It's good to be with you all. I bring greetings from Ashland,
Hurricane Road Grace Church. Our pastor and all the congregants
there, we keep you all in prayer regularly. You're in our hearts
and they send their greetings. I'm glad to be here. Glad to
be here. Turn with me this morning, if you would, to Matthew chapter
27. Matthew chapter 27, also turn
to Luke chapter 23. We're going to go back and forth,
reference both texts there, Matthew 27 and Luke 23. Before a man gets up to speak, I can't
speak very well, I have to speak for myself. I think the whole
way here. Now, I was blessed by this study.
I was blessed by this study. I pray that it comes through
clearly, that the blessing Lord gave me, the same blessing Lord
gives you. And you fret over that. You fret
over it all night. You fret over it the whole way
here. You fret, fret, fret. And I was given a lot of comfort,
because you preached my outline. Your song is the outline today. And my prayer, as we're driving
in, Mom lived here, so mom points
at different landmarks on the way here. I was two when we moved.
I don't remember the landmarks, but mom points to landmarks that
she recognizes. And she points to, I recognize
this, I recognize this, and she's pointing these out to me. And
that's my prayer today. We're going to look at Christ's
crucifixion, and we're going to look at those two thieves.
And my prayer is that we recognize them, that I recognize myself
and those thieves. More importantly, my prayer is
that we see Christ and we recognize him, we recognize that landmark,
we see Christ, and we see the mercy that of his own goodness,
not of the thieves, he chose to show mercy. That thief had
no call to even ask for, no right, no authority, no entitlement,
no right whatsoever to ask for the Lord's mercy. Lord showed
him who he was, and he did ask for Lord's mercy, and my prayer
is that we'll see that, we'll see that landmark, we'll see
our Christ, who does show mercy, for his goodness sake, for his
sake. So, let's read here these two accounts of Christ's crucifixion,
and again, when we read through, pay particular attention to the
thieves, these thieves who were crucified at the same time that
our Lord was. And those thieves being the outline,
our focus today. And all four Gospels mention
these thieves. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
all mention these thieves. They're crucified at the same
time that our Lord was. They saw Him. They saw Him with
their own eyes while they were being crucified. They interacted
with Him. They spoke to Him. Both thieves did. They spoke
with Christ on the cross. And what did they see? And what
did they say? Most importantly, what did Christ
say to them? to one of them. What did Christ say? Let's look
here at Matthew chapter 27. We'll start in verse 29. When they had plaited a crown
of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right
hand. And they bowed the knee before
him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews. And they
spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. And
after that, they had mocked him. They took the robe off from him
and put his own raiment on him and led him away to crucify him.
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name,
him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were coming
to a place called Golgotha, that is to say a place of a skull,
they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall. And when he
had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified
him. and parted his garments, casting
lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet.
They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did
they cast lots. And sitting down, they watched
him there, and set up over his head his accusation, written,
This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then where there are two
thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand and another
on the left, And they that pass by reviled him, wagging their
heads, and saying, Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest
it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come
down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests,
mocking him with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others,
himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel,
Let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
He trusted in God. Let him deliver him now, if he
will have him. For he said, I am the son of God. The thieves also,
which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. Now turn over to Luke, chapter
23. Chapter 23, beginning in verse 32. And there were also two other
malefactors led with him to be put to death. When they were
come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified
him and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other
on the left. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do. They parted his raiment and cast
lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them
derided him, saying, he saved others. Let him save himself. If he be Christ, the chosen of
God, the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering
him vinegar and saying, if thou be the king of the Jews, save
thyself. And a superscription also was written over him in
letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew. This is the king of the
Jews. And one of the malefactors, which
were hanged, railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself
and us. But the other, answering, rebuked
him, saying, 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. And he said unto Jesus, Lord,
remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said
unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in
paradise. A dying person's words can be
powerful. When facing death, most times,
most times all the unimportant things are stripped away. What's
usually left is as close to pure truth as we get in this life.
