Many of you might remember Karla Faye Tucker. She was the first woman to be executed in the US since 1984. She was notorious as an accomplice to a brutal ax murder of a two people in the early eighties. Soon after being imprisoned, Tucker took a Bible from the prison ministry program and read it in her cell. She later recalled, "I didn't know what I was reading. Before I knew it, I was in the middle of my cell floor on my knees. I was just asking God to forgive me." Tucker became a Christian in October 1983. She later married her prison minister, the Reverend Dana Lane Brown, and held her Christian wedding ceremony inside the prison. In one of the last interviews she had, she gave glory to Jesus Christ in changing her life.
On February 3 1998, she was executed.
Some of her last words were as follows:
"...I would like to say to all of [the family of the victims] — that I am so sorry. I hope God will give you peace with this… Everybody has been so good to me. I love all of you very much. I am going to be face to face with Jesus now. … I love all of you very much. I will see you all when you get there. I will wait for you."
As the lethal chemicals were being administered she was praising Jesus Christ.
Turn from Karla Faye Tucker to the day of Jesus crucifixion. We find there another death scene - two more convicts facing death. Read with me Luke 23:39-44.
Who were these men? The scripture uses the word “robber”. We often hear about the “thief on the cross.” The word in Greek refers not to a mere thief but one he takes money or possessions with violence – something like a bandit. These were violent men, unrepentant and hardened in sin.
Therefore, their lives were ending on a cross just as they deserved. Without repentance they hung on their crosses and with great pain and anger they cried out. But who did they cry at? The Roman soldiers who crucified them? No! The Bible in Matthew 27:44 tells us that “the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.” They were angry at Jesus of all people!
Let’s turn to the words of the first robber who is quoted by Luke.
He hated Jesus and said: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" Normally, when these words are spoken in faith, this is a wonderful prayer. But here there is no faith but only hatred. He mocks Jesus that he claims to be God but does nothing. Save us! It’s a wonderful thing to ask for salvation.
But what does he misunderstand about salvation? He wants Jesus to lift him off the cross so that he can live without this horrible judgment. But this man had a much bigger problem than physical death. He was living in sin without forgiveness and without hope. His life was headed toward hell and eternal punishment which is much worse than a day hanging on the cross. God won’t and can’t take him to heaven. THAT was the main problem this robber had and he was completely blind to it.
How many people today have the same attitude? They may not hang on a cross but they are miserable in guilt, in poverty, in pains, in a lack of peace – without joy. And what do they see: a Jesus who does nothing. A Jesus who is silent and letting them suffer through life. Therefore, they don’t trust in him or truly call on him or give him any worship. Instead they blame him and curse him and mock him.
But the whole time Jesus is hanging on the cross, he’s dying for them. He’s giving his life so that they can have a new life. Instead, they want Jesus help so that they can live their old life – continue to walk in the ways of the world and live for their own pleasures.
So many today want Jesus to be some kind of Santa Claus so that they can live a fun life on earth but without surrender to the control of God. And Jesus has nothing to say to this robber or to anyone who comes with such a request.
The second robber is no different.
The Gospels of Matthew and Mark tell us that he was mocking and ridiculing Jesus along with everyone else. Jesus hadn’t done anything for him either!
But something happened in this man’s heart and he was dramatically changed. Notice very closely the steps towards this life change.
The first step came through this man's ears. What did he hear?
He heard these words: (Matt.) 27:39-43 “Those who passed by hurled 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 the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.'" Some of those words came from his own mouth!
But from Jesus he only heard silence. Jesus took his suffering and the ridicule with silence. He wasn’t afraid. Jesus didn’t say a word against anyone. Isaiah 53:7 says: “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” It’s absolutely amazing that Jesus could do this. People were heaping lies and insults about him and all the while he was experiencing extreme pain and yet he remained silent. This robber noticed that.
But then he heard something come from Jesus – a prayer: “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” The fact that he not only didn’t cry out in resentment against their unfair treatment, but he let the Romans and the Jews off the hook. He didn’t blame them. He prayed for their forgiveness. To this criminal filled with hatred for these people it had to be a shock to hear .
The second step came as Jesus touched his conscience.
Through his punishment, this robber began to understand God’s righteousness and his own guilt. God uses this cross as a wakeup call. Isaiah 26:9b-10 “For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the Lord.” Sometimes God allows punishment so that we see his righteousness and our guilt. Without it, we don’t come to repentance.
