Gospel—A.C. Hayhoe
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We turn together to the 23rd chapter of Luke's Gospel, Gospel of Luke, chapter 23.
I'm going to start reading.
With verse 20, but before reading the scripture.
Which speaks to us.
Of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I'm going to read 3 stanzas of a hymn that we sang, many of us at the closed.
Of our meeting this morning.
What we're going to read about in Luke.
Tells us something.
Of the treatment of man in this poor world as far as the Lord Jesus Christ is concerned. But first I'm going to lead, not that which has now passed, but something that speaks of the present and the future.
We're going to lead to one whom this world put to death, whom they crucified.
But for him we sang this morning. Part of it read this way, reads this way. Behold the Lamb with glory crowned. To him all power be given.
No place too high for him is found, no place too high in heaven.
He fills the throne, the throne above. He fills it without wrong, the object of his father's love. Theme of the ransom song.
To him whom men despise and slight. And we're going to read about how man despised him and slighted him.
To him whom men despise and slight, to Him big glory given the crown is his, and His by right the highest place in heaven. 23rd chapter of Luke.
And verse 20.
Pilot.
Willing to release Jesus fake again to them.
But they cried, saying crucify him, crucify him.
And he said unto them the third time, Why? What evil has he done?
I have found no cause of death in him. I will layer for chastise him.
And let him go.
And they were instant, with loud voices, requiring that He might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.
And Pilate gave sentence. It should be as they required.
And he released unto them.
Him the sedition and murder, was cast into prison whom they had desired, but he delivered Jesus to their will.
And as they led him away, they laid hold upon one.
Simon a Cyrenian coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.
And there followed him a great company of people and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him. But Jesus turning unto them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, sweep not for yourselves, or weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. We hold the days are coming into which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bear.
And the path which never gave sucks then till they begin to say to the mountains.
Fall on us under the hills, cover us. For if they do these things in a green tree, watch will be done in the dry. And there were also two other malefactors LED with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him.
The malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do, and they parted his raiment and cast lots, and the people stood beholding the ruler. Rulers also with them derided him, saying He saved others.
Let him save himself, if he be the Christ, the chosen of God. The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar, and saying, If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself. And the superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew. This is the king of the Jews. And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be the Christ.
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But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God?
Being thou art in the same condemnation, and we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, But this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, Remember Me, will now cometh into thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto you, unto thee.
Today shall thou be with me in Paradise. And it was about the 6th hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the 9th hour.
The sun was darkened, the veil of the temple was rent in the midst, and when Jesus had cried, with a loud voice he said, Father, into thy hands I commit my Spirit. And having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Now when the centurion saw which was what was done, he glorified God, saying, certainly this was a righteous man.
There is no scene in the history of the world.
Or in the history of the universe.
That compares.
With the scene we have brought before us.
In this chapter.
Here where we find.
The holy, spotless, sinless Son of God.
Nailed to a cross with two criminals, 2 malefactors, one on either side of him.
I think we can properly say that we have right here that which is the center of two eternities.
The hymn writer is, put it that way, the center of two eternities.
Yes, in the counsels of God.
God had before him the time when this blessed man, his beloved Son the Lord Jesus Christ, would come.
From glory down into this scene to die on Calvary, that you and I, poor lost sinners, deserving nothing but death and judgment, might have an eternity of blessing with God on high in the glory.
Now the time has come for that blessed One who came to die.
To give up his life. That you dear friend, dear Sinner friends.
Might have life.
And taking up the chapter I would like to.
Speak of four different prayers or requests that we get in this chapter.
I've enjoyed having them brought to my attention.
And.
That the first request or prayer we get in the 21St verse.
Where we find the multitude trying out crucify Him, crucify him.
Here we have the prayer of hatred, the request of hatred.
A little further on, we have another prayer, one that's still future. It hasn't actually been prayed yet. We read of it and we'll look at it in more detail in the Book of Revelation, but here there further on in this chapter, we're told of a time coming when there's going to be a prayer on the part of multitude to the mountains to fall on them.