It's when the truth really tends to come out. And that's why legally,
deathbed confessions are legally admitted. They're admissible
in court. You've heard the saying, there's
no atheists in foxholes. Because when faced with almost
certain death in war, when facing that death, the truth comes out.
We humans, we're desperately concerned for our souls. The
Lord puts that conscience within us. We bury it with the business
of life, or we bury that conscience with something that we've done. Perhaps that conscience is seared
over time of rejecting our Lord. But that truth is often most
clearly revealed on a person's deathbed. So I'm interested in
these words. Our two thieves here, they're on their deathbed.
Our Lord himself, if you will. Our Lord is on his deathbed.
Hear their words. These thieves are dying and they're
seeing Christ. What did they say on their deathbed? Our Lord
is being crucified. He's dying. What did he say to
these thieves? Let's begin with what both thieves were saying.
As we started the service, I want to recognize these thieves. I'm
particularly interested in these thieves as I read through. They're
a good representation of me. Thankfully, Lord has given me
eyes. I pray he gives us eyes to see ourselves in these thieves.
He's a good representation of me and all of Adam's race. Look back there, Matthew 27,
in verse 44. The thieves also, which were
crucified with him, they cast the same in his teeth. The same
as what everyone else was saying, they cast the same in his teeth.
Both thieves were saying what everyone else was saying. In
their deathbed confession of truth, they were admitting and
revealing their hatred of God. This is our race. This is Adam's
race. This is us. In their moment of truth, they
were confessing their hate of God. They openly challenged God's
authority. Still in Matthew chapter 27,
look there in verse 40 and saying, thou that destroyest the temple
and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the
Son of God, come down from the cross. They were openly, to his
face, denying Christ's authority. They
were openly stating their own superiority to Christ. The very
next verse, in verse 41, likewise also the chief priests mocking
him with the scribes and elders said, he saved others, himself
he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel,
let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him.
For He said, I'm the Son of God. They're openly stating their
own superiority over Christ. Because it says that the thieves,
they cast the same in His teeth, right? The same thing these thieves
were saying. They're saying, I'm God over
you. Otherwise, you come down from
the cross. You're in no better position than I am. I'm equal. I am God.
I am God. Openly challenging His authority,
denying His authority, stating their own superiority over Christ.
Furthermore, they're saying, I don't need a sacrifice. If
they needed a sacrifice, they'd be seeking one. I don't need
a sacrifice before God. Who I am and what I'm doing,
I'm sufficient in and of myself to commend me before God Almighty. And that's us by birth. Everyone
here, that is us by birth. We're born with that sinful,
evil nature. we deny Christ's inherent authority
over God, we rebel against Christ's authority over us, and we reject
our own guilt before Christ. We deny that. We did that in
our father, Adam, and we've been doing it ever since. Why is that
attitude so evil? Is that just a mistake? Is that
wrong thinking? The Bible makes a distinction
between being foolish and being a fool. Everywhere I go, I bring
two sets of glasses, because I am foolish. I set them aside,
I lose them, I set them, I stand on them, I step on them, I scratch
them, there's another set in the car. I bring two pair of
glasses everywhere I go, because I am foolish. This isn't foolish. This is a fool. Fool says in
his heart, there is no God for me. No God for me. That's what
a fool says. This is evil. This isn't foolishness.
This isn't a mistake. This is evil. To think that what
I do is enough, that I have a right standing before God based on
anything other than Christ's work, His doing, His dying, His
sacrifice. Anything taken away or anything added to Christ alone
is evil, is fool. Fool, evil. Why is this so evil? I spent some time at University
of Kentucky. Thankfully, Lord was troubling the waters of my
heart, my spirit. Thankfully, I was troubled. And my roommate said to me, don't
worry, you do a lot for God. That was my roommate's advice
and counsel and comfort. Don't worry, you do a lot for
God. Evil. I still hear grown men
talking about when they stand before St. Peter, good grief.
