3/29/24 “Man on the Middle Cross”
“Man on the Middle Cross”
Luke 23:33-43
(A Good Friday Message)
Here’s a question for you tonight…”Do you know any theologians?”
…Look around the room – you are looking at theologians.
Theologians are those people who practice theology.
…And theology is basically defined as the study of God – or to put it another way – one’s belief about God.
Everyone – whether they know it or not – practices theology.
Even those people who say they don’t believe in God have a theology….they have some sort of belief concerning God and His existence.
Our passage of scripture tonight is from the gospel of Luke.
In Luke’s account of the crucifixion of Jesus, he devotes quite a few verses to a conversation between Jesus and one of the other men who was also being crucified alongside of him…
It was a conversation that would reveal a conversion…a “Conversion Conversation”, if you will.
If you recall, there are three men being crucified at the same time on that lonely hill just outside of Jerusalem called Golgotha…
Jesus is the man on the middle cross with two criminals (or “thieves”, as other translations render them) on either side of him.
In verse 40 (Luke 23:40) one of the criminals begins to speak to Jesus – and through this brief conversation with the savior - he begins to reveal his own theology.
…And surprisingly, this convicted criminal who was being put to death for his lawlessness, revealed a very accurate theology.
In just a few verses, Luke gives us a glimpse into the understanding that this man had concerning the God-man nailed to the cross next to him.
Do you remember who had originally been scheduled to occupy the cross that Jesus was currently nailed to?
Yes, it was most likely reserved for our old friend Barabbas!...remember him?
Barabbas and the two criminals flanking Jesus were probably partners in crime since they were all scheduled to be crucified at the same time – at the same location.
But instead of Barabbas being the man on the middle cross – it was an innocent man. In fact, it was the most innocent man that the world would ever know.
It was a sinless man who was enduring the agony of - not only being put to death through the inhumane method of crucifixion –
But also, for the first time in all of eternity, Jesus was enduring the unthinkable reality of being spiritually separated from his Father in Heaven.
All because of man’s iniquities...my sin…and your sin.
Verse 39 (Luke 23:39) provides an account of one of the two criminals hurling insults at Jesus…mocking him along with the Roman soldiers.
They were mocking the fact that – to their understanding - Jesus was apparently unable to save himself like he had saved so many other people from illness, pain, disease, and even death.
Little did they know that the man on the middle cross could have easily walked right off of that cross if he’d wanted to…
Little did they know that the man on the middle cross was a willing participant…
Little did they know that they would forever be remembered as characters in the most important death that the world will ever know.
There was one individual, however, that showed a surprising level of insight as to the gravity of the moment – and - regarding the nature of Jesus…
This insight came from an unexpected source – it came from one of the criminals hanging next to Jesus…
If we back up for a moment and look at Matthew and Mark’s account of the crucifixion, we notice that the scene begins with both criminals hurling insults at Jesus…that both of these men were mocking the humble rabbi from Galilee.
…But something changed in the attitude and heart of one of the criminals.
One of the criminals kept on hurling insults at the savior right up until his dying breath…but not the other one.
Something happened to change his entire point of view.
This man was now coming to the defense of Jesus when just minutes ago he was involved in maligning him.
You could say that his theology – his view of God – had dramatically changed.
This change of heart didn’t come from being baptized, it didn’t come from taking communion, it didn’t come from tithing, it didn’t come from sacrificing at the temple. It didn’t come from attending a Bible study or worship service…
His change of heart came from a change within – a change initiated by God to forever remind us that conversion is internal, not external.
Nothing that we do externally – our acts of service or our good works - will ever merit us entrance into God’s presence…
And, surprisingly, this criminal seems to ‘get it’ in the very last moments of his life.
I also believe that God orchestrated this conversion of the criminal on the cross to remind all of us that “death-bed conversions” are legitimate conversions…
People truly can come to repentance all the way up until their dying breath…this criminal’s conversion just before death resulted in eternal life!
What a dramatic demonstration of God’s amazing grace!
I recently had a conversation with pastor Bob Maeglin about his father’s deathbed conversion.
His father’s body had been ravaged by a stroke to the point that he could barely move…but he had enough strength to respond in faith to the gospel just hours before passing away.
Now, getting back to the thief on the cross.
if we look at each of his recorded statements, he seems to suddenly understand many of the basic truths about God…his ‘theology’ is solid.
Look at verse 40. Here we see the converted criminal rebuking the other criminal (His old partner in crime)
He says in verse 40 (Luke 23:40) “…Don’t you fear God?...”
This statement shows an understanding of God’s holiness…it was an acknowledgement of God’s righteous nature.
Many of you are familiar with Proverbs 9:10 which says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
This criminal was beginning to understand the truth of who Jesus was – and along with it – the reverence and respect that was to accompany that newfound wisdom & understanding.