And to hide them from the face of the Lamb, that's a prayer of fear.
Then a little further on in the chapter here, we read of the third prayer. It was one from the lips of the Lord Jesus Christ.
A prayer of love, and the words were there. Father, forgive them.
And then a little further on in the chapter, we read a fourth prayer, the prayer of faith.
And Oh dear friend, if you've never uttered that prayer face, I trust that God will bring you tonight to have faith in the Blessed One that we want to bring before you. Now, your words would not be the same as the one that honored this malefactor that uttered the prayer, but nevertheless, it would be.
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Faith expressed in the same person that prayer of faith was Lord.
Remember Me when thou comest into thy Kingdom.
Well, going to the first prayer or first request.
That prayer of hatred.
21 we find first of all, I didn't read the whole chapter in order not to take up too much time, but in this chapter we have brought out.
How?
Everybody, one by one, we find those who were either against the Lord Jesus.
Or turned against him. We find in this chapter that that.
The chief priests were against him.
We find the scribes were against him. We find that they encourage the multitude, the people.
Against him.
Find that Herod was against him and finally Pilate, although he acknowledged them three times, Pilate said. I find no fault with this man. Finally he delivered him, however, to be crucified.
Dear friend.
This is a very solemn picture that we have brought before us, but you know when we read of the chief priests.
We read of the of the scribes and then later the multitude, all against that blessed One, the Lord Jesus. It only speaks of your heart and mind by nature.
Well, finally we find here pilots having said he found no flaws in him. It was on a day when it was their custom to release a prisoner and he suggested that Jesus be released.
In keeping with that custom.
But you know what their preference was.
They fed away with this man Jesus, the one who all through his life here had shown that he was the blesser. The one that gave hearing to the death sight, to the blind, speech to to those that were unable to talk, the one who healed the lame and cleanse the leper. That's the one they say away with this man.
And they said, release unto us Barabbas.
Who was Barabbas? He was a murderer. Is it any wonder we see the moral downtrend in the world today?
I don't live in the Los Angeles area, but I was shocked.
1000 miles from here to here and read of what happened in this area not too long ago.
In the Watts area.
But friends, the trend is downward.
And one reason it's downwards. The one who was here, who had come, who could have introduced peace on earth.
They sat away with him. Release unto us, Barabbas. We'll take a murderer.
But Pilot knew he was guiltless, Pilots found no fault in him. And so the verse we started with tonight, verse 20, pile up. Therefore willing to release him fake.
Again to them.
But they cried, saying crucify him, crucify him.
Well, dear friends, that's what this world has done to God's Son.
They've nailed him to a cross. They crucified him. This is a prayer of hatred, and that prayer was carried out, that blessed one, this world crucified.
Are you standing on? Whose side are you on tonight, dear friend?
The world had crucified him for Have you taken sides with the Lord Jesus Christ yet? Oh, I do hope that before the evening is over, if you've never done it, you take sides with that blessed Savior tonight.
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Well, they cried, crucify him. Crucify him.
They were.
Pilate says the third time it says here, Why? What evil has he done? I found no cause of death in him. I will therefore chastise him and let him go.
What Pilate said was true. There was number fault in him. He was the sinless 1.
But verse 23 says they were instant with loud voices requiring that he might be crucified.
And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed, and Pilate gave sentence. It should be as they required.
That isn't that sad? Isn't that sad? In another scripture, we find what was.
And one of the other Gospels, I think, was the final straw in bringing Pilate to do what he knew was absolutely wrong.
They said if you let this man go, you're not Caesar's friend.
Well, Pilate was a delegate of Caesar.
He was ruling in this area under Caesar at Rome.
And he wanted Caesar's friendship.
And perhaps, the dear friend, that's why you have never taken sides with Christ. Is it the friendship of this world that you want? We're going to see how this poor world is going on to judgment.
