Luke 23:39-43 Words From the Cross part 2
Good morning! Turn with me back to the Gospel of Luke, chapter 23, verses 39-43, page 884 in the pew Bibles.
As we move through this season of Advent, this season of expectation, we have been looking at the last words of Jesus from the cross. Last week we examined Jesus’ repeated prayer, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” This morning we will examine a promise from Jesus, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
I know that there are no shepherds or manger scenes or singing angels in our text today, but I pray that together we will see that there is a great gift for all who would receive it.
Let’s look at our text together.
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Let’s pray.
Now I’m sure that somebody here noticed one of two things, if you’re super attentive maybe you caught them both.
One, there are three different people who are crucified in our text, three very different hearts represented, so that means that this must be a three point sermon… No!
The second, Jesus says, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” That means that this is going to be a sermon about the intermediate state and the consciousness or unconsciousness of dead believers and soul sleep… No!
This is a Christmas sermon, an Advent sermon, the only point of this sermon is: hope.
The world seems content during Christmastime to celebrate love and joy and hope, but only in vague and, truthfully, hollow terms.
The world’s definition of hope is more like just a wish that things will get better eventually.
“I hope it stops raining, I hope I pass my finals, I hope they stick with the program.”
But that is not the Bible’s definition of hope. Hope is looking forward with a confident expectation of that which is good and beneficial. The only kind of hope that does not disappoint is hope in God.
In our text this morning that is the main point, hope found in the gospel, the promise of Jesus.
There is a lot to think about in this passage to be sure, and the disposition of those who die in Christ is certainly one of them but it’s not the main thing here.
The main things are the plain things, and the plain things are the main things.
John Calvin wrote, “’Today you will be with me in paradise.’ We ought not enter into curious and subtle arguments about the place of paradise. Let us rest satisfied with knowing that those who are engrafted by faith into the body of Christ are partakers of that life, and thus enjoy after death a blessed and joyful rest, until the perfect glory of the heavenly life is fully manifested by the coming of Christ.”
The main point of our text is the hope that entrance into that joyful rest is possible through faith in Christ alone.
If you are familiar with the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, you may recall that they record that both of the criminals who were crucified with Jesus railed at Him along with the rulers of the people, but Luke says that only one of them did.
Two things are possible in thinking about this paradox: One, Matthew and Mark meant that only one of the two criminals railed at Jesus while the other didn’t, or, the penitent thief began that way but then had a change of heart. I favor the second idea.
The two thieves truly do represent the two hearts of mankind, one hardened toward Jesus, and one softened by Jesus.
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
I’m not sure our imaginations can capture the chaos and noise of this scene, but in the midst of the horror this hardened sinner demanded that Jesus get them out of their predicament.
It’s as if he said, “Some Messiah you are! Why won’t you get us out of here and off these crosses!”
How many times have you heard of people making demands of God in order to earn their faith? Maybe you’ve done it too, “God, if you get me out of this, I’ll trust you, I’ll be your servant…”
In his hard-heartedness and pride, the thief rejected Jesus as Messiah and blasphemed Him even to the point of his own death.
And though I believe the second thief started in the same way, something happened, something changed. He went from railing at Jesus to rebuking the other thief and even repenting of his sin!
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him… 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Katie Orr who is one of the contributors for our Bible study material wrote, “The first step toward salvation is the recognition of sin.”
The second thief recognized, not just his sentence of condemnation but the justice of it, he recognized that he was getting what he deserved for his crimes.
This is often overlooked when it comes to putting faith in Jesus Christ: confession and repentance.
In order to be saved we must recognize what we are being saved from, and that is the just punishment for our sins, what the Bible calls, “God’s wrath.” If our concept of God is just love, love, love, and we don’t recognize God’s justice and righteous anger against sin, then grace means nothing and forgiveness is unnecessary which means that Jesus died for nothing. But Jesus did not die for nothing.
John Calvin wrote of the penitent thief, “With a mangled body, and almost dead, he is looking for the last stroke of the executioner, and yet relies on the grace of Christ alone.”
JJ VanOosterzee wrote, “Grace and mercy suddenly diffuse their bright beams through the night of the deepest humiliation.” The theatre of judgment became the working place of grace.
42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And [Jesus] said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The thief had everything necessary for conversion, for salvation: repentance and faith in Jesus.
And this is what every poor sinner should pray daily: Lord, remember me. Be graciously mindful of me when you come again as King.
So I told you that the one point of this sermon is hope, and that hope is in the power of “today.”
According to the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, In the promise of forgiveness the “one day,” becomes, the “today,” of fulfillment. Paradise is opened even to the irredeemably lost man hanging on the cross. He is promised fellowship with the Messiah. This shows how unlimited is the remission of sins in the age of forgiveness which has now dawned.”
Our hope is that Christ is satisfied with repentance and faith and will receive all who come to Him through them. While there is life, there is hope.
The thief on the cross had no time to get baptized, or get confirmed or take Communion. He never got the chance to tithe or go to Sunday school or attend a church service. He had no time to live the kind of life that the religious people might consider worthy of Jesus but he was still promised by Jesus that he would go with Him to paradise.
It isn’t fair. And in truth, we don’t really want it to be. Fairness isn’t the goal. If life were fair, we’d all be dead because we would get what we deserve. Jesus’ death on the cross was the ultimate act of unfairness. The righteous for the unrighteous, He died so that we could live.
Jesus took upon Himself what we deserve so that, by faith in Him, we could receive what He deserves.
That’s the hope that we have, that’s the hope that the thief on the cross had, that he, and that we, would have a place in His eternal kingdom, and that’s a great gift.
What is our hope in life and death? Christ alone! Christ alone!
Amen.
