May 25, 2013
Scripture:
Could we turn back to Revelation 5? I want to point out a few words:
The Lamb of God is worthy. He is worthy because of what He did and because of Who He is.
Hymn 367 – When he cometh, when he cometh
Prayer
We have been reading parables about sowing seeds. Today, we will read two different parables and look at the contrast between the two.
Matthew 13:31, 32, 36, 37, 44 - 46
Our first parable is about a farmer who planted a mustard seed. A mustard seed is one of the smallest seeds, but one of the biggest herb plants. The plant grew into a tree and birds came and landed in it. The second parable is about a rich man. This man found a pearl that was worth a lot of money. He wanted it so badly that he sold all that he had and bought it.
A contrast is the difference between two things. If you drive down Royal York road to my house, you pass many nominally Christian churches. They’re like the mustard plant, which was big. Many of the people who go to those churches call themselves Christians, and they may or may not by truly saved.
Those of us who are truly saved are like the pearl. We seek to follow the Lord and do what He says. A pearl has unity and there is a unity among those that follow the Lord. Jesus is like the merchant man. He paid the price at Calvary, because He saw the worth of us. Out of love, we should learn to live like Him.
Luke 23:32-49
The four accounts of the cross don’t all report the same things. Luke’s account is precious because he is the only one that records the account of the penitent thief.
The Lord arrived at Calvary with two malefactors. Isaiah 53 tells us that He was “numbered with the transgressors”. He had the power to stop everything that these people were doing to Him, but He didn’t use it. He let them crucify Him with “two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst”.
There were three cross on that hill: a cross of rejection, a cross of repentance, and a cross of redemption. One of those men died in sin, one died to sin, and the Other died for sin. One was a sinner, one was a saint, and One was a Saviour.
The other two men were malefactors, and the chief priests told Pilate, “If Jesus wasn’t a malefactor, we wouldn’t have delivered Him to you.” But Jesus wasn’t just one of three malefactors, for He was innocent. They were worthy to die; He wasn’t. We’d be at a loss without the story of the penitent thief, though. Even in Jesus’ last hours, He reached out to one last sinner. “Redemption’s earliest trophy stood, From sin and death retrieved.” (#321, little flock)
As Jesus hung there, He prayed, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Acts 3:17-19. What these people were doing was fulfilling the words of their own prophets!
The soldiers gambled for His clothes, the people beheld Him, and the rulers derided Him. “If you are the Christ, save yourself and come down from the cross.” They didn’t realize that He was dying to save others, and if He saved Himself it would be our loss. “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone” is beautiful language because it shows that Jesus wasn’t just trying to save people; He was looking for a people for Himself. To the malefactor He said, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” That was good news for both of them!
“If He be Christ” (v.35). “If thou be the king of the Jews” (v.37). “If thou be Christ” (v.39). These men were taunting the Lord with these things, but it was because of these things that Jesus was dying.
Of all the people at the cross—the soldiers, the rulers, the malefactors, the Jews—the only person to take the Lord’s side was the penitent thief. Everybody was mocking the Lord, but he said, “This man has done nothing amiss.” He was the only one to stand up for the Lord.
The story of The Cross stands out as the most important event in History. The only begotten Son of God, the giver and sustainer of life, died. As we sing, “Lord of life to death once subject.” From what Jesus said to the thief, though, we know that He will rise again and that others will rise with Him.
The superscription above the cross is different in each gospel, and we would probably have to compile each to get the full writing. “The King of the Jews” was Jesus’ condemnation. The Jews rejected Him as King then, but one day they will accept Him.
One of the malefactors thought that he was worthy to be saved, but the other rebuked him. Vv.39-41. Other gospels tell us that both thieves reviled our Lord, so what changed the one? You could imagine that it was hearing Jesus pray, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”. The Spirit might have used that to show this man that Jesus wasn’t a malefactor, that God was His Father, and that He didn’t deserve to die. He prayed for those crucifying Him, and the thief maybe realized, “This is One that can save!” It turned his heart, and he said to the Lord, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
If salvation was by works this thief would have been toast; but if salvation is by faith, then he had confessed Jesus as Lord, and believed that He would rise again. Romans 10:9 tell us that this will save you. Jesus told him that he didn’t have to wait for the kingdom; that day the thief would be with the Lord in Paradise. He would depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Salvation is by faith.
Hymn 10 – Faith is a very simple thing
Prayer