Well, if you let this man go, you're not.
Not Caesar's friend. Oh, if he had to choose between being true to Christ and losing his status with Caesar, he couldn't do that.
But you know he made a wrong decision, friend.
He might have had a standing with Caesar for a little while.
For what's the standing going to be when he stands before this blessed man at the great white throne that we may look at?
Referred to in Revelation 20.
He'll realize then that he made an awfully sad mistake.
But then it will be too late.
And dear friend, if you stand before that great white throne, it will be too late for you. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. May your heart be open now to receive this Blessed One.
Well, it says in verse 23 they led him away to crucify him.
And it says that.
In verse 27 there followed a great company of people and of women, which also bewailed and lamented him.
But Jesus turning upon unto them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
Why did he say that?
Ah, there's a day of retribution coming.
The world had its way of Calvary, but God has his answer to what took place there.
The Lord says in connection with that day of retribution. Notice the 30th verse.
Then shall they begin to say to the mountains fall on us.
And to the hills cover us.
When is this going to be? Well, in the Book of Revelation we read of a day of tribulation ahead for this poor world. It will be after the Lord is called all his own homes. And dear friend, he might call us home at any moment, those that are his. That's why I say, don't put off this solemn decision of turning to Christ and trusting in Him. Tomorrow may be too late. The Lord may have called his own home before tomorrow arrives. He may do it during.
Meeting and then it's too late and after the Lord takes his own home.
There is a day of tribulation coming in this scene and we read about that in Revelation.
Starting with the 6th chapter, and I'm going to ask you to turn just for very briefly, to Revelation 6, where you have this prayer uttered.
Revelation, the 6th chapter, toward the end of the chapter.
I'm not going to read is the 12Th verse starts the occasion, but I'm just going to read starting with the 15th verse.
The kings of the earth and the great men.
The rich men, the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondsman and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us. Now there's where you're going to have that prayer actually uttered. Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that set us on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.
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For the great day of His wrath has come, and who shall be able to stand?
Oh, this must be a very solemn time. Here you find even the kings, the great men, the rich men. What good in the Day of judgment will it be to have riches in that day? What good will it be to have status, even that of a king in that day? They recognize that day is coming. They think it is come. Actually, it hasn't come yet.
This tribulation.
Period. The tribulations brought on by the Providence of God, or in the Providence of God, are such they believe it has come.
The actual moment is still future. That moment does come. Turn to Revelation 20 with me.
Verse 11.
I saw a great white throne.
And him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. Notice the 12Th verse. I saw the dead, small and great friend. Death doesn't end at all. Notice this verse. I saw the dead, small and great stand before God. Another rendering says before the throne, and the books were opened.
God's keeping records. The books were open, friend. He has a record of everything that you've ever done.
More than that, a record of every sinful thought, our lustful desire. He's keeping a record, but thank God he has another book. It's mentioned individually that says in another book was open, which is the Book of life.
Oh, friend, is your name in the book of life? It's important for the be there. And if it isn't there, you can have it entered there tonight if you trust in the Savior that we seek to bring before you. And it says, and The Jets were judged, were judged out of those things which were written in the books.
They may have prayed earlier to the mountains to fall on them, but this scripture says heaven and earth went away.
Ah, there will be no resource. Even the mountains can't hide them from the face of him that's on that throne.
No, they're going to be judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their work. Notice the last verse. Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.
Isn't that solemn that's going to take place?
Oh, I ask you in all earnestness, my friend, is your name in the Book of life.
Thank God mine is. I know it's there. There are many others here in this room that know it's there. But how about you? Is your name in the book of life?
Oh, there's one way to get it there to be sure it's there, and that's to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior.
It says whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.
You might say, well, just what is the Lake of Fire?
Well, friend, I'm not going to try to give you a detailed definition of it.
But I can tell you this from what we get elsewhere in the Word of God.
There's one thing about a lake. It's something that's confined.
