Maranatha Baptist Church
Good Friday

      • Luke 23:1-3ESV

      • Luke 23:4-6ESV

      • Luke 23:7-9ESV

      • Luke 23:10-12ESV

      • Luke 23:13-14ESV

      • Luke 23:15-16ESV

  • The Wonderful Cross

      • Luke 23:18-21ESV

      • Luke 23:22-24ESV

      • Luke 23:25ESV

  • The Power Of The Cross
  • There Is A Fountain

      • Luke 23:26-27ESV

      • Luke 23:28-29ESV

      • Luke 23:30-32ESV

      • Luke 23:33-34ESV

      • Luke 23:35-37ESV

      • Luke 23:38-40ESV

      • Luke 23:41-43ESV

  • That dying thief rejoiced to see that Fountain in his day, and there may I though, vile as he wash all my sins away.
    The plea of the thief on the cross next to Jesus is the same as every other sinner. That Jesus would remember us in his kingdom.
    There are three aspects to the thief’s confession here.
    First, he confesses his sins.
    Though, Begg makes the playful statement that the thief was cussing Jesus out with his friend - what we actually see is that the one thief rebuked the other. And the nature of this rebuke is a recognition and a confession of sin.
    As the other sinner is mocking Jesus - screaming out at him “If you are indeed the Christ - then save yourself… and take us with you. The other guy, the one we don’t talk about it he just wants an escape plan. He wants someone to bail him out. He thinks he has received a bad deal.
    But this other thief, looks at the man - and acknowledged “Dude, we got what we deserved. We belong up here.”
    And as he confesses his guilt, he also confesses Jesus’ innocence.
    In the thief’s rebuke, he understands that his punishment on the cross there is what he deserved. Then he says to his criminal companion, “While we are getting what we deserve - this man on the middle cross, doesn’t belong here. He has done nothing wrong.
    He looks at his companion and says
    Second, he confesses his King.
    Everything about the Biblical narrative is pointing to Jesus’ as the promised King. There is a sign over Jesus’ head that proclaims “Here is the King of the Jews.” A crown of thorns has been placed upon his head. Mark and John’s gospels tell us that Jesus was given a purple robe, the color of a king. Though the soldiers may have intended these elements for mockery, the Lord intended them for majesty. The crucifixion is not the defeat of a deposed or rejected king, on the contrary it is a coronation.
    The thief here looking at the Crucified Christ, then proceeds to address King Jesus, and as he does he pleads with him to “Remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” The criminal knows that they aren’t going anywhere - they are going to die. But He acknowledges Jesus’ majesty. And in so doing, he recognizes that Jesus has authority. And his authority is greater than the grave. While the Scribes, Pharisees, Saduccees and other Jews may have thought that the cross would ruin Jesus’ plans, but the cross was always part of Jesus’ plan. While the thief likely did not know that Jesus would raise from the dead a few days later - he knew Jesus had some sort of authority. He believed that Jesus’ kingdom was not going to be thwarted by the inconvenience of death.
    Jesus died the death that each of us deserved to die. We are all as guilty of sin as the criminals next to him.
    And every human being will be like one of the thieves next to Jesus. We will either die rejecting and mocking him or we will die looking for him to remember us in his kingdom - and awaiting the day we will be with him.
    And our only hope is the same confession that the thief makes… to confess your sins… acknowledge that you have broken God’s law, and that law deserves judgment.
    But also confess the King.
    Jesus’ role as king is the fulfillment of Old Testament promises and prophesies to King David.
    Confess that Jesus is Lord. That he died the death of a sinner, though he had done nothing wrong.
    In his letter to the church in Rome, Paul writes:
    Romans 10:9 ESV
    9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
    While Allister Begg is right in that video that thief on the cross didn’t know about the wonderful doctrine of Scripture that we learn and rejoice in today. We can see that he believed exactly what Paul writes in Romans.
    He may not have understood Justification By Faith… but he was certainly the recipient of it. Through his confession that he was a sinner, and that Jesus is King - he was granted entry into the King’s Paradise.
    There were no works to save him… he was saved by grace through his faith in Jesus. And that’s all any of us are saved in.
    And his plea, is the plea of every saved sinner. Jesus Remember Me in your Kingdom.
    Today, you will be with me in paradise.
    The promise of paradise comes to a criminal, who acknowledges his wrong doing and looks to one greater than himself. We far too often refuse to believe that we have done anything bad - rather than confessing that we are getting what we deserve we justify our actions “It wasn’t that bad.” One of my youth pastors would regularly remind us “If you have to say that it wasn’t that bad - then it probably was.” We’re quick to ignore our sins, and defend ourselves. In our natural sinful state, outside of the grace of God - we are much more like the other thief. We want an out from what we deserve.
    Like the other thief far too often the cross is God prove yourself and save me from my problems. But Jesus didn’t save himself on the cross - so that he might save us.
    Time and time again, Jesus’ innocence is declared in the gospel of Luke. By Pilate, by the Criminal, and by the soldier near the cross when he dies. Jesus died an the death of a sinner, so that in his innocence he may take the place of the vilest of sinners. The book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus saves to the uttermost… he is able to save completely. Wherever you find yourself this evening… Jesus is able to save you.
    Wherever you’ve been, Jesus is able to save you from your sins. You have not sinned so far that Christ cannot save.
    And if you are a believer in Christ - then rejoice this evening in what Jesus has done. That on the cross - he has finished the work of reconciling sinners to himself through his death - that all those who believe - regardless of their sins can be saved in Christ Jesus.
    It is finished.
    This Sunday we, will look at Colossians 2 - and what Jesus’ death accomplished.
  • It Was Finished Upon That Cross

      • Luke 23:44-46ESV

      • Luke 23:47-48ESV

      • Luke 23:49-51ESV

      • Luke 23:52-55ESV

      • Luke 23:56ESV

Maranatha Baptist Church
info@mbcglobe.org
http://www.mbcglobe.org
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