When the police arrest a suspect – what’s the first thing they are required by law to do?
That’s right - “read him his rights”. "You have a right to remain silent ..." etc.
What’s the official name for that process?
The Miranda Warning.
When a suspect has been read his rights they often say he’s been “Mirandized”
Few people realize that the Miranda warning originated from a Supreme Court ruling in 1966. Ernesto Miranda had been in and out of the Arizona State juvenile courts for more than a decade. He had a long record that included convictions for armed robbery assault, burglary, and attempted rape. And Police also believed that he was a sexual predator.
He was arrested on March 13, 63, and charged with stealing $8 from a Phoenix resident. But police were actually interested in him in regard to a rape that had occurred in which he was considered the prime suspect. They questioned him for two hours and bluffed Miranda suggesting that a woman who’d been assaulted 11 days earlier - had picked him out of a line up. He signed a written confession, and rec’d a sentence of 20 to 30 years for the kidnapping and rape of the 18 year old mildly mentally retarded woman.
His lawyers attempted to get the conviction overturned arguing that Miranda had never been informed of his constitutional rights. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, and in a 5 to 4 decision the court agreed, and the conviction was overturned on June 13, 1966.
Miranda was eventually tried a second time, convicted of the crime, went to prison, and served almost 10 years total in prison. He was paroled in December of 1972.
On January 31, 1976, Miranda got into a fight in a tavern in Phoenix over a $3 bet. When he went to the bathroom to get the blood off of his hands he was stabbed to death. Police arrested a suspect who chose to exercise his "Miranda rights" and was released.
Ernesto Miranda was 34 years old when he died. (Richard Ellis)
APPLY: Ernesto Miranda wasn’t a very nice man.
Throughout his life he’d been involved with armed robbery, assault, burglary, and attempted rape. He died as he lived… a violent man.
And some might say that in his death, Miranda only received what he deserved.
When Jesus was crucified he was put to death between two thieves.
They were guilty men… one of them said as much.
As criminals they were not Mirandized… they were simply being put to death.
These were violent men.
They preyed on the innocent.
They assaulted the defenseless.
They took from the rich… and the poor… and gave to themselves.
Some scholars believe they were part of a gang run by a violent man named Barabbas (he’d been scheduled to be executed that day). Of course we know the name Barabbas from the fact that Pontius Pilate attempted to save Jesus from execution by offering to free either He or Barabbas - fully believing that Barabbas’ reputation was so vile the crowds would definitely prefer to have Jesus released instead of him.
But the crowds preferred to see Jesus die.
And so, on Calvary that day Jesus shared His fate with two thieves who faced the penalty for their sins - death on a cross.
There were two thieves who died that day, but today I want to focus on the 2nd one. This 2nd thief was NOT the one most people think of when they picture this scene. Most people – when they hear about the “The Thief On The Cross” think of the thief to whom Jesus said “Today you’ll be with me in Paradise”. That thief made a choice to follow Jesus. He reached out Christ as he was dying and he received that promise.
But the 2nd thief didn’t get that promise, because unlike the first man, the 2nd thief choose … poorly. Our sermon series has been entitled “The Biggest Losers”, but this 2nd thief was perhaps the biggest loser of all time. He had the opportunity to speak to the King of the universe and ask for forgiveness
INSTEAD he curses Jesus. He insults Him.
SCENE: As the Jesus was led up the mountain to the place of his execution the thieves were dragging their crosses right along beside him.
• They saw the crowds that had gathered to watch Jesus die.
• They heard the women who gathered and wept for Him.
• As Jesus was placed on His cross they may have noted that he didn’t curse as they had.
They heard those who passed by hurling insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!"
In the same way they listened as the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked Jesus. (Matthew 27:39-41)
But Jesus didn’t respond to accusers.
And when Jesus DID speak of those who were tormenting he said: “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”
And how do these thieves react to all this drama???
They join in the abuse.
They BOTH curse Him.
Matthew 27:44 tells us “…the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.”