Something that's a place of confinement.
Isn't like a river that's flowing.
There's no outlet. If you wind up there, it will be for eternity.
And another scripture tells us that in that place there's weeping and wailing and massing of thief. I hope that isn't your portion.
Thinking of not going to tell you in detail what it's like, I don't feel capable of it, but I'm going to tell you a story that I thought was very striking. It's a story about a story about a connection with a Scotch preacher, one who was a very faithful man and often preach the gospel and.
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On one day he was passing by.
Of factories where glass was manufactured Now you know where you have glass manufacturers, it has to 1St be molten in terrific heat. Well he was passing by this factory and he saw a door open and he walked in and he started through the factory a little bit the first thing you know he was standing before the.
Cavernous opening of one of the furnaces.
And he stood there, and he stared at the seething flames.
As though hypnotized.
And he finally exclaimed.
Oh, what will hell be like?
The Stoker of that furnace was standing a little to the side in the shadow and heard him make that comment. He was not aware in making it that anyone was around as anyone heard his words.
Several weeks went by.
And on one Sunday evening, this Stoker.
Came to the little Chapel where this preacher often gave the gospel.
After he had finished his sermon or his gospel address.
This soaker that heard his comment before those flames, before that tremendous heat in that furnace, the Stoker came up to him and reminded him of the incident, the time he was there at the glass factory and he said, you know.
Every time that I've opened the furnace.
Since then I thought of your words.
I came here tonight to take Jesus as my savior.
Because I don't want to find out what hell is like.
Dear friend, I hope you won't find out what hell is like.
But you will, unless you are trusting in the Savior that we are bringing before you.
If you've never come to him, won't you come to him tonight?
There is only one savior.
And He's that one we were singing about. There's now a dear loving Savior on high in the glory. He died for you, my friend, and He loves you, and He wants to save you.
Oh, she come to him.
Well, that Stoker he said he didn't want. I don't want to find what hell is like.
That's a true story.
Ah, friend, I hope you don't find what it's like, but you will, unless you're brought to know this savior we're seeking to bring before you.
Back to the 23rd chapter of Luke.
It says in the 31St verse.
After the Lord says how they're going to pray to the mountains to fall on us the 31St, the 31St verse says if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the drive?
You know, dear center friend, if you're without Christ tonight, you're one of the dry trees.
Yes, you are.
The Lord Jesus was the green tree.
In him there was life.
Freshness, fruit for God, A green tree.
If we were to turn back to the 53rd chapter of Isaiah.
We have in the end of the first verse that says, to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
Ah, Christ Jesus was the arm of the Lord. To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Yes. You know, in business. I spent quite a few years in business and business we often say, well, so and so He's my right arm. I can get things done through him. He's a real right arm. Well, you know, friend, God is get this. 23rd of Luke shows us where God is it where got things done.
The work of atonement was wrought through that blessed One who was the arm of Jehovah.
But it goes on to say, Speaking of Christ, he shall grow up, that Christ shall grow up before him.
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Before God as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground.
You know a tender plant has life. You go through the desert and you can find out what dry ground is, especially in the summertime, and it can be dry and then you don't see a green tender plant growing. No, everything is dry. This poor world was a dry, barren scene as far as God was concerned. Nothing that fully answered to to hit the desires of his heart. But here was one that grew up before him as a tender.
As a root out of a dry ground. And there was ever in his life that which God could look down upon with delight, He could say, I do always those things which please the Father. And now at the end of the journey, at the end of his life, he says, if these things be done in a green tree, he was the green tree. And yet even he was suffering here, going to that awful cross of shame.
Oh, he says, what should be done in the dry.
We've cut trees out in our backyard. We saw them up and let them stand for some months to dry out. Then they're ready for the fire. The dry tree is prepared. Yes, it's ready for the fire.
Our friend, without Christ you don't have life. You're dead in trespasses and sins.
And.
You're fitting material, as it were, for that lake of fire that we read about.
