Three Crosses

January 22, 2006

Introduction

            In Luke 23:32-33, we have this account,  “There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.”  Three crosses!  How many times have you seen the three crosses?  Much more often, we see only the middle cross, but this morning, we want to study all three crosses and what they represent. 

            For sake of memory, we can say that these three crosses represent the three R’s.  Not the 3 r’s of reading, riting, and rithmetic, but the three R’s of  Redemption, Rejection, and Repentence.  There were no other crosses!  What do they have to do with you and me? 

Body

I.  The Cross of Redemption.

     A.  The middle cross was unique.  Nothing else is comparable to it.

           1.  Peter later referred to Christ suffering this way in I Peter 3:18

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

            B.  We need to understand His total innocence.

1 Peter 2:22  “Who committed no sin,  or was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

II.  The second cross that we consider is the cross of rejection.

Luke 23:39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

       A.  His focus is totally wrong and misdirected.

                   1,  “If You are the Christ” misses the point completely. 

       a.   Jesus was the Christ, so all faith in Who Jesus was and is, was totally missing from his statement.

                   2.  He totally fails to look at his own life, and what he deserves for what he has done.

       B.  He totally misses the point of what Christ’s mission was all about.

                   1.  Many today have the same misunderstanding. 

                        a.   Jesus did not come to cave us in our sins, but to save us from our sins.

                        b.   There is a big difference!

                    2. Acceptance of responsibility and repentance is an essential part of a right relationship with God.

   III.  It is the third cross that we consider as the cross of repentance--and of hope.

Luke 23:39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 “And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

          A.  “Do you not even fear God? 

                 1.  An excellent question for today.  What has happened to the fear of God?

B.  We got what we had coming--justice!  -- Is there no longer a sense of justice in our land and among our people?

                       1.  A sad point had been reached in the land of Israel during the time of the judges.

a.    Judges 21:25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

b.   This may sound good, but in reality they became a law unto themselves.

c.       Whatever they thought was okay was what they did.

               2.  As you listen to the news today, Don’t you hear the same thing?

                 C.  His plea was a plea for mercy--not justice.

                 Luke 23:42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

                 D.  His plea was rewarded with forgivenesss.

                 (43) And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

  IV.  Which Cross is most representative of you?

                A.  Christ’s cross is unique.  Only He could die for the sins of the world.

                B.  We are all sinners.

                 Romans 3:23  “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

               C   Unless we repent, there is no hope for us.

Luke 13:1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?3 “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.4 “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?5 “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

   V.  Can you be saved like the thief on the cross?

               A.  Can we say, “Of course not!”

                     ·        The thief died under the Old Testament dispensation--it ended with the death of Christ.

                     ·        The thief recognized Jesus in the midst of a howling mob of hecklers.

                     ·        The thief died a horrible death of crucifixion.

 B.  He died before Christ death--Christ could change his testament any way that He wanted before He died.

Hebrews 9:16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.

Conclusion

The crosses are not the end of the story.

2 Thessalonians 1:7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8  in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.11 Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power,12 that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 2:4-11

4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”:7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek;10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.11 For there is no partiality with God.

 

Scripture quotations marked "NKJV™" are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

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