THEY BOTH DID THIS!!!
But somewhere along the line… something changed in that first thief.
Something shook him to the point where he actually pled with Jesus to remember him. Part of it may have been the stories he’d heard about Jesus:
• the stories of how Jesus had taught such powerful messages
• of how He had healed of the sick, the lame and the demon possessed
• The gossip of how he raised a young girl from her death bed and Lazarus from tomb.
Perhaps part of what influenced him was how Jesus responded to the hatred around Him. I’m sure that was probably all part of it… but the lynchpin that seems to have changed the 1st thief’s heart was the words of the thief on the other side of Jesus.
Luke23:39-40 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don’t you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence?”
I can picture this 2nd thief.
He’s NOT JUST a man who steals money from others for a living.
He’s the type of man who taunts his victims and grinds them into the dirt.
Here is a man who despises weakness and submission. Humility and righteousness are curse words to him.
This 2nd thief is NOT a nice man.
He’s used to stealing – not only the possessions of his victims – but also their dignity.
In Jesus, this 2nd thief sees just another pathetic weakling to be preyed upon before he dies
Now the first thief hears all this abuse that Jesus has to endure, and he’s has had just about enough of it. He’s heard more than he cares to hear and he begins to defend Jesus:
"Don’t you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Lu 23:40-41
ILLUS: I remember being at a Christian camp over in Ohio several years ago. The Camp Dean asked three of us play a part in a little drama for the kids.
One of the staff was to pretend to be an atheist. His job was to attack Jesus.
Another was to pretend to doubt Scripture. He was to attack the Bible.
And I was given the role of the preacher was to answer their objections.
As our little drama played out I was amazed at what happened amongst the kids. The mild mannered – well behaved – kids sat back and were caught up in the conversation. But the troubled kids began to get really irritated. Ordinarily they didn’t take part in the classes… but this attack on Jesus and the Bible was more than they could handle and they stood up and began to respond to the staffers who were pretending to be atheists and skeptics.
I’d never seen anything like it.
When I asked the Dean about this later, he said “Oh yeah, it happens every time.”
Just like those troubled campers… this troubled thief on the cross begins to defend Jesus. And then - having defended Him - his doubts give way to the hope that the stories he’s heard are actually true. And that’s why – after defending Jesus - this first thief speaks of that hope:
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Luke 23:42
“I’ve heard about this kingdom (he’s saying) and I want a part of that!”
That’s what this 1st thief had heard others talk about… and that’s what he wanted!
So now I can understand the actions and the words of the 1st thief.
But what about the 2nd one?
Why on earth would this man behave as he does?
ILLUS: Some might say that he was simply the product of poverty and social injustice of the day. In fact that was the concept that drove the U.S. policy for the past few decades. A generation of liberals preached the view that - if only the evils of society (such as poverty, unemployment and racism) were overcome, crime would disappear.
Former Attorney General Ramsey Clark believed this, and he wrote: “Healthy, rational people will not injure others.” In other words, poverty was the cause of crime.
A decade later, President Jimmy Carter used the same rationale to explain the widespread looting during the 1977 New York blackout. “Obviously, the number one contributing factor to crime of all kinds,” he said, “is high unemployment among young people.” Break Point 8/31/98 Chuck Colson
Then somebody decided to do a study. They investigated the 1977 riots in New York and found that:
45% of the arrested looters had jobs.
Only 10% were on the welfare rolls.
Furthermore, the study revealed that the looters stole things for which they had no use or need.
Now the 2nd thief probably wasn’t any different. He probably wasn’t stealing because he was fighting his way out of poverty
So if that wasn’t the reason… what was?
Well, it might help to compare how the two thieves looked at God:
The first thief had fallen into sin.
He’d lived a life in that he knew God hated, but in the back of his sin-stained heart he STILL believed in that God. He still WANTED to believe in a God who cared enough about him to reach into his life. That’s why he repented on the cross.
But not this 2nd thief. He doesn’t believe in God.
