GOOD FRIDAY 2012

GOOD FRIDAY

April 6, 2012

Pastor Timothy J. Spaude

Text: Luke 23:39-43

TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE!

Luke 23:39-43 “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” ⁴³ Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Surprising sayings surrounding Jesus’ passion is what we have been looking at during our special services for Lent and Holy Week this year. No matter which saying we looked at we have always tried to keep our eyes on the cross of Jesus, its necessity, its importance and meaning for you and for me. Good Friday makes it kind of easy to keep our eyes on the cross, doesn’t it? And there are all kinds of surprising sayings. Today we focus on one of Jesus’ sayings from the Cross. “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Let’s see what surprises the Lord has in store for us.

The first is this: With Jesus it’s never too late. Who did Jesus speak these words to? Luke tells us. “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” ⁴⁰ But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? ⁴¹ We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus’ words were spoken to a criminal. Actually there were two criminals crucified with Jesus. We have to understand something here. Rome did not crucify your common criminal, your pickpocket or street thief. Crucifixion was used as a lesson teaching execution for those who led rebellions against the government, escaped slaves and the worst of criminals, the habitual ones or those who murdered in the course of their crime. Neither of these criminals was a good man. They had lived lives of blatant sinning. One kept it up even to the end. He mocked and insulted Jesus. One did not. One understood a little of what was going on. He looked at Jesus and saw innocence. Jesus had done nothing wrong. Yet he was suffering. Did he remember the lessons he had learned in Sabbath School as a child? How Messiah would come? Had he memorized the words of Isaiah 53 and just realized what was going on here? We don’t know. We do know he looked to Jesus in the last hours of his life. The power and grace of the cross are such that it’s never too late here on earth.

Remember that. Remember that for yourself. God forbid that any of us here forsake Jesus later in life. God forbid that we fall into one of those sins that the Devil can use to try to convince us that there is no coming back to Jesus. But if we do, remember this. With Jesus it’s never too late. Jesus wants you to come back and turn to Him. He will welcome you back no matter what the sin. That’s why He is on the cross—to pay for those sins. Remember this also for your loved ones. If you have loved ones who are living the life of unbelief, keep praying for them. Pray for God to give you opportunities to speak. If it gets to the end of their life, get to the hospital. Tell them what Jesus did for them on the cross. There still is time.

A second surprise: “Chief of sinners though I be, Jesus shed His blood for me.” Look at the power and grace of the cross. Somehow the Holy Spirit enabled this criminal to know the power and grace of the cross. Even though his life had been filled with many sins, many you and I would not consider doing, he didn’t keep his eyes on his sins but on Jesus and His power to forgive. You know we don’t really know what sins this criminal committed but we do know our own, don’t we? Whenever your sins bother you remember this saying of Jesus. It proclaims the power and grace of the cross. Jesus paid for sin. All sins. Your sins. God’s grace is for sinners. All sinners. For you.

A third surprise: in the midst of suffering for all Jesus takes care of one. Jesus is carrying the weight of the sins of all people on Himself and He takes time to gently and lovingly deal with one sinner. Wow! Behold the power and grace of the cross. Remember it when you feel lonely, when you feel like you are just another face in the crowd or only part of the bottom line at work. Jesus has time for you and takes time for you. Your feelings betray you. You are not just another face in the crowd. You are someone Jesus dearly loves. He dies for you.

And then behold the power and grace of the cross for each individual sinner. “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Today. Today Jesus said. What Jesus accomplished on the cross is so powerful, so gracious that immediately at death the believer goes to heaven. No waiting period. No cleansing period. Immediately, peace and joy. Has someone you love died in the Lord recently? Rejoice because that very moment they went to heaven. The time of our own death is coming too. It’s closer now than when we started this service. That’s great because the power and grace of the cross are such that the very moment of death we too will be with Jesus in Paradise. Can’t wait! Amen.