Lessons
from the Two Thieves
Galatians
Do want to be crucified with Christ? What does this mean anyway? Well I believe we can understand it more
clearly as we look at the experience of someone who was actually, Literally
Crucified with Christ.
If you have
to be crucified, The best way to be crucified is with
Christ.
Today I would like to share with you some lessons
that we can learn from two criminals, two Thieves that were literally crucified
with Christ.
Come with me to the Friday morning of the crucifiction. It was
It was a motley crew, Roman Soldiers, City Rabble, Religious
Leaders and a few followers of Jesus.
Robbers:
Today there
would be Three men executed. Executed for Crimes against
the state. They would be nailed
to crosses. In many cases their bodies
left up to rot and decay in the sun. A witness against all who would break the laws of
We know
about Jesus. He was innocent, dying for
our sins. But there were two others.
Malefactors:
Armed Robbers. People
who were accustomed to getting what they wanted by force. malefactor
was a thief or a robber, probably a murderer - a robber of life.
I don’t
know what they did, maybe they held up a bank in
Whatever the case. These men, were evil
doers. They deserved to die. They may have even murdered people in their
evil expeditions.
It was the
worst day of their lives, but unbeknown to them, it was the best.
You see,
they were being crucified with Christ.
But they
didn’t know it. They were bitter. They they were
angry. They were violent.
As they were being nailed to the crosses. The evil crowd started to jeer.
Hey , Jesus, you saved others, why can’t you save
yourself.
A Robber
wants to get something for nothing. They
don’t want to pay the price. They want
to do it their own way.
And these
Two Evil Doers Chimed in.
Matthew 27:44 And the
robbers also who had been crucified with Him were casting the same insult at
Him.
Mark
BOTH of these criminals were taunting Jesus.
When times get hard, the real you just starts to come out, you just can’t help it. These were evil men. They were called evil doers, transgressors, the scum of society. They had been used to listening to the voice of Satan and when Satan tempted the rabble to abuse Jesus they were right in there with them.
BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED…
I don’t know what it was.
Maybe it was the prayer of Jesus.
“Father Forgive them, for they know not what they do”
Maybe it was the kingly bearing of Jesus. He wasn’t struggling to get away.
I don’t know what it was, but one of the Thieves
started thinking.
Hey I’m
dying here. What is real, what is it
that I was living for. What took me down
this dark road that lead me to be where I am?
He started thinking and he started changing.
The bible
records what happens next.
Luke
40 But the
other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou
fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we
indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath
done nothing amiss.
These two thieves represent to classes of
people. One thief repentant,
believes in Jesus and is saved, while the other thief, no hope of salvation is
recorded in the bible for him.
Watch here
carefully, I don’t want you to miss these lessons from a dying thief. This man we know was saved. We see a pattern in his live that if we
follow can assure us of Salvation as well.
Today there
are many that don’t want to think about God.
They want to do things their own way. They want to blame someone for the mess of
their lives.
Making fun of others,
put others down to make themselves feel better!
Instead of
looking at reality, acknowledging the Goodness of God, They disrespect God.
-The Unrepentant
Thief Wanted Salvation on His own terms in his own way.
-He asked
Jesus for help. But he wanted to be
saved physically, not spiritually.
-He had no
regard for the plan of God. He Didn’t realize that Jesus was saving the world. Thought, the Commander of Heaven, the creator
of the Universe was right there, he didn’t perceive it. He had no desire for spiritual Salvation; He
was only interested in a physical salvation.
What is
this Jesus going to do to help me in the here in the now?
He Said
Jesus, IF YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD< Where have we heard that before?
SATAN.
IF ! A word of Doubt. He
didn’t believe that Jesus the son of God.
IF
If your
faith is full of IF’s then ask God for more faith.
But the
repentant thief was different.
The
Repentant thieve proclaimed the Goodness of God.
Everyone was doubting Jesus.
He saved others, but himself he could not save. I thought he was the Christ. Disappointment all around.
And yet the thief alone acknowledges God.
If we are
to be saved, we must see the goodness of God.
We must see God is Good. We must allow His Goodness to flow into our
lives.
-We must
see that he is working every minute to help us on life’s path.
-We must see is his constantly at work, even
turning bad things.
-We must
see even when we feel crucified, that God is working it for our good.
He
Acknowledged the Goodness of God.
The next lesson from these thieves is that:
2.
The REPENTANT THIEF: Accepted
responsibility for his crime.
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due
reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
He didn’t
say, The devil made me do it.
He didn’t
say, well, I’m on this cross today because my parents were poor and abusive to
me.
He accepted
responsibility for his Crimes. Someone
once said that prison ministry is tough because there are so many innocent
people behind bars.
Most of
them don’t admit their Guilt. There was
always a good reason to commit the crime.