The 2nd thief has long since rejected the idea that God even exists.
This talk about Jesus having power from God is a myth and a hoax as far as he’s concerned. And that’s part of the reason he showed such contempt for Jesus as he was dying.
Now, he wasn’t against Jesus getting them down from those crosses.
If this “King of the Jews” could actually save them from this horrible death… he’d be ok with that.
But when he said "Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" (Luke 23:39) he wasn’t looking for forgiveness of sins. He doesn’t want to change WHO he is/ WHAT he is. He was just mockingly saying he’d appreciate coming down off cross.
He doesn’t want to change himself… he just wants to change his circumstances.
The 2nd thief’s whole life has been built around the belief that God doesn’t exist for him. In his whole life… and now in his death… he’s an atheist. His whole life has been dedicated to Godlessness. And since there is no God in his life… well somebody has to be in charge. And if there’s no God, who’s left to decide what’s best for his life?
Why, he is!
He’s in charge of his life… and since he’s in charge of his life…he gets to decide what’s right and what’s wrong.
ILLUS: Now there are many nice atheists in this world. There are a lot of atheists out there who would make excellent neighbors and good friends. In fact, they may even follow the Golden Rule (Do unto others…).
But these folks are nice – not necessarily because it’s the “right thing to do”- but because they’ve decided that’s the lifestyle they find most pleasing.
For the true atheist – there are no “rights and wrongs”.
There are no “good and evil” ways.
Because good and evil/ right and wrong all depend upon your point of view.
To have an absolute LAW of right and wrong presumes a absolute LAWGIVER, and this is something they categorically reject.
And so, for the true atheist (like this thief on the cross) even the golden rule is negotiable. Whether you get your gold from the golden rule… or from someone else’s back pocket – it doesn’t matter. It’s all what YOU decide is right for you.
Without God in the picture… you are the god of your life and you decide what is right or wrong. What is acceptable and what is not.
So the 2nd thief lived the life of a true atheist.
But he also died the death of a true atheist.
Even in his last moments on earth he’s a violent/ uncaring man who curses the darkness and faces an uncertain future.
Radio Talk Show host Dennis Prager noted:
“If there is no God - we live, we suffer, we die and there is only oblivion afterward.”
And that’s how the 2nd thief viewed life and death.
CLOSE: Atheists often say how much better life would be without God.
Whether it’s comedian Bill Maher or atheist author Christopher Hutchins - they all embrace the wisdom of men and the insights of humanism. They declare that man would be better off as the captain of his destiny.
They embrace the words of the poem entitled “Invictus”
Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud:
Under the bludgeonings of chance my head is bloody, but unbowed.
It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
And that was how the 2nd thief lived and died.
But in reality, without Christ to be the salt of our world/ the light of our lives life becomes almost unbearable.
ILLUS: You see, atheism has already been tried - and failed - as the basis for society. When the communist rule of Soviet Union finally crumbled years ago there were a huge number of conversions from atheism. At least 22 percent of the population at large said they were once atheists now believe in God.
But there was also an experiment in atheism here in the United States.
Back in the 1800’s Liberal, Missouri decided to become completely atheistic. Religion was not allowed inside the city limits. No church could exist within the city and religious people were encouraged not to live in the community.
What happened was that crime and immorality became so rampant that the city failed and they finally asked churches to come back in and establish a religious base for the moral and legal system of the town.
I say again - without Christ as the salt of our world/ the light of our lives life becomes almost unbearable. Our own sinfulness, and that of our neighbors would be too much to bear. And that’s why – when Jesus died for our sins – he was crucified between 2 sinners. That was deliberate… that had been planned.
Hundreds of years before Christ was born, the prophet Isaiah had declared:
“He was assigned a grave with the wicked… . he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:9 & 12
Jesus died in the midst of sinners to bring forgiveness and healing to all sinners.
The decision for you this morning is this: What choice will you make? Will you allow Jesus to offer you the promise of an eternity with Him… or will you reject him and face an eternity of despair and remorse?