Oh, dear friend, to these things be done in the green tree, what should be done in the drives. What an awful thing to wake up in a lost eternity and cast into the lake of fire. That place where the worm dieth not in the fire is not quenched. Verse 32. There were also two other malefactors LED with him to be put to death, and when they were, come to a place which is called Calvary.
There they crucified him.
What a statement, my friend.
There they crucified him.
I said I wanted to speak of four prayers, but here I'd like to just bring before you 4 words.
There they crucified Him. Who was He? The Lord of glory, the Creator. They put him to death.
On a criminal's cross.
There's no fact, nothing that's ever happened in the history of this world as solemn as what we have recorded in those four words. There they crucified him. And friends, God hasn't forgotten what took place at Calvary.
Through his heart has gone outgoing, out in love today that the Sinner might be brought into blessing. But if you don't accept the invitation, if you don't offer, then it's going to be judgment at the end.
For God is not God has not forgotten what took place, and that's why some are going to say to the mountains fallen as.
Hideous from the wrath of a lamb.
Oh, but how blessed. How blessed.
The 34th verse we have our third prayer here. Then said Jesus.
Oh, what lovely words, friend, Father, forgive them. Just three words there.
Those are the three that I especially bring before you, Father. Forgive them.
Oh dear friend, I want to tell you tonight, God would delight to forgive you based on the work of the Christ Jesus for you on that cross. There's forgiveness for you tonight. You may be. I don't know what category you're in. You know this world has some.
That are seemingly better than their neighbors, upright and moral people, but they're still sinners. They're the up and outers. And then there's some who are the outright down and outers.
I don't know where you come, whether at the top of the ladder or the bottom of the ladder in between.
But I can tell you this, no matter how far down the ladder you may be, there's forgiveness for you if you'll trust in this blessed Savior that we're speaking to you about tonight.
Father forgive them. That's a prayer that's been many times answered.
Many here can say, well, I know that I'm forgiven. I know that the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses me from all sin. The Word of God tells us the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. That is all. A trust in Him. Are you trusting in Him? There's nothing that can wash your sins away but the precious blood of the Lord Jesus.
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That blood that was shed here at Calvary.
When he died for you and me.
Father, forgive them. What a blessed prayer.
He was praying for his enemies. He was praying for those that hated him.
We read in another scripture that Christ died for the ungodly. Friend, I don't care what your life has been, I can say to you Christ died for you.
And he offers you peace, pardon, forgiveness, and eternal blessing. Will you have the offer? It's free. The gift of God is eternal life. We read the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. You can't buy it.
Nobody is going to be in heaven and when they get there safe, look at me folks, I made it, No.
The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It's offered to you tonight. What are you going to do with the offer?
Well, his prayer, that lovely prayer. Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. And they parted, His raiment and calf lost, the people stood beholding.
And even after that gracious, loving prayer, it says the rulers also with them derided him, saying he saved others, let him save himself if he be the Christ, the chosen of God. They didn't believe he was the Christ.
No, no, they said. Well, yes, He may have healed others and saved others, but if he's the Christ, why he'll just come down from the cross and save himself?
Friend. Nothing could then be more wrong. He couldn't come down from that cross. You know why?
And then I'm going to reverse it and say he could have come down. Both statements are correct. It wasn't the nails that held him there. As far as the nails, he could have come down from the cross.
But.
As I said, he could not come down. You know why we sometimes think himself he could not save.
Love stream too deeply flowed.
Oh, he had to die because he loved you and me. That's why he had to die.
That's what held him there. It was love. Love for you and me. He came to die.
The apostle Paul could say the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. And dear friends, thank God I can say that the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me. And I see many faces here in the audience that I know they can say it too. Oh, dear friend, I tell you he loves you too. Will you trust him?
Doesn't such love like that speak to your heart?
While going on.
It says the soldiers also mocked him.
Yes, everyone, all, all those about him were against that blessed Savior. Now we find the soldiers, they mocked him.
