Good morning, thank you for reading.
Today we will continue our journey with Jesus to the cross. We will be at the foot of the cross, reading the eyewitness testimonies from those who were present.
As we have been doing, I want to begin with a testimony of how it is all about Jesus. As we read and listen to the testimonies, people are living and dying. There is a terrific crowd, and the crowd’s attention is all upon Jesus. Because they want to see Jesus come down off that cross or die. They’re looking for a miracle or chaos. As with all miracles from God that we pray for, God hardly ever answers them the way we think the miracle will happen. In other words, Jesus is not going to come down from that cross alive.
This is my it’s all about Jesus point for today. Jesus cannot and will not come down from that cross alive. Eventually, his dead body will be taken down and removed from the scene. Because Jesus has to die. A sacrifice is not a sacrifice without the shedding of blood and a death. There is no forgiveness without the shedding of innocent blood. For God’s will to be done, it has to be Jesus who dies. Because he is unblemished, sinless, and spotless, there is no other human that could be the sacrifice for mankind.
2 Corinthians 5:21,
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Today, I want to begin with the object lesson of all object lessons, the two thieves that Jesus died between. Luke 23:32-38,
“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals–one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they (the centurions) divided up his clothes.”
“The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’ The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, ‘If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.’ There was a written notice above him which read: This Is The King Of The Jews.”
It is always amazing that there never seems to be a lack of thoughtless, uncaring, or just mean people that watch a sacrifice. It was this way in this country in the Wild West. People loved a good hanging. It was a social event.
When that sick man burned that woman to death a month or so back on the New York subway, there were people that just sat and watched this woman burn to death. It just illustrates the fact that there are morally depraved people in all the generations of mankind. Just another reason for us all needing Jesus. Let’s go to John’s version of the set up here. John 19:17-22,
“Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others–one on each side and Jesus in the middle.”
“Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: Jesus Of Nazareth, The King Of The Jews. Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, ‘Do not write ‘The King Of The Jews’,
but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’”
Every time I read the dialogue between Pilate and Jesus (which we covered last week), I continue to become more convinced of the fact that Pilate, in some way or fashion, believed in Jesus’ kingship. Pilate also, would love to mock the Jewish leaders, all part of the local political picking and poking. Either way, this sign above Jesus’ head, ordered by Pilate’s authority, declared Jesus as, officially, The King Of The Jews.
Now we come to the object lesson part. It is interesting to analyze these two witnesses to Christ’s death. First, because they too, were experiencing the same painful death as Jesus. But also interesting, because they both had exactly the opposite reaction from each other.
If I ask you to choose which of these three men on the cross you would want to be, all of us would say ‘none of them’. But the lesson of this miracle here, and it is a miracle, is this:
You can be dying on a cross one moment, and the next moment you can, as Jesus says, ‘be in paradise’. But you have to make the right choice. Luke 23:39-43,
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? 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, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.’”
The one criminal reacting out of angry pride, actually joining his torturers in insulting the Savior of the world. He had witnessed the salvation of the other criminal and the sky turning black. He heard the dying words of Jesus. Yet he was too stubborn, too prideful, too angry, too much a part of the world that was literally killing him to seek forgiveness. Could this be you?
Frankly, it could be any of us. Does the world have such a hold on you that you can’t let go of the world, even as it leads you to eternal destruction?
The other criminal reminds us that we all are sinners in need of a Savior. It’s never too late for us to make that radical u turn that will save our soul for eternity. No matter our sins, or the world’s opinions that so many seem ready to die for, all of which are cheap imitations when compared to the love of God, represented lovingly by the dying Jesus as he hung on the cross.
It does not matter if it’s a u turn or a close call. What matters is that we each make the right call at the right time. And the right call is calling on Jesus, whether you’re hanging on a cross next to him dying, or you’re sitting in a pew, or sitting in a car, or whether you’re holding the hand of a dying family member going home to Jesus, their eternity settled, while your faith is not. The right time for making the right decision to place your faith in Jesus is Today. Today is always the day for salvation.
There is a final scene that takes place that confirms that this is indeed the death of the Messiah, the Deliverer, the Son of Man, and the Son of God. If Jesus was just a man, none of these things would have happened. But he wasn’t just a man. He was God’s Son. He really was and is God’s Son. Matthew 27:45, 50-54,
“From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over the land. And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God.”’
Sadly, this is why people attended this crucifixion. They wanted to see what would happen, and they all received more than they bargained for.
First of all, when Jesus dies, day becomes night, not for a few minutes, an hour or two, but for three hours.
Next, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The Bible does not tell us how thick this curtain was; however, an early Jewish tradition indicates that this veil was four inches thick. Think of your shower curtain, that is a big difference.
While the reality of this is overwhelming, it signifies symbolically something of great importance for all believers. During Jesus’ life the holy temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life and the power of the Pharisees. The temple was where the animal sacrifices took place and worship was experienced according to the Law of Moses.
The curtain, the temple veil, separated the Holy of Holies, the earthly dwelling place of God’s presence, from the rest of the temple where men were present. This veil provided the separation from the holy God Most High and sinful mankind. Only the high priest was permitted to pass beyond the veil once each year, enter into God’s presence, and make atonement for all of Israel’s sins.
The tearing of this veil dramatically symbolized that Jesus’ death , his sacrifice, specifically the shedding of his blood, was sufficient atonement for sins. The way into the Holy of Holies was now open for all people, forever, both Jews and Gentiles.
The lesson that Christ was teaching the disciples in the upper room, on the evening of the night he was be betrayed, had now come to pass.
As incredible as this is, we are not finished. There was an earthquake, the earth shook, and the rocks split open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
Jesus had conquered sin and death. Not just sin, not just death. But Jesus conquered sin and death. To finish, here is Hebrews 9:22, 26b-28,
“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
Our life is in our blood. If our blood doesn’t flow, we are dead. Dr. M.R. Dehaan, says this about the blood of Jesus, in his book The Chemistry of the blood.
“The blood of the Lord Jesus is a sinless blood, and since it is sinless, it is incorruptible, for sin brings corruption, and where no sin is there is no corruption…The blood has been shed–the incorruptible, eternal, divine, sinless, overcoming, precious blood. It availed then, and it avails now; and throughout history it shall never lose its power.”
Before we pray, I want to ask you: Which thief are you? Are you the angry thief, mad at God, mad at the world, mad at everything except the real problem, which is sin? Or, are you the thief just thankful that you realized before it was too late, that you are the sinner, and you need grace? It’s not too late for salvation. In fact, Today, with a capital T, is the day the Bible says is for salvation.
Let us pray, please agree with me.
Father, please forgive me for all of my sins. Please wash in the blood of your Lamb, Jesus Christ. Please make me white as snow.
I confess Jesus as my Savior, King, and Lord of all.
I thank you for your forgiveness of all my sins.
I thank you for my salvation for my faith in Jesus as my Savior and Lord of all.
I thank you for your promise that I may spend eternity with you and Jesus when my time on earth is finished.
I ask all of this in Jesus’ name. Thank you for hearing my prayer. Amen.
Do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God.