They're going to put out the scales, and my goods on one side,
my bads on the other. Whichever way it weighs, they're
going to open the door. That is not just foolishness. That
is fool. That is evil. That's evil. That's
what we're born with. That's our nature. See our nature,
these two thieves. I see myself. See ourselves.
These two thieves are us. We believe that we're entitled.
We believe that we're equal. That's why we don't need a sacrifice.
That's why we deny His authority. We don't believe it. We believe
we're equals. When we, by nature, believe that God should accept
us based on anything other than Christ's work, His doing, His
dying, His being, His sacrifice, His self, we believe that God
should accept us based on anything other than who Christ is, His
sinlessness. That just proves our depravity.
That's just evidence of the depravity that is already there. Who I
am deserves to be recognized. or equal with God. It's so silly. Who deserves to walk into my
front door in my house? Me, my wife, my two kids, because
we're equal in that house. We equally own that house, if
you will. They belong there. They don't have to knock. But we think that we can walk
into God's presence as an equal? That we belong there in and of
ourselves? It's evidence of the nature that is there. Adam's
fallen race. Dying thou shalt surely die is
what God said to Adam. And we did. And that thought,
that thought that we could be equal with God and commend ourselves
to walk into his presence is evidence of that death. passed by on the road of an animal
that's been hit. I remember driving. I was taking
summer classes, and I'd drive back home. And on 52, I'd drive
it. For three or four weeks, there was this dog on the side
of the road that had been hit. It stunk. Again, thankfully, the
Lord was troubling those waters. I saw myself that all that dead
dog could do was stink. All this dead nature can do is
come up with that that we would commend ourselves before a holy
God. That's death, stinking. That's what that is. Poison water
reveals a poison spring. For us to believe that we deserve
the same acceptance with God reveals that same rebellious
nature, that nature that's in us, the same that was in Adam.
When Adam took the fruit, he took the fruit to be equal with
God, right? Took the fruit to be equal with God. Reveals that
same rebellious nature of Cain when Cain brought the works of
his hands. He didn't need a blood sacrifice. He didn't think he
needed a blood sacrifice. He brought the work of his hands.
Evil nature. He wasn't bad enough that he needed mercy. Same evil
nature that Satan himself exhibited when he said, I will be like
God. Same nature. That entitlement. That's a popular
word in society today, isn't it? Ugly. Entitlement. This attitude of entitlement
to God's acceptance, again, that's evidence of our spiritual blindness.
We're only entitled to something if we are equals or if we have
earned it. We're only entitled to something
if we're equals or if that's been earned. My children are
entitled to go to school at Russell School District because we live
in Russell School District. Every kid that lives there is
entitled to go to that school. They're all equals. They're all
equally entitled to. End of the week, I get a paycheck,
because I've earned it. I've earned it. That's our nature
before our God. We're born thinking so highly
of ourselves and so lowly of God that we think ourselves equal
with Him. He says, my ways are not your
ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts. Therefore, we're entitled
to His goodness. That's evidence, further evidence
of that dead nature. I drive by that, and I see it.
I recognize it. That's a landmark I recognize. Turn over here with
me to Romans chapter 10. Romans chapter 10. Perhaps with
a little understanding, we come to realize that we are not equal
with God. And this sometimes can stir up
a religious fervor the fervor, the intent, the desperation of
knowing that I am guilty before a holy God. I don't think that
that's all that unusual, this fervor. This knowledge in and
of itself is for generations. Generations of our race have
been doing just remarkable acts in an effort to please God. Acts
that I imagine were from a genuine desire, a genuine zeal, a genuine
fervor to rid themselves of this crushing knowledge that God will
not and should not accept me. Our race is self-denial, self-mutilation,
wars, child sacrifice. I hear the stories of when people
go down and visit Mexico, they see the holes that people used
to throw their children into. Hmm all don't anything our race
we us me will do Anything to rid myself of that knowledge
that I I cannot be equal with God. He has no reason to accept
me Left to ourselves evidence of an evil nature will throw
our children into a hole before we'll come to God for mercy Evidence
of evil evil nature. I'll do anything to be accepted
by God Judas hung himself That was his sacrifice Remember Elijah
and the prophets of Baal? The prophets of Baal had a blood
sacrifice. They sacrificed blood on the
altar. They were so zealous, they cut themselves until their
own blood gushed out over the altar. They cut themselves with
lancets. They had a blood sacrifice. These
thieves, they have a sacrifice. They're being crucified, just
as Christ is. They have a sacrifice. We'll
do anything, anything. But all our dead nature can ever
come up with is doing something. Never seeing Christ and going
to him for mercy. Not with these dead eyes. Look
here, Romans 10, starting in verse two. Paul says, for I bear
them record. They have a zeal of God, but
not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's
righteousness, going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."
