jesus has said recently about judgment and forgiveness. Both of these men are now suffering. Both of these men are now dying, and one of the criminals responds with anger, although we know that both of these men at one men, both at one time, scorned and mocked Jesus, one of them continues in it.
What's interesting, it doesn't say that the thief, his anger is towards Rome, the one who was crucifying him, but his anger is being directed towards Jesus.
Imagine you just have a few short breaths left.
What would you say with your last remaining breaths?
What does this man do with his he directs his rage and his anger and his mockery towards Jesus.
He joins in with the chorus on the ground that is around the cross that is swelling. If you're the Christ, save yourself, and while you're at it us, it's not a cry at all for deliverance. It's a sarcastic statement. He's making fun of Jesus. This thief is even seeking to put Jesus below himself, to feel better about himself. You know, I'm on a cross too, but I'm not. I'm at least not this clown, because that's exactly how Jesus was being treated like a clown.
Remember, Pilate sends Jesus to Herod, and Herod dresses them up in robes, and they put a crown of thorns on his head. They are mocking him, treating Jesus like a clown. And this is how often people treat God as a clown to be mocked, a clown to be ridiculed. If God doesn't give me a sign when I want it and how I want it, or get me out of this tough and difficult situations on my terms and how I want my kingdom built. You know what I'm going to do? Then I'm going to make fun of God. I'm going to mock God. Of course, God doesn't do this or that, because he doesn't do it on my terms. And this man, he doesn't care about God or the consequences of his sin or forgiveness. All he cares about is get me off of this thing. You.
God, and that's what most of us want, is we often just want a god that's going to serve us.
Many people seek to make a deal with God, heal me, promote me, free me, and I'll do this. I'll I'll even go to the evening instruction. God, you know, if you do this, then you have earned my affection. You have earned the right for me now to worship you.
But if God doesn't do what we want him to do when we want him to do, we get angry, just like this man. We ridicule and even mock God.
And if even God does do what we ask, we often say thank you, and we just move on our way. And no, let no doubt that's what this man would have done. Even if Jesus would have got him off the cross, he would have just gone on his way. He would not have worshiped. He would have not sought forgiveness or salvation.
And that's what's happening here in this text. There are two men.
Both of these men are reviling Jesus, but something then changes at some point in one of the men, and now we have the right side of Jesus. He turns to his fellow thief, and he says, Do you not fear God?
He's starting to then reflect on his own soul before God. As Proverbs, one says, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. So we see already in this thief, there's a sense that he's beginning to become wise.
He's starting to fear God, to consider his soul. He has a reverence that seems to be occurring for God. He says, You are under the same sentence of condemnation, and we indeed justly for we are receiving the due reward for our deeds.
There's now an acknowledgement of his sin. And what does his sins deserve death? The wages of sin is indeed death. You deserve this. I deserve this. God is justly giving what we deserve.
The man is saying, but then he goes on, he says, But this man has done nothing wrong. He acknowledges that Jesus is guiltless. There's no guilt even, as Pilate has just said three times, there's no guilt. He's innocent. There's no guilt in this man. Blameless is this man between us, and it doesn't just stop at his fear before God.
It doesn't even just stop at his recognition of his sin and even innocence of Jesus, because faith never stops there. Faith does what this man does next.
He turns to Jesus, and that's what faith does. It's not just an acknowledgement of the holiness of God. It's not just an acknowledgement of our sin and our guilt or even the innocence of Jesus. Faith. Turns to the Savior, and he turns to Jesus, and he says, Jesus.
And I think that's very interesting, because throughout the scriptures, no one calls Jesus, Jesus. When people refer to Jesus or call upon Jesus, you hear the words, teacher, Lord, Master. But here, this man actually uses Jesus's name, Jesus, and I believe he's actually using it very purposely. Because what does Jesus mean? It's Christmas time.
Remember what the angel said you shall call his name Jesus? Why?
Because he will save his people from their sins.
Jesus, Yeshua, that is Jesus, God saves. That's what Jesus means. God saves, God delivers, God rescues. And he's crying out to Jesus, knowing that he is the only one who can rescue and save him. He's recognizing that Jesus has the power to save sinners.
He also believes that there's some sort of resurrection, that this isn't the end, not only is it not the end, but that somehow Jesus is a king of a kingdom, and Jesus doesn't look kingly at all. He's dying on a cross. And yet this man believes that Jesus is a king, and he doesn't ask, Jesus, let me sit at your right or your left hand and make me great. Jesus, when You come into Your kingdom, there's a humility about his request. And he says, simply, remember me. Think.
Think of me Jesus, and it's enough, because I know you will never forget, as the psalmist once says, I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. And it's a remarkable thing how this wicked, evil, perverted man, and what faith he seems to grasp at his last moments, in his last breaths.
So what has happened? What happened all of a sudden, both of these men, mockers of Jesus, evil men, and yet one repents and believes and the other will die in his sins. One continues to cry in mockery, while the other cries for mercy and is saved by Jesus. How do we explain that?
There's only one explanation, the grace of God, and if you have a copy of the scriptures, I would even ask that you would turn with me to Ephesians chapter two, beginning in verse one. And I'm going to read about 10 verses here. And Ephesians one, or I'm sorry, Ephesians two, beginning in verse one, explaining to you exactly what's happening here in our text.
Paul writes in you were dead in the trespasses and sins, and when she 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, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature, children of wrath, Like the rest of mankind, that's these two thieves, right? So far, that's not only these two thieves, but that's also us. And what's it then say, and then God saw who was spiritual, and then God saw who was intellectual, and God saw who was smart and who would eventually come to love him. Is that what Paul says?
No, absolutely not.
But God, being rich in mercy because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace, you have been saved and raised us up with Him and seated us with him in the heavenly places. In Christ, Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of His grace and kindness towards us in Christ, Jesus, For by grace, you have been saved through faith.
