Luke 23.
WHAT mysteries circle round the cross of the Lord! It is the wonder of wonders, it stands alone in its solemn and solitary significance. There never was such a crucifixion seen before nor ever will be seen again. Yet though you have read and heard it spoken of ever since you can remember, have you ever asked yourself the question, How do I stand before God in relation to it?
The whole world was represented by those three languages, written over Christ on the cross. And without one dissenting voice it cried, “Not this man, but Barabbas.” And of whom are people making choice today? At any rate, they don’t want the last Adam—the Christ of God. If God left man to his own will, what would happen? They would all accept the devil’s man. They shook hands with Barabbas as he came out of prison, and then turned round and hooted at the Lord, and joined in the popular cry. If you don’t believe you would have done it, you don’t know the deceitfulness of your own heart. If my heart rejected Him, God’s heart received Him. God is saying tonight, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” Whom you will have? The Christ of God and glory, or the devil and the lake of fire?
Blessed be God, it is the green tree before it is the dry. Now it is the green tree of grace, but it will be succeeded by the dry tree of unmitigated judgment. Just think of how they treated Christ from the time He came into the world. They would not give Him as much room as the mischievous fox. They would not make room for Him in the inn when He was born. He had no room while on earth, and when He died they hung Him up in the air, between heaven and earth, in the midst of two thieves. But how does He meet it all? He could have commanded the earth to open her mouth and take them to the judgment they deserved; but did He? No! Listen, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” He met it all by the tenderest grace. If I were asked to write the character of my Saviour, I should choose this sentence: “This man hath done nothing amiss.”
How easy, under the influence of splendid music, etc., to work on the feelings; but what God wants is for people to weep for themselves and for their children. You are on the cracking edge of the lake of fire, and your soul is unsaved. Never were we so near the moment of the Lord’s coming, or the moment of judgment falling on this guilty world. The green tree is the day of grace, and the dry the day of judgment. Notice how the grace that flowed from the Lord Jesus met and broke down at least one poor sinner at that time. In Matthew 27:4444The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth. (Matthew 27:44) and Mark 15:3232Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. (Mark 15:32) we see both thieves united with the rabble against the Lord, which was the most heartless thing He experienced on earth. They both came to their crosses as hard as the nails that fastened them ‘there; and there hung the sinless One between them. But when we come to Luke, what a change has come over one of them. Both had railed on Him. Of all the heartless things that ever happened in the world, from the Lord’s birth to this time, this was the most heartless. Now one of them turns round and rebukes his fellow.
“Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” (verse 42.) This was a modest request to ask of that blessed One. Faith had opened that man’s eyes to see the moral glory, the official glory, and the personal glory of the Lord Jesus. Moral glory, “This man,” etc. Official glory, “Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” Personal glory,” Lord.” He gave four proofs that he was saved: First, he feared God when he said, “Dost not thou fear God?” second, he took the right place— “We indeed justly;” third, he justified Christ— “This man hath done nothing amiss;” fourth, owns Him as Lord and King. All the prayers of anxious souls recorded in scripture are short. This is one of them: “Lord, remember me.” Two persons, and one sentence to connect them. The thief linked himself with Christ by three words— “Lord, remember me.” Oh, have you ever said that? Swift came the answer to that poor repentant thief— “This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” This was not an eleventh-hour conversion. This was the first hour in the thief’s life. There is not a text in the Bible that says God will save you at the eleventh hour. No, the eleventh hour is the lake of fire — too late! God preserve you from listening to the devil’s lie. Tomorrow is the eleventh hour, and that is judgment and the lake of fire forever. Now is the time, the eleventh hour is not. The thieves were near each other then; but now, how far separated! Don’t put off accepting God’s salvation, and hope you will be like one of them. Yes, you will be like one; but remember one went to perdition.
The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. This had taken place in the heart of one of them, and he wanted to convey it to his fellow. The proof that the Holy Ghost has thrust the brightly-furbished blade of the Word of God through a man’s soul is that he leaves off saying, “I am no worse than any body else.” Justify God and condemn yourself. Pointing to the One who was between them, the thief witnessed to the spotlessness of the Lord in these words: “This man hath done nothing amiss.” This was the justification of Christ. “We indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds” was the condemnation of himself and of man altogether. The testimonies of Pilate and of the thief for Christ were exactly the same. Between sunrise and sunset the thief was convicted, convinced, converted, and consecrated to Christ. The instant you look to Him by faith you get everlasting life. Never mind how you come. It is not a question of coming, but of faith in the right Person. What rest He gives! Just come to Him. He took one thief with Him and He left the other, and He will repeat that. He’ll catch up all His blood-washed, blood-bought ones, and leave those behind who have not accepted His salvation to stand before the great white throne, and then to be thrust into the lake of fire.
H. M. H.