In different words, that's exactly your song today, Don. Their own
righteousness, not God's. They have a zeal of God, not
according to knowledge. Ignorant of God's righteousness,
going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted
themselves unto the righteousness of God. The righteousness of
God. The Lord will give us eyes in
life to see the righteousness of God. We'll stop our works
of righteousness and be shut up before God. That's a good
place to be, shut up before God. Listen to these accounts of people's
reaction when they see God for who he is. Adam saw the Lord
and he was afraid and he hid himself. Job saw the Lord and
he said, I've heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now
my eye sees you. Therefore, I abhor myself and
repent in dust and ashes. Jacob saw the Lord, he was afraid.
Moses saw the Lord, he made haste and bowed his head toward the
earth and worshiped. Isaiah saw the Lord, and he said,
woe is me, for I'm undone. Ezekiel saw the Lord, and he
said, when I saw it, I fell upon my face. Peter, James, and John
saw the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration. They fell on
their face, and they were sore afraid. These men were given eyes to
see, and they all worshipped. When faced with the knowledge
of God's righteousness, they all worshipped. There's no entitlement
here. No more entitlement. You see the Lord, entitlement
is gone. They fell on their face, and they worshipped. They were
sore afraid. No entitlement for sinners before
God Almighty. Any God, little g, that's being
worshipped in my heart today, or in man's heart today, who
can be manipulated, who can be caused to act by anything that
I am doing, or have done, or am not doing, or will not do.
If I can manipulate God little g, He's not this God, folks. He's not this God. I say that
to my own heart. He's not this God. Not the God
of the Bible. That's worship that is made up
idol. That's a made up idol. That's
what it is. God that could be manipulated by my actions, we
might as well be out there worshiping a totem pole, created by blind
eyes and just further evidence of our dead nature. So again,
I ask, why is this attitude so evil? The attitude of these thieves,
back in Matthew 27, the attitude of these thieves that rebel against
Christ's absolute authority and who would deny our own guilt
before God, That idol worship, again, brought about by dead
eyes and dead hearts as the result of Adam's fall. That's judicial
blindness. When God said, dying thou shalt
surely die to Adam, that's judicial blindness, spiritual death that
was promised to Adam when he first rebelled against God. And
it's evidenced by us, his children, from then on. If we're not blind,
we would see God for who he is. If we're not dead, we would never
imagine that anything that come from my dead heart would be pleasing
to him. If we are not so naturally hateful, we would beg God for
mercy. But instead, we still continue
to deny God's throne and insist that we ourselves are God. And
we'll continue to until the end times. And when they see the
Lord, rather than running for mercy, unrepentant dead eyes
will rather pray for the mountains to fall on them and hide them.
Still not seeking God's mercy in our own nature that we're
born with. Left to ourselves, we say the same things thieves
said. Because again, we are what the thieves are. Look there again
back in Matthew 27. Look up a few verses in verse
25. Then answered all the people
and said, his blood be on us and on our children. Then released
he Barabbas unto them. When he had scourged Jesus, he
delivered him to be crucified. Then the soldiers of the governor
took Jesus into the common hall. and gathered unto him the whole
band of soldiers, and they stripped him, put on him a scarlet robe. And when they had plaited a crown
of thorns, they put it on his head, and a reed in his right
hand. They bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying,
Hail, King of the Jews. And they spit on him, took the
reed, and smote him on the head. After they had mocked him, they
took the robe off of him, and put his own raiment on him, and
led him away to crucify him. Down to verse 39. And they that
pass by reviled him. They reviled him, wagging their
heads and saying, thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in
three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come
down from the cross. Likewise also, the chief priests
mocking him with the scribes and elders said, he saved others.
Himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel,
let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
He trusted in God. Let him deliver him now, if you
will have him. For he said, I am the son of
God. The thieves also, this thief also, which were crucified with
him, cast the same in his teeth. On their deathbed confession,
again, those thieves proved themselves to be exactly who we are, sinful
dead rebels. I did notice, and I thought it
interesting, that two thieves, two thieves, that's a good description
of who I am before God. Two thieves. And I thought, what's
a thief's character? What's the character of a thief? Because I believe if I can see
this, I'll see more clearly who I am before my holy God. What's
the character of a thief? A thief lays claim to something
that he or she has no right to. Without Christ, we believe God
owes us acceptance. He owes it to us. It's ours.
We lay claim to something we have no right to. We're a thief. God's acceptance is not ours
to earn, and it's not ours to judge. Salvation is of the Lord,
Jonah learned, didn't he? From the belly of the whale,
Jonah learned, salvation is of the Lord. We lay claim left to
ourselves. We lay claim to something we
have no right to. A thief. A thief believes he or she is
entitled to what they take. I have a friend who's an attorney
up in Ohio. He was a defense attorney for
years. He says none of his clients are ever guilty. They have some
justification for having taken what they took. There's a justification. Somehow they're entitled to it. Does it make sense in this physical
world? We know better. In our sinful physical world,
we know better. Yet we apply that to our Lord.
We're thieves. We believe we're entitled to
what they take, that we've earned it. Word of God says, for by
grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's
the gift of God, lest any man should boast. Salvation is not
ours to take, nor can we. Without Christ, we try to earn
something through my doing or my not doing. And I say to myself,
and I say to all of us here, as a family thief, you can't. With a little bit of head knowledge,
we learn that faith is the key to salvation, so we try to believe.
Thief, you can't. Drum up all the excitement and
feeling. Cling to whatever it is that you cling to all you
want. I have some good friends that
recently started going to a building down the road from us. My goodness,
is that building busy. There is constant, constant,
constant noise and action drumming up that zeal. Oh, God, help us. That's our sinful nature. Just
lapse that up like water. That's our sinful nature. That
zeal for righteousness, but not after knowledge. Man-made faith
is no different than Israel's zeal. that we mentioned earlier,
a zeal for righteousness but not after knowledge. The scripture
says, by grace are you saved through faith. And that not of
yourselves, it's the gift of God. That faith's not of yourself,
it's not of yourself. If it is of myself, then I'm
a thief. Faith is the gift of God. Man-made
faith is a zeal which always ultimately points me to something
I must do or must not do. Man-made faith, man-made zeal,
ultimately points to its God, which is thee, ultimately. I must do or I must not do. God-given
faith always points to Christ. A thief believes they're entitled.
What's the character of a thief? The worst kind of thief is one
that steals from a good master. This isn't Robin Hood. I taught
a version of this to the high school class, so maybe they picked
up on that more. But this isn't Robin Hood stealing
from the rich and giving to the poor. It's not that kind of thief. The worst kind of thief is one
that steals from a master that's been so good to him, has provided
everything and more. Our God is so good to us. A master
who treats that thief and brought him in as one of his own. provided
for him warmly and genuinely, walked with him. God walked with
Adam. Then the thief, who's already
been given everything, takes more, not out of need, not out
of need, out of spite for the good master. And this is us and
Adam. In Adam, we had everything. But
we tried to steal God's authority. It's the character of a thief.