This is not your own doing. It's a gift of God, not a result of works, so that noone may boast.
It's all grace here, all God's grace given here. And then, if you turn back to Luke, what is the most amazing thing about this text is not simply this man crying out for deliverance, but Jesus freely offering it and giving it to him. Jesus lovingly and willingly then saves this man.
This man's whole life. He's been a law breaker. He's been a scoundrel. He's been known for sin and abuse and wickedness, and he can't do anything now to make it up to God. He's nailed to a cross. What's he going to do?
And just a moment ago, he is mocking Jesus, and now with this last breath, he's repenting and believes and in Jesus's pain and in Jesus's agony, in Jesus's last breath, Jesus doesn't say, Cursed are you? You had your chance. You're a wicked man. No.
Verse 43 he says, Truly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise.
There has never been anyone in the Scriptures who has had such a such a clear affirmation of their own salvation than this one repentant man on the cross.
It's not a promise to eventually save, it's there's no waiting, there's no purgatory. He doesn't have to work off any of his sin, because they're being worked off right in front of his eyes by Jesus, who's hanging there for him.
The very moment a believer dies, their soul is safe and secure in heaven. You exhale, exhale, your last breath on Earth, and then you in.
Ill your first breath in heaven.
That's how close we are, and we can remember that even when those we love fall asleep, as Paul says in Christ, while we are sorrowing, they are rejoicing.
The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 32 another thing you can look at your own time, but I'll just read the first little paragraph.
It says, The bodies of men after death return to dust and see corruption, but their souls, which neither die nor sleep having an immortal substance, immediately return to God, who gave them. The souls of the righteous, being made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God and the light and glory waiting for the full redemption of their bodies and the souls of the wicked are cast into Hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness reserved to the judgment of the great day.
Beside these two places for souls separated from their bodies, the scriptures acknowledges none. I think it's also interesting Jesus's response here. He says, Today you'll be with me in paradise. He doesn't say, today you'll be with Me in Heaven. He says, Today, you'll be with me in paradise. And often, especially in that time, this word paradise was often pictured to describe a beautiful garden, a lush garden, a Paradise Garden. And can you think of any lush paradise gardens in the Scripture? Maybe that someone was kicked out of once one day, the Garden of Eden, right, and and Adam is is kicked out of the garden for his sin, and we with Adam fall when paradise is lost. And you know what the rest of Scripture is? How do we get back to paradise? How do we return to the presence of God and and have communion with Him. Once again, we've been kicked out. We've been kicked out of paradise, and how do we get back in?
And what Jesus is saying, I'm the way, I'm the way I'm the way. Jesus is the way back to paradise. He is the Way Back to God in communion and union with Him. Jesus is paradise regained.
You know, many of us would have been happy if Jesus simply said, today, you'll be in paradise.
Great today we'll be in paradise. That is wonderful news, but Jesus actually says something infinitely better than today. You'll be in paradise.
What's he saying? Today? You'll be with me. You'll be with me.
There is nothing better than being with Jesus, being with him, face to face, your bridegroom, your prophet, your priest, your King, your mediator, your Redeemer. That is heaven is to be with Jesus. That is paradise. Is to be with Jesus. So often we think about heaven. We think about friends, which will be there, and family.
That is a wonderful but it will not compare to being with Jesus.
Martin Luther, the theologian reformer, said one thief was saved, that no sinner might despair. And that's true. If you feel like your sin is too great, you can find great comfort in this text that you too like this thief, even if you have spent most of your life rebelling against God, today is the day of salvation, just like this thief.
He said, one thief was saved, that no sinner might despair, but only one that no sinner might presume. This is a reminder, too, that not only one was saved, but one thief did not go to paradise that day. In fact, one thief went to hell for eternity. And even if you remember last week's text, and if you weren't here last week, you can just look briefly at the text before where Jesus gives a great warning. He says, Do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. Remember the temptation here is to leave feeling good because you felt bad about Jesus, and you pity Jesus, and I'm sorry for what Jesus had to go through and all of that. And he says, No, weep for yourself and for your children if you do not repent, because if you do not repent, you will perish. You will be crying for mountains to fall upon you and mercifully crush you when the Son of Man comes on judgment day. But there will no longer be any grace. There will no longer be.
Any mercy given, the door will be shut.
Jesus doesn't want sympathy. He wants repentant hearts.
And as I begin, I'll end with the reflection that one of these thieves represents you.
Both are guilty, deserving of death, but one calls on the name of the Lord and is saved.
God is not obligated to give you any more breaths, any more moments, any more opportunities to repent and believe. And many people, and many of our congregation we know, even very recently, of those that we know who have died unexpectedly and suddenly.
And my question to you is, what will you do with the breath that is in your lungs right now? What will you do?
Will you mock God, or will you worship Him? Those are the two choices. There's no middle ground. And one leads you that is worship, to Paradise, to be with Christ, and the other leads to eternal destruction and hell, your breaths are numbered.
You do not know how many you have, but God does, and today is the day of salvation. Take seriously your eternal soul.
Worship the Lord. Call upon his name and be saved. Let's pray, Father, we thank You that You give us this historical account with these two thieves and Lord, we are the chief of sinners just like them.
Lord, we all deserve death here.
The wages of sin is indeed death, and we have earned it greatly in time and time, over and over again.
But out of your great grace, you have called us and Lord, we pray that you will help us to turn to you, to turn to Jesus, to seek forgiveness and seek life and find it in Christ and in Him alone, Lord, we recognize there is no other way. There is no other way to Paradise. There's no other way to you apart from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord, You made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might have the righteousness and be the righteousness of God.
Lord. Let us rest upon him this day in Jesus's name, we pray Amen.