The Three Crosses On Calvary (Good Friday Service)

The Three Crosses on Calvary

Good Friday Service

Luke 23:39-43

Introduction

The landscape of human history bears many moments of profound significance, but none more transformative than what transpired on a small hill outside Jerusalem roughly two thousand years ago. On that first Good Friday, three crosses stood silhouetted against the darkening sky – three men facing death, yet each experiencing that moment in radically different ways.

Today, as we gather in solemn remembrance of our Lord's sacrifice, I invite you to journey with me to Calvary. Not as distant observers, but as pilgrims seeking to understand the eternal significance of those three crosses. For in that scene, we find the story of humanity itself – our rebellion, our redemption, and the radical choice we each must make.

John's Gospel tells us simply in John 19:18: "There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle." This arrangement was not coincidental but providential. For even in His suffering, Jesus was positioned between two sinners – just as He positions Himself in human history as the mediator between a holy God and fallen humanity.

Today, we will explore three dimensions of this sacred scene that speak directly to our lives, our choices, and our eternal destinies.

I. Mercy, Mockery, and the Middle Cross: How Three Condemned Men Faced Eternity (Luke 23:39-43)

Let us begin by turning to Luke's account, which offers us the most intimate glimpse into the conversation that unfolded on Golgotha that day:

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "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." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:39-43)

What a remarkable exchange! Three men hanging on Roman crosses, each just hours from death. Each experiencing excruciating pain. Yet each facing that moment with fundamentally different hearts.

Consider first the mocking thief. Despite his own desperate circumstances, he joins the chorus of scoffers. His words reveal not just skepticism but bitter contempt: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" His is not an honest question but a final rejection. Even facing death, he chooses mockery over mercy, defiance over faith.

I'm reminded of a story I once heard about a shipwreck where passengers found themselves adrift on lifeboats. As rescue vessels approached, most welcomed salvation with outstretched arms. But one man, convinced the approaching ships were somehow a trick, refused all assistance – even as his situation grew increasingly desperate. Such is the tragedy of the human heart that sometimes rejects salvation even when it comes directly to us.

The second thief begins similarly – Matthew tells us that initially both thieves heaped insults on Jesus. But something changes. Perhaps it was witnessing Jesus's dignified silence amid the mockery. Perhaps it was hearing Christ's extraordinary prayer, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Whatever catalyzed this transformation, this second criminal undergoes a profound change of heart.

Note the three remarkable aspects of his conversion:

First, he acknowledges divine justice: "We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve." Here is genuine conviction of sin – the recognition that we stand guilty before a holy God.

Second, he recognizes Jesus's sinless perfection: "But this man has done nothing wrong." In that moment, while religious leaders and crowds jeered, this dying criminal perceived what many learned scholars missed – the innocence and righteousness of Christ.

Third, he exhibits astounding faith: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Consider the audacity of this request! Jesus hangs dying, seemingly defeated, yet this man perceives that death will not be Christ's end but merely His transition to kingship. With nothing to offer – no time for good works, no opportunity for baptism or religious rituals – he simply places his trust in Jesus.

And what of the middle cross? There hangs Jesus – the sinless Lamb of God dying for the sins of the world. His response to the penitent thief reveals the very heart of the gospel: "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

No probation period. No purgatorial cleansing. No list of prerequisites. Just immediate, complete acceptance. In this brief exchange, we witness salvation distilled to its essence: sin acknowledged, Christ recognized, faith expressed, grace extended, eternity secured.

In my years of ministry, I've encountered many people who believe salvation must be earned through decades of religious effort. I think of Maria, a woman in her eighties who attended our church for years but lived in constant fear that her sins outweighed her goodness. When we studied this passage together, tears streamed down her face as she realized what the dying thief discovered – that salvation comes not through our merit but through Christ's mercy.