A thief has nothing to offer. A thief's in debt. A thief can't
repay. I worked for a business in Ashland
a number of years ago, and the person that worked there before
me had embezzled $50,000. And that was my first order of business. That was what I was tasked to
do. My board told me, go after her. So we did. And we got her
in court. And did she stand before the judge and say, I'm sorry?
Nope. Stood before the judge and said, I'll pay you back.
Well, is that right? With no job, and no way to get
a job, and a felony, and jail hanging over your head, how exactly
are you going to pay this back? A thief has nothing to offer.
Thief's in debt. Thief can't repay. Thief isn't
capable of repayment. And even if the thief could,
wouldn't. By nature, he wouldn't. He won't.
Even if he could, what the thief has taken can't be replaced.
The thief has betrayed the good master's confidence. And in Adam,
we've betrayed God's kindness and God's goodness to us. And
sure enough, left to ourselves, with Christ here on the earth,
we did the exact same thing again, just to show we still have that
dead nature. We saw, looking at the face of
God in Christ, we crucified him. A thief has nothing to offer,
is in debt, and even if he could repay, still won't. That's the
character of a thief. Look back here again, Matthew
chapter 27, verse 44. The thieves also, which were
crucified with him, they cast the same in his teeth. And this
could have been the last mention of the thieves. And God would
be just and worthy of worship. And we would bow before the God
if he put a period right there. And that was the end of it. The
thieves got exactly what they deserved. Not a look. Christ
doesn't owe these thieves anything. Not a look, no attention whatsoever.
Not a word, not a look. He can completely ignore them
and be just with them getting their due reward. Even though
they themselves were being crucified, their hatred was so strong, with
what little energy they had left, they used it to add to Christ's
misery. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, they
cast the same in their teeth. But God. But God. Now we go over to Luke
chapter 23. Thinking back while returning
there, thinking back to the characteristic of a thief, I ask myself and
I ask you, am I the kind of thief that has no claim whatsoever
to God's salvation? Am I the kind of thief that doesn't
deserve a look from God? Not a look, not a mention, not
a word. Am I the kind of thief that deserves for God to just
ignore me and still be just? Is God just if he ignores me
and lets me go to hell? Is God just in that? I'm that
kind of thief. And I have good news for thieves
who are like that. This book has good news for people
who, if you're that kind of thief before God, this book offers
you a good promise in Christ. Am I the kind of thief that I
need mercy? I must have mercy because there's
no other way I could possibly obtain salvation. I can't obtain
faith. I can't obtain anything. What
could that thief do? Even a physical motion, what
even physical motion could that thief make? Nailed to a cross.
Couldn't even bring his hands together to ask. Could do nothing,
nothing but die. Am I that kind of thief that
has no kind of merit whatsoever? Nothing that would cause my God
to even hear my prayer. Am I the kind of thief that did
steal from the good master? And if left to myself, I'd resent
his authority and do it again. I say with David in Psalm 84,
let me just read it to you, Psalm 84. I'd rather be a doorkeeper
in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
It's true. By His grace, I also see that
same thief in my flesh that just can't be left alone. Are we the
kind of thieves that have nothing to offer to God? No reason that
He would love us. No reason that He would even
answer my prayer. I have no right to even ask for His mercy in
and of myself. Look here with me again, Luke
chapter 23, starting in verse 39. One of
the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, if thou
be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other, answering, rebuked
him, saying, 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. And he said unto Jesus, Lord,
remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said
unto him, thief, verily I say unto you, today shalt thou be
with me in paradise. This same thief who had been
railing against Christ changed his tune. So what happened? Well, the thief was given life.
He was given eyes to see. And from his deathbed, What did
this thief confess? In verse 40, he confesses, I've
sinned against God. The other, answering, rebuked
him, saying, dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same
condemnation? He confessed, I've sinned against
God. Verse 41, he confesses, I deserve death, and we indeed
justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. Later there
in verse 41, he confesses, he sees, he's been given eyes and
life to see that Christ is sinless. Later in that same verse, this
man hath done nothing amiss. Verse 42, the thief has been
given eyes and faith to see that Christ doesn't owe me anything.
