Lessons from a Certain Friday.
Luke’s gospel records this scene of the crucifixion of Jesus. He states,
“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 divided up his clothes by casting lots.
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.
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.” Luke 23:32-43.
Here at the crucifixion of Jesus we have numerous illustrations. First of all Jesus prays for the Roman soldiers who were as they say “just doing their duty,” Jesus says,
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
This is a lesson for Christians who are called to forgive people as Jesus did. Here at the cross Jesus called on God to forgive his crucifers. What better illustration of Christian love than praying for the men who are putting you to death.
Secondly we have those who did not believe Jesus was who he said he was. Luke records,
“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.”
These people demanded concrete proof that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God by Jesus saving himself and getting down off the cross.
They failed to see that God asks us to have faith in Him. Without the benefit of physical proof. The writer of Hebrews stating,
There was also the two criminals who were put to death with Jesus. Luke tells us.
“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.”
These two men represent all people.
That second criminal who believed in Jesus did what we all need to do. He confessed his sins directly to God just as the Apostle John tells us to do.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1John 1:9-10.
He believed by faith in Jesus, just as the apostle Paul told us to do,
The apostle Paul tells us,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
This criminal I believe got to heaven.
Those at the crucifixion had a choice to make the same choice we in 2017 must make.
C. S. Lewis speaking of Jesus made this observation.
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
The choice is yours please think about it.
Luke’s gospel records this scene of the crucifixion of Jesus. He states,
“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 divided up his clothes by casting lots.
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.
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.” Luke 23:32-43.
Here at the crucifixion of Jesus we have numerous illustrations. First of all Jesus prays for the Roman soldiers who were as they say “just doing their duty,” Jesus says,
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
This is a lesson for Christians who are called to forgive people as Jesus did. Here at the cross Jesus called on God to forgive his crucifers. What better illustration of Christian love than praying for the men who are putting you to death.
Secondly we have those who did not believe Jesus was who he said he was. Luke records,
“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.”
These people demanded concrete proof that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God by Jesus saving himself and getting down off the cross.
They failed to see that God asks us to have faith in Him. Without the benefit of physical proof. The writer of Hebrews stating,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for
and certain of what we do not see.”
Hebrews 11:1
“And without faith it is impossible to please God,
because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6 There was also the two criminals who were put to death with Jesus. Luke tells us.
“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.”
These two men represent all people.
That second criminal who believed in Jesus did what we all need to do. He confessed his sins directly to God just as the Apostle John tells us to do.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1John 1:9-10.
He believed by faith in Jesus, just as the apostle Paul told us to do,
The apostle Paul tells us,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
This criminal I believe got to heaven.
Those at the crucifixion had a choice to make the same choice we in 2017 must make.
C. S. Lewis speaking of Jesus made this observation.
“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
The choice is yours please think about it.