We rationalize sin, we
reason it away. It is just this once,
its No big deal…. We excuse a guilty
conscience…
He
acknowledged his sin, and accepted responsibility for his crime.
Until
you and I see how sinful we are, until we ask God to open our blind eyes and
show us our sin and sinfulness, we won’t appreciate Jesus.
There are some of us here that
might feel complacent in our sins. We
might feel that their sins aren’t that bad, and that their lives aren’t that
sinful.
I’m glad
that we belong to a church that teaches the keeping of God’s Commandments. But how are we living?
Some of us
are taking God’s name in vain, some of us are putting other god’s before God,
some of us are worshipping images, Many
of us are breaking the Sabbath; and saying that it’s all right. Some of us are killing others by our
hatefulness and lack of love, Some are stealing, like the thieves, maybe even robbing from God.
some of us are committing adultery, some are lying, some are coveting that
which does not belong to us.
I’m not
talking about sinning and asking for forgiveness. I’m talking about Christians in Denile. Christians
who have compromised to the point that evil seems, not that bad.
Open your
bible, forget about what Society is doing, and say yes Lord, what would you
have me to do. Forgive me. Change my
heart. Do not die in your sins.
The
repentant thief was dying, but he admitted his guilt...
And then
this thief did something else.
3.
The Third lesson we can learn from
the thief is that he turned to Jesus.
Whatever the question, Jesus is the Correct Answer…
42 And he said unto Jesus,
remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus
said unto him, Verily I say unto thee Today, shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Sometime between
Gave him the promise of eternal life.
I have a
theory about the two thieves. I believe
these were two backslidden church members.
Why else would one thief be rebuking the other thief for not fearing God.
They had
once known about God. But the lure of
sin and the lust for the easy way had drawn them into a life of Crime.
I’ve
heard some people say, well look at thief on the cross. He lived his wild life, and then at the end
he repented and God saved him. I want to
do this too, I
want to party and do my own thing, and then just before the end comes I want to
make a death bed confession.
First: In this
story what percentage of thieves came to Jesus? only 50% that you
will come to Jesus. And those aren’t
that good of odds when it comes to life and death. It’s like playing Russian
roulette with a gun that is half full.
Secondly: There are terrible negative consequences to a
life of sin. The Thieves
got caught, remember they had to die.
Jesus didn’t save them from the consequences of their sins, they had to
suffer.
-If you
choose to backslide there will be terrible consequences. I’ve seen Mothers and Fathers Backslide and
their pretty little children go right out with them. I’ve seen friends pull friends away from
Christ. You might come back, but will
they?
Is there Grace tonight?
At one time
or another we all have backslidden. We
have rebelled against God, we have done wickedly. But the thief on the cross teaches us that it never too late to come
Christ.
A dying Criminal turns to th dying Creator and Jesus gives him Hope
Maybe you
are backslidden right now. Christ
invites you to come. He doesn’t care
about your goodness. He doesn’t care
about your money, he doesn’t care about the good you didn’t do, or might
do. All he says is come.
Come and be
real about your Need for God.
Come and Acknowledge your sinfulness.
Come and
ask God into your life. Ask God to
remember you.
He won’t
forget. He won’t forget you, he will hear your cry.
Here was a hardened criminal.
He doesn’t
care whether you are on death row, skid row, He calls you to come.
Come and
accept his gift of repentance.
This
morning God wants to do some healing in this church.
There are lyer in this church, there are
thieves, there are evil doers.
But if you
come to Jesus, God will make it right.
He will
offer you pardon and give you peace.
Can you say
today that all is right between you and Jesus?
I don’t
care what kind of life you have lived, I don’t care how much of a hypocrite
you have been. I don’t care how much you
have blackened your own character and record with sin. If you come to Jesus, He will change your
heart. He will remember you. He will bless your life.
Cards.
Decision.
THREE CROSSES
Three crosses on a
lonely hill,
A thief on either side,
And, in between, the Son of God...
How wide the gulf, how wide!
Yet one thief
spanned it with the words,
"Oh Lord, remember me";
The other scoffed and turned aside
To lost eternity.
Forsaken is the
hilltop now,
And all the crosses gone,
But in believing hearts of men
The center cross lives on.
And still, as when these sentinels
First met earth’s wondering view,
The presence of the Lord divides.
Upon which side are you?
~~By Helen Franzee Bower.~~
The Faith
of Jesus: It is talked about but not understood> Christ’s Ability to Save us
to the uttermost…
You have to
believe that God is able. . . . .God is going to make
a way somehow….
The Thief
could have said, look at me, my life is a mess, I have wasted it, I never
became anyone, I never did anything great. There is not hope for me.
But He
didn’t give up hope. He Trusted in the power of Jesus.
Some of you
might be thinking that tonight. You
might be thinking, I need to give up. Don’t give up… Trust in God…