He said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy
kingdom. With no with nothing to offer,
just begging for mercy, petitioning for mercy, petitioning for mercy
based on the fact that God Christ is merciful. Based only on your
goodness, Lord, not based on anything about me whatsoever.
Based solely on the goodness that you are. Lord, remember
me when you come into your kingdom. Christ doesn't owe me anything,
making that request based solely on who Christ is, the sinless
sacrifice. My hope of mercy is based solely
on the fact that he is merciful, not owed, not obligated, not
earned, strictly based on God's good character alone in Christ. The thief saw there in verse
42, again, he saw that Christ is God. He said unto Jesus, Lord,
he saw that Christ is God. And he saw that his sacrifice
is accepted. Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
He saw his sacrifice is accepted. He saw Christ for who he is.
And he petitioned on his mercy as the accepted and only acceptable
sacrifice. The life that was given to this
thief is amazing. I recognize that landmark. That's
amazing. Instantly, he went from being
a fool to being wise. Being given a knowledge of God's
righteousness. Instantly gone from being a fool to being wise.
Of God's righteousness. He's wise to ask the Lord's favor.
Oh, sinner, ask for mercy. Beg for it. Beg for mercy. The
Lord's willing. Christ is willing. He's still
showing mercy today, right now. to sinners, to thieves, just
as he did then. Christ has not changed. Sinead
begged God for mercy, based on his goodness. Recognizing Christ,
who Christ is, intellectually recognizing who Christ is, has
never saved anyone. Satan recognizes that Christ
is Lord. The legion of demons, they recognize Christ as Lord.
Even the day of Christ's crucifixion, Pilate put above the cross what?
This is Jesus, King of the Jews. Pilate himself said, I'm innocent
of the blood of this just person. Pilate saw intellectually. But
this thief was given eyes to see King Jesus with a living
heart, begged for mercy. Remember me when thou comest
into thy kingdom. This thief, he was given wisdom
to ask Christ to know him. Remember me. He was given wisdom
to ask that Christ's sacrifice be his own sacrifice. He's given
wisdom to know that Christ is able. Christ is able. He's the
perfect son of God who before time, before time, in the first
covenant, in the only covenant, before time, agreed to take the
sin of his people in his body on the tree and put it away,
as we sang, as Rex read, right? As far as the east is from the
west. Put it away, as far as the east is from the west. He
is able to make those fallen sinners the very righteousness
of God in him. He's able. He's able in his right In His authority as the Son of
God, He's able. He's able in His perfection by
sinlessly fulfilling all the Old Testament pictures and prophecies
and laws. In His perfection, He's able in His willing death.
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. He laid down His life. No man
took it from Him. The perfect sacrifice. He's able
as the pure sacrifice. He willingly was sacrificed.
He, the just, for His people, the unjust. that he might bring
them to God. He's able as the accepted sacrifice.
It says there in our text. He was raised the third day.
He said, remember me when you come into your kingdom. And our
Savior was raised the third day, the accepted sacrifice. The sinner's
deathbed confession changed. He was given life and eyes to
see. What did Christ say? Still there
in Luke 23, verse 43, Jesus said it to him, verily
I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me in paradise. Christ
is willing, and stay with me a little bit, come back to that
word willing. Christ is willing, Christ drew this thief, and what
does Philippians say? Turn over there, just read this
verse together in Philippians chapter one. Verse six. Being confident in this very
thing, that he who hath begun a good work in you will, will
perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Will, he is willing.
Christ is able and based on his mercy, based on his goodness,
based on who he is, he is willing. And not willing in the way that
I am willing. And I struggle with this. Just how that word willing has
a weak connotation to it because I apply it the way I apply it
to myself. I'm passively willing. Passively willing. A couple that
I know just got back from a worldwide cruise. They were on a cruise
ship together for six months. That cruise cost over $100,000.
They called me to insure it. That was a $100,000 cruise. I'd
be willing to take that cruise. I'm willing to take that cruise
if they want to pay for it for me. My will is based on their
action. I'm passively willing, meaning I'd be happy to do that.