If we were to turn to the end of March, the 15th of March I think it is, we find that both the malefactors reviled him, both of them, they insulted him.
You'd think they'd at least have a little human sympathy, wouldn't you? Because they were on craw, they were nailed to a cross, too. All the natural heart is enmity toward God. And both of those fees, we learned in March, cast the same reviling comments in his face.
Thank God one of them changed his tune. One of them got converted. That's what we're going to read about next. Oh, it's a wonderful thing when one turns around and that's what conversion is, the turning to God, to the Savior. Those in festival night that we read of how they turn to God from their idols, we find a turnabout here in this chapter. It's on the part of this feast. One of the Thieves 1.
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Originally reviled the blessed Savior, insulted him and cast these insulting remarks in his face. Notice what it says here in verse 39. The first of all, I skipped 2 verses. The soldiers said, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. Oh, how many if Satan puts in the hearts of souls today?
If thou be the King of the Jews, friend, he is the Kiwis, their king. They rejected their king, but he's coming back to reign as king.
I wish we had time to turn to the second Psalm and see some of the things we read there about him coming back to reign as kings. Yes, that Blessed One is going to rain not only as King of the Jews, but also as King of kings and Lord of Lords. He's going to be king over all the kings of the earth and Lord over all who exercise lordship.
Well then they wrote this superscription in both Greek and Latin and Hebrew. This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Yes, the learn a Greek, the martial Latin, Roman, and then the religious Hebrews, the three languages represented. This is Jesus the King of the Jews, our friend. That was the charge they brought against him. But he is the king of the.
He was the king of the Jews, and he's coming back to reign as king of the Jews.
Well, one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him.
Saying if thou be the Christ, there's that same if friend, you have a lot of ifs. Are you another iffy person? If this if that, forget all those ifs and just believe what God says. Take God at his word.
These ifs led many into that lost eternity that we were speaking about.
They won't. There are no more ifs when they get into hell, but it's too late then to realize that they were wrong.
If thou be the Christ saved myself. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God bring thou art in the same condemnation.
And we indeed, justly, oh, how wonderful this malefactor who had insulted and reviled him, as we learned in March 15. Now he's there's been a change. You know, I like to think that perhaps what spoke to his heart was the Lord's Prayer. Father, forgive them. Because the way he speaks from here on would indicate that he realized this was the Son of God.
And when he said father.
It was the Son speaking to God the Father. Father forgive them. I believe that God works in his heart and gave him to realize that this was the Son of God and all. What a change you know when 1 Comes converted, what a change it makes.
All this can truly be a turn about. You know the word converted comes from a Latin word. The end of it convert the vert means to turn. And here was one miss Thief he turned about now.
And it says that dost not thou fear God? You know we learn in Proverbs. I think it's the 9th chapter. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This poor thief.
Oh, now we find there's the beginning of wisdom, the beginning of knowledge. We also fear the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. We also get in in proverb well.
Dost not thou fear God? That is, don't you realize we have to do with God?
Friend, do you realize you have to do with God? I hope you learn it now.
And not and not when it's too late. Not when you're before the Great White Throne that we looked at in Revelation 20.
Just not thou fear God seeing the art in the same condemnation. Notice what he says. But we indeed justly oh, he says we're getting what we deserve. And they were they were criminals. No question. We indeed justly. But this man oh, I like, I like what he has to say about my Lord. This man has done nothing amiss. That's true, my friend. He was a sinless 1.
The Holy One.
The one who knew no sin, the one who did no sin, the one in whom was no sin. This man has done nothing amiss. Oh, I love the words of this poor piece here, when all the world was against him.
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He had been denied.
By a false friend. First shaken he had been.
He had been.
Betrayed by a false friend, denied by his true friends, forsaken by his disciples and followers, rejected and all seemed against him.
And at this very moment, when outwardly it might seem that they were right, because here was one dying on a cross.
