Good morning to you and Happy Resurrection Day to you all! Easter is special day and we are so glad to have you join us.
Most Sundays I am looking at nothing but a camera these days. But not this Sunday (show pics of people’s printed pics on the pews)! What a welcome sight.
Many of you are new to our church and me. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Pastor Scott and you’re tuning into Cross Church/North Richland Hills Baptist Church Easter Celebration. Thank you for joining us.
So many of us need hope right now. Many of you have lost jobs, you have been furloughed, and some of you maybe literally struggling for their very breath or have loved ones struggling for their very breath. We need hope and God’s help. I have guaranteed good news for you: Jesus rose from the dead and you will rise from the dead if you follow Jesus Christ. The resurrection tells us there is eternal, bedrock hope. The resurrection of Jesus is a reminder that there is a day coming in our future when we will hug one another, laugh together, and eat together in the presence of the One who died for us.
If you have a Bible, I want to invite you to turn to Luke 23 with me (Bible app). Again, we are so glad you’re here with us joining us from your living room, kitchen, or even your bedroom. At the conclusion of this message, I am going to invite many of you to embrace Christ for your hope in this life and the life to come. I will want you to type one letter in just a few minutes as a response to today’s message.
Three Dying Men
Let me set the scene for what you and I are about to read. Had you gone to the ancient city of Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified so long ago, and had you gone just outside the wall to the north, there you would have seen a rocky outcropping. And on that outcropping, you would have seen three crosses, with three men on those crosses. These three men stood like some kind of scarecrows erected up against the sky. You would have seen on that first cross to the left, a thief. On the other cross to your right, another thief. On that middle cross would have been the very Son of God. It’s on that middle cross that we have both God’s help and our hope.
Today, Jesus has one more of His “amen” statement. In the midst of His last breaths, Jesus shares one more “amen” statement to the dying man next to Him. Let’s pick up reading in Luke 23:32.
Today’s Scripture
Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. 35 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!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
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.”
44 It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 while the sun's light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. 47 Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” 48 And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. 49 And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things” (Luke 23:32-49).
Tucked away in the midst of the agonizing story of Jesus’ death is the famous story of the dying thief. Here is an incredible story of hope and God’s abundant willingness to receive anyone who comes to Him. Look at all three men with me.
1. The Impenitent Thief
You could call him the Coldhearted Thief if you would like. Look with me at this cold, callous man, will you? “One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us’” (Luke 23:39)! He says to Jesus in effect, “If you are God, then save yourself and us.” You don’t have to a religious person to understand this prayer. In fact, all of us have prayed this prayer at one time or another. We have all prayed this man’s prayer, “Lord, if you are up there… save me!” You are in the ICU waiting room and you’re praying, “God… if there is a God, save my daughter,” or “Get me out of this!” Here’s this man’s prayer in its essence: “Here’s how I know you’re God, if my life goes the way I know it needs to go…”
One of the reasons why a lot of you don’t believe is because you’ve done the very same thing. At one point, you’ve turned to God at some really difficult time, and you’ve said, “If you’re there, if you’re God, here’s how you can show me. Get me out of this!” Here’s your test for God: “I know you are God if you agree with me.” “I know you are God if you agree with me.”
But this isn’t a real test. When you pray like the first thief, you do not want God. Instead, you want a personal assistant-a genie in a bottle.
Jesus doesn’t say one recorded word to the impenitent thief. Jesus doesn’t say one recorded word to those who mock.
1. The Impenitent Thief
2. The Penitent Thief
If the first thief was cold and callous, the second thief is contrite and chastened. But note this: this thief was not so sympathetic to Jesus at first.
2.2 He Came Around
In fact, Matthew records that at first he, too, was singing in the choir of the critics as they mocked and ridiculed the Lord Jesus: “And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.” (Matthew 27:44)
At first, the dying thief ridiculed Jesus. He mocked Jesus just as everyone else did. But somewhere amidst his pain and the agony, a transformation took place. We are not told precisely what precipitated the change in the dying thief. Perhaps it was Jesus’ words of forgiveness: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:44)
Listen to our thieving friend compare himself to Jesus: “And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41). Somehow and someway he knew that Jesus Christ had never sinned.