But God is not passively willing and waiting. God the Father willed
to elect his people. God the Son willed to be the
perfect sacrifice for his people. God the Spirit willed to call
His people and give them life and point them to Christ. My
will is little more than a hope or an idea. If I can get this, bless me.
I hope this comes through. God's will is a verb. He is willing. Think of it as in two words,
kind of like acting or walking or doing. He is willing. He is now. His will is still
happening now. He is willing. He's willing. Turn over to John chapter 6. I preach to Stacey in our kitchen. Because that's what you do, right? You put all this together, and
then I go over with my wife while we're doing things, and she says,
why do you keep saying it that way? He is willing. So I'm hoping
that comes through. His willing, willing, is a verb. John 6, here in verse 35. And Jesus said unto them, I am
the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never
hunger. He that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I
said unto you that ye also have seen me and believed not. Believed
not. Is God's will then denied? God
forbid. They believed not. All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me. Him that cometh to me, I
will. and no wise cast out. He is still
willing that all that come to him shall no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven not
to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. This
is the Father's will which hath sent me, and he is still willing
that all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but
should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will
of him that sent me, and he is still willing this. that every
one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life.
And I will, he's still willing, he will raise him up at the last
day. That's a comfort to this thief.
I see that landmark. Christ has not changed. He is
still actively willing. his people, sinners, to come
to him for mercy, come to him for salvation. So come. Sinner,
come. Come to Christ. Come again. I
say again to myself, Jonathan, sinner, come to that throne of
mercy and be accepted again today. He is willing sinners to come
to his throne. It's happening. He's doing it,
and he's doing it all. Finally, on his deathbed, Christ
spoke of his love for his people. and also personally for this
thief. God elected a people, a people,
a group chosen to salvation. Every one of those people will
be called by the Holy Spirit by name and pointed to Christ
for salvation. Christ paid the debt for all
of the sin, for all of his people. And look again there in Luke
chapter 23, verse 34. Then said Jesus, Father, forgive
them, the group, them, particular group. And later this afternoon, if
you want to, read over in Acts chapter 2, the end of Acts chapter
2, the day of Pentecost, read in there. When Christ prayed,
Father, forgive them, Acts chapter 2, when Peter was talking to
the multitude, and Christ revealed himself to that multitude, many
of which were there at this crucifixion, some of which may have been the
ones that drove the nails in his hand. And 3,000 souls were
saved on that day. Because Christ prayed, Father,
forgive them. Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do. He paid all the debt for all
of his people. He saves the elect sheep, but
never in a cold, impersonal, impartial, collective group,
the elect. Christ saves each one personally,
each sinner personally. He carries each sheep that strays
on his own shoulders, individually and personally. He saves each
personally and calls them by name. Christ died for his people. Christ also died for each person,
individually. Because what did he say there,
still in Luke 23? In verse 43, we're contrasting
where he said in verse 34, father forgive them, they know not what
they do and the father did. And in verse 43, Jesus said unto
him, verily I say unto thee, today thou, you. Child of God, you put your name
there. Thou shalt be with me in paradise. Christ died for his people. He
each died for each person individually. And I say, and this book says,
sinners, see yourself as this thief, for we are. And I pray
that the Lord gives us the heart and eyes to see, not only to
be convinced, but to see and believe. This is who I am. This is who I deserve to be.
And more importantly, this is who Christ is. And because of
his work, he can save rightfully, in mercy and in justice, he can
say to thieves today, you'll be with me in paradise. Amen. Let's pray together. Our Holy Heavenly Father, I pray
that you bless your word. We rely on the promise that your
word doesn't return to you void, but rather that you accomplish
your will. And we thank you for the opportunity
to meet together We pray for others who are meeting, wherever
they may be at this time, that you bless your word as it goes
forth. Bless your people. We thank you for this moment
of worship that we have together. We pray this thankfully in Christ's
name and for his sake alone. Amen.