At that moment we find one man coming out and taking sides for the with the Savior, saying, as it were, this man here is the one. One man who has done nothing amiss when all the world seemed against him. He stands up for Christ.
Oh, won't it be wonderful to see that thief in the glory, the one who stood up for the Savior when all were against Him?
This man has done nothing amiss.
He said unto Jesus, Lord, verse 42 Lord, Oh I like that the first word is Lord.
You know in Romans 10 and nine it says, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, Jesus is Lord.
Have you ever confessed him as your Lord?
You don't have to do that now.
In the day of grace, or you'll have to confess him as your Judge. In a coming day, if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Friend, that one verse is all you need to show you the way.
At one verse is all you need.
If you carry it out to be sure that your name is in the book of life.
If thou shall confess with thy mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead.
That's all you can do. There are two things. Confess them as Lord, believe that he died for you and rose again. And then the last part of that verse is God's part says thou shalt be saved. God's the one that takes care of that.
Well, this poor thief, his first word is Lord. Oh my friend, if you've never done it, confess him as your Lord tonight.
And receive him as your Savior. Lord, Remember Me when thou cometh into thy Kingdom. Now I said this was a prayer of faith.
Here is a man dying with his hands outstretched on a criminal cross.
And he speaks of him coming in his Kingdom.
By faith, he saw that man as the one who is going to come back as king.
Oh, there's faith for you, you and I. It doesn't take near the faith on our part that it does on his.
Here was one right at death's door, as it were. And he says, when you come as king or keep me in mind, Remember Me.
We know we have on wonderful testimony and witnesses we get recorded in First Corinthians 15 the fact that he rose from the dead, that he is the risen one. Ah, dear friend, there there is one tomb that's empty because that blessed 1 rose from the dead.
There are plenty of so-called gods, heathen gods, that are worshipped today and worship, laying in a tomb. Nobody could ever worship the Lord in this day, in a tomb. On the third day he rose again. He's a living, risen one, thank God, and he is coming back in his Kingdom.
But you know, the Lord not only answered this thief's request, this thief's desire, but he gave him something more blessed than he asked. Notice what it says Jesus said unto him, verse 43. Verily or truly, I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
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Oh yes, with me in paradise that piece body was going.
To be laid in the ground to return to dust.
But his spirit was to be with the Lord that very day. He wasn't going to have to wait till the Kingdom.
There is going to be the Kingdom this day, Should thou be with me in Paradise. Paradise speaks of a place garden of delight. And so that poor thief, and he was a poor thief. I wish I had time to make a rather extensive contrast between him and a rich fool. And our brother mentioned the other day in one of our reading meetings.
We won't take the time to turn to it, but in the 12Th of loop we root of a reread of a rich man.
Who laid up his treasures and he had to build greater barns. He's going to build greater barns to hold the mall. And he said to himself, take thy knees and eat, drink and be merry and so forth. But he got a message. The Lord sent this message to him, Thou fool, this night shall I soul be required of thee. This night shall thy soul be required of thee?
Oh yes, he was a rich fool.
He was rich, but he died of bankrupt.
And every every rich man who dies without Christ dies eternally bankrupt.
Here was a thief that was poor, he was bankrupt, but he's going to be eternally rich because in receiving Christ as his Savior, he received the true riches.
If we had time we could look at some of the scriptures that speak of how how Christ is blessed the believer with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places.
Yes, that rich man in the 12Th of Luke, he died a bankrupt.
And here is a poor bankrupt thief, as it were, but it will be rich in glory.
We sometimes sing of the Lord Jesus, rich in glory, thou didst stoop.
This is all I people's hope. Thou was poor and here's where Christ was poor. Dear friend, thou was poor that we might be rich in glory. Lord with thee, friend, I want that to be your portion. I want you to be rich in glory, to share that coming scene of glory with his blessed Savior. And let me tell you.
If that isn't your portion, you're going to spend eternity in hell in the Lake of Fire.