He began to understand that next to Jesus he was dirty and sinful and horrible. He had no hope. He had nothing. And finally the fear of God hit him. He hears the first robber insulting Jesus and so he answers: "Don't you fear God, 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."
Friends, this is the most important statement this man has made. It’s a step which every one of us must make if we want to have any hope in our life. We must realize that we are under a sentence of death – guilty and deserving of eternal punishment. We are punished justly – we will get what we deserve. Do you see your own sins? Do you see your own failures. If God would place before us a long movie playing all our sins against others, against him – then we would see that we too deserve a cross.
What about Jesus? He has done nothing wrong. Jesus is holy. He is pure. He is righteous. There would be no film of Jesus bad moments in life. There would be a blank slate. He only blessed and did good and spoke the truth. And yet he was there on the cross!
This robber saw the truth crystal clear and yet how many of us today never get that one truth. We look at ourselves as good and as undeserving of anything bad. We say that we deserve a good life and eternal life for all that we’ve done. The Scripture doesn’t say so. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” “None are righteous, no not one!”
The third step in his change was that he boldly prayed in faith.
“Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."” You see, it is one thing to recognize you are a sinner and that God is holy. Judas recognized that and what did he do? He killed himself. He assumed he could not be forgiven.
But this man takes a great leap of faith. He turns to Jesus in faith and dares to ask he if he could receive mercy despite his sins. How many people never turn to God because they believe they are too evil. They have done too much against God. They don’t have a chance. It’s too late. But that is all a lie. There is always a chance to turn to God!
What does he have that he can give Jesus to receive mercy? What can he do for him or anyone else? NOTHING! Can he help his neighbor? Can he serve anyone? Can he promise to be faithful in the future? He is at the end and yet he has the boldness to ask for God’s mercy.
But this robber knew in faith that Jesus WAS a King and that he was going to his kingdom. He believed that Jesus had power to forgive sins. This is what Jesus was waiting for from this man. He was waiting for the prayer of faith – remember me when you come in to your kingdom. And Jesus waits for the same prayer of faith from every person – from each of us.
It’s a prayer just like this robber. We don’t ask for Jesus mercy based on our good life, on our good deeds, on our good works, on our talent or ability, on our church attendance, or the years spent in prayer and scripture reading. We do not approach Jesus with anything we have done because we are not saved by our works.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.” Of course it’s a tragedy that this man wasted his whole life and didn’t come to God until the last moment. But there is no other way to be saved than this robber on the cross. We are saved by the grace of God without anything we do.
Finally, the most amazing step of all was hearing the words of the Gospel – of hope!
Jesus replies: „Today you will be with me in paradise.” What had the robber asked for? Mercy - sometime in the future. And how did Jesus reply? TODAY!!! The robber had asked about the kingdom and Jesus replied that he would be in PARADISE. What news! What blessing! To go from suffering and future death and hell in a few hours to the promise of being with Jesus in paradise – what great hope!
This is a moment to rejoice in on that dark day. For we have seen how so many betrayed Jesus – Judas, Peter, Pontius Pilate, the Romans, even the women didn’t get it when they saw Jesus bearing the cross. But finally, nailed right next to Jesus is the FIRST man to be saved – the first one to call out to Jesus for mercy – the first one to have the promise of eternal life. Will each of us be as this man on the cross? Will each of us return to Jesus with empty hands and pray: Remember me, when you enter into your kingdom. His answer every time will be: YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE! Praise God!
“The world has never been a better place to live in” says science writer Matt Ridley, “and it will keep on getting better.” Today in a world gripped by global economic crisis and afflicted with poverty, disease, and war, them’s fightin’ words in some quarters. …1. We’re better off than we were 50 years ago. 2. Poverty is nose diving – there are fewer poor today than ever before in history. 11. Oil is not running out. 14. Great ideas keep coming. 13. Storms are not getting worse. …
Yes things are getting better in this world in a lot of ways. So it was at the time of the flood. High technology, cities, musical instruments… But the human heart is still filled with sin and rebellion. We are not any better people than we were. One thing never changes – we are all born in sin and will die in sin. And like this man on the cross – there is only one way to be saved and that is to repent and believe in Jesus grace – the free gift of paradise. That’s our only hope. We all enter into the kingdom one way – by the grace of Jesus.
So listen to God's Word. It will convict you - it will reveal your sins and his righteousness. Repent and ask for God's mercy in faith. And he will say to you: "You will be with me in paradise!"