Folks. That’s just like us today.
If you have given your life to Jesus Christ, then you understand the vast chasm that separates our sinful nature from His righteous nature…and it humbles us.
This spiritual realization, brothers and sisters, is the beginning of true wisdom and understanding.
…And this is what we see in the thief’s initial words of rebuke toward his fellow partner in crime.
We see more of this man’s spiritual understanding in verse 41 (Luke 23:41) when he says to his old partner “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Not only was this man’s theology correct in verse 40, but now his anthropology is shown to be correct in verse 41.
Anthropology is one’s view of mankind.
..And this criminal now understood that he was guilty – and by extension – all of us are guilty.
Because we have all sinned, all of us are guilty and deserving of death.
Only because of the man on the middle cross – and the blood that he shed - are we able to be saved from God’s Holy wrath and enter His presence.
There’s an old term we don’t hear much anymore – it’s a word called propitiation.
Propitiation is an act of appeasement, or satisfaction toward God.
Propitiation is a 2-part act that involves appeasing the wrath of God over sin - and being reconciled to him.
Scripture tells us that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) – and the only way in which God’s wrath against sinful mankind could ever be satisfied (Or Appeased) would be through the sacrificial death of a perfect human being.
That perfect human being was Jesus Christ…the man on the middle cross.
The ESV version of Hebrews 2:17 reads like this: “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”
The thief knew that he stood guilty before a righteous God – and that only through the man next to him would he have a chance for his guilt to be taken away.
This brings us to the thief’s understanding as to the nature of who Jesus really was.
In verse 42 (Luke 23:42) he says: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
In seminary, you can take entire courses on Christology (The study of Jesus) Eschatology (The study of end times) and Soteriology (The study of salvation)
You can read endless volumes and commentaries on these three subjects.
But in one brief 9-word sentence, this uneducated thief who (To our knowledge) never even knew Jesus before now, sums up the meaning behind all of these theological disciplines.
The first word from the thief’s mouth in verse 42 is ‘Jesus’.
The King James renders the first word as “Lord.”
The thief on the cross had gained so much spiritual understanding within just a matter of minutes that he was able to see that Jesus was more than just a man….that he was, indeed, Lord.
This is the basis of the discipline of Christology – that Jesus is Lord.
The thief also pleads with Jesus in verse 42 to ‘remember him’.
This may seem like a simple statement, but these 2 words actually reveal a soteriological insight from the thief that many people missed who had been around to hear Jesus’ teachings and had seen him perform miracles.
By saying ‘remember me’, the thief is showing his understanding that salvation is personal.
When it comes to salvation, there is no 2 for 1 deal.
We all must appear before Jesus on our own – our family and friends will not be there with us on the day of judgement.
It was once said that God has no grandchildren – only children.
John 1:12-13 says “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
Jesus tells the Pharisee Nicodemus in John chapter 3 that one must be born again – to be born form above – in order to obtain salvation.
We all come into this world alone & naked – and we will all leave this world alone & naked.
Salvation is personal – and the thief understood this.
Lastly, the thief uses the term ‘Kingdom’ in verse 42.
This reveals his understanding as to the nature of Jesus’ Kingship.
To have a kingdom, one must be a king.
The thief understood a basic element of eschatology – that the man on the middle cross would eventually rule as king.
The disciple John, when describing the return of Christ at the end of the 7-year Tribulation, says this in Revelation 19:16 “On His robe and on His thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
The man on the middle cross was, indeed, no ordinary man.
He is the eternally existent second member of the Triune God who will rule with perfect justice and authority for all eternity.
…And – somehow – God conveyed an amazing degree of spiritual understanding to a dying thief on a lonely cross next to the sacrificial lamb who ‘takes away the sins of the world.’
Brothers and sisters, don’t give up on your loved ones who don’t yet know Jesus as Lord & Savior of their life.
This story of a man who comes to faith in the last hours of his life gives all of us hope.
It reminds us that as long as there is breath in one’s lungs, there is an opportunity for that person to repent from their sins and to turn to Jesus in faith.
Tonight as we are about to come together around the Lord’s Table…shut out all of the distractions and allow your mind to meditate upon what has been done for you on the cross.
Consider the pain, the agony, the torture, the anguish, the abuse, the ridicule, and the sacrifice of life that Jesus endured just for you.
Did you know that Jesus loves you so much that he would have still chosen to endure everything that he went through even if you were the only person to have ever lived?
Jesus tells the repentant thief in verse 43 (Luke 23:43) that “…Today you will be with me in paradise.”
If you have repented of your sins, asked the Lord for forgiveness, and turned to Jesus in faith, then the man on the middle cross says these same words to you today.
Let’s Pray.