What The Sinner Saw That Made Him See The Savior

(Luke 23:32-43) "The thieves also..."

Matthew tells us that they BOTH railed on the Lord at first.

At first, both thieves mocked and reviled the Lord.

But, one of them saw something over the course of the next few hours...

He saw something that changed his mind about who this man, being crucified with them was!

> He began his ordeal mocking the Lord, but changed his mind and later defended Him.

Something happened to change this mans mind.

> He began by ridiculing the Lord, and then began to defend Him.

> And, then later to trust Him as his own Savior.

These two represent all of humanity.

The cross of Christ separates all of humanity.

THE ENTIRE WORLD CAN BE SUMMARILY CLASSIFIED AS BEING ON ONE SIDE OF THE CROSS OR THE OTHER.

You are either a sinner who repented, or a sinner who has not repented.

> You are on one side of the cross or the other!

There is no other option...

> You're either a saved thief, or a lost thief.

> The both started out mocking the Lord, but one saw something that changed him...

What Did the Sinner See

That Made Him See the Savior?

I. He Saw His Sin (v. 39-41).

A. "And we indeed justly..."

1. He realized that it was his sin that brought him into the condemnation he was receiving...

> "We receive the due reward of our deeds..."

2. We want to blame everybody else for the troubles we have...

> Its always someone else's fault that I can't do right!

> But every man sinneth when he is drawn away of HIS OWN LUST!

3. We make choices and when they blow up in our face, we look for someone to blame.

> You don't even have the character of the thief on the cross .

> At least when he saw it, he saw HIS OWN SIN!

> He didn't blame someone else!

B. Until you see your sin, you CANNOT be saved.

1. Common words of lost church members...

> "I'm basically a good person..."

> "I help my neighbor..."

> "I'm not that bad..."

> "The man upstairs knows me..."

2. Until you see yourself as a lost, wicked, hopeless sinner, YOUR NOT SAVED!

> Until like the thief you say, "We indeed justly..."

> "We receive the due reward of our deeds..."

> "I ought to go to hell; and if God sends me to hell, I would just be getting the DUE REWARD of my deeds.

C. What changed the thief's mind?

1. What made him stop mocking Christ?

> Why the change of attitude?

> Why repent, and trust the one he previously mocked?

2. Because he saw his sin!

> He realized that he was getting the DUE REWARD of his deeds.

> And, you will never be saved until you see your own wicked sin!

HE SAW HIS SIN...

II. He Saw His Situation.

A. This was not some picnic: They were being crucified.

1. Hung by their hands and feet.

> Had to push up to get a breath, then fall down to rest.

> Push to inhale; Fall to exhale.

2. While resting, your lungs burned with desire for air.

> And the blood on your back would begin to coagulate.

> When you pushed up for air, the blood would flow again, causing excruciating pain.

3. To Speak, Was No Easy Task.

> They would have had to push up, inhale, then hurriedly talk before collapsing...

"Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?"

"And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds:"

"But this man hath done nothing amiss..."

B. Add to this the humiliation of crucifixion.

1. A shameful death.

> "Putting Him to an open shame."

> Done out in the open, to bring shame to the entire family.

2. He was stripped of His clothes, and hung naked.

> In front of His mother, His family, His friends, and His enemies.

> He was put to an open shame.

C. This thief saw his situation.

1. He felt the agony he was going through.

> He felt the burning in his lungs as he gasped for air.

> He felt the rugged wood of his cross against the open cuts on his back.

2. He knew the humiliation of his friends and family seeing him crucified naked.

> And, he realized that his own sin had brought him into this condemning situation.

3. But, he also saw that the man next to him was going through the same thing, but unjustly.

> He saw that Jesus was going through the same agony and didn't deserve it!

> Jesus was being given the same punishment, when he had not done the same crimes.