2.3 He Believed Despite the Mob
Now, consider this remarkable fact: this man believed in face of everyone’s else scorn. When the dying thief meets Jesus, Jesus is surrounded by scorners and scoffers. The dying thief believed despite a violent mob of jeers and hisses directed at our Savior. Our dying thief is the only person who was willing to put a crown on Jesus’ head that day. Every dead fish goes with the flow, but this man believed in Jesus in the face of tsunami wave of condemnation.
2.4 Punished for His Sin
If the dying thief were standing right next to me, he’d agree with me when I said: “Here is a man who is a disappointment to his parents, his siblings, and his wife and kids. He was a miserable wretch of a person.” All of that was true of this thief. But this is also true: he knew that his personal sin brought punishment.
“…we are receiving the due reward of our deeds...”(Luke 23:41b).
Too many of you are quick to say, “God, you owe me this.” When really, you need to say, “God, I owe you everything.” Here is a man who knew that he got what was coming to him.
2.5 No Good Acts Needed
I find it necessary to tell you this thief wasn’t able to do even ONE good work to save himself. He’s not able to lift even a finger to perform one good act. He wasn’t able to walk down an aisle, experiencing the joy of baptism, or take communion. There was nothing he could do because he was dying! He couldn’t teach a Bible study. There was no way that he could give his money for he had nothing to give. All he could do is cry out for mercy. Do you catch his feeble prayer: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42b).
He had such confidence in Jesus, that, if Jesus would but only think of him, he trusted he would be just fine. I love this thief’s confidence, don’t you? All he said was all that needed to be said: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42b).
1. The Impenitent Thief
2. The Penitent Thief
3. The Sinner’s Savior
3.1 The Promise of Heaven
“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
3.1.1 Today
I like is the word “today.” No purgatory, no soul-sleep, but simply absent from the body, present with the Lord. You who truly trust Christ today, there is no soul sleep for generations to come and go. There is no purgatory where you work away your sins. None of this! Jesus didn’t say, “After the resurrection and several thousand years, you’ll be with me in paradise.” Instead, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
3.1.2 With Me
I love those two little words in the middle and I think you do too. Hear them again for the first time – “with me.” There’s no need to add another word, is there? For wherever HE is, that place is Heaven to us. Jesus’ home is Heaven
3.1.3 Amen
Jesus never put His hand on a Bible to take an oath. The closest He would come to anything like this is the word “amen.” That little word “amen” is your assurance and it’s all you need. The FDIC won’t help you feel any more secure than hearing Jesus say, “Amen. I’m telling you the truth.” If your mother or your father promised you, you would have anything more secure to you that the very Son of God whispering in your ear, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43b). Jesus says, “I will make this happen.” You can trust me.
3.2 Heaven’s Front Door
While I don’t pretend to understand everything that happened to Jesus between His death on Friday and His resurrection on Sunday, I do know this: several hours after their respective deaths, Jesus escorted a pardoned criminal inside the very gates of paradise. Jesus was NOT accompanied by an apostle on that day, nor a patriarch, or even a martyr. Jesus did not reenter the pearly gates of Heaven alongside Abraham, King David, or His mother, Mary. Instead, it was our dying thief, freshly pardoned walking alongside the Savior.
Jesus was known as a “friend of … sinners’ (Luke 7:34b). He ate with sinners (Luke 19:1-10). He touched sinners (Luke 7:36f). He called sinners near Him (Mathew 9:13). Now, He even dies with a sinner!
I wonder if Jesus said to everyone assembled inside Heaven’s foyer on that first Easter… … all of them gathered there to welcome Him back that day… I wonder if Jesus said something like this, “I brought this pardoned sinner with me. He is a sample of so many more to come; he is a sinner saved by grace.” You know, the dying thief did not come in a backdoor or a side door to Heaven. No, this pardoned man came through the same door any person who has the honor of joining Jesus for eternity: He came through the one door available to any of us – the door of grace.
3.3 Conclusion
Today, if you want to receive Christ into your life.
If you have already committed your life to Christ prior to this service type the letter “A” in the chat
If you say “Scott, I haven't made that decision yet but I’m considering it, and I want you to know that I am considering it, type out the letter ‘B.’”
If you feel you want to commit your life to Christ RIGHT NOW, type the letter “C” in the chat.
