25 Jul “Thief on the Cross” | Apollo Beach
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KEY VERSE: Luke 23:22-43
This passage of scripture is speaking about the crucifixion of the Lord.
There is a lot of truth we can learn from the cross. When we speak about the cross we are not speaking about the wood, there is no virtue in the cross. The virtue is in the man who was on the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are speaking about the finished work of Jesus not the Cross.
Pastor Geyser described a trip to Israel many years ago where the tour guide took them to the hill where Jesus was crucified. The guide did not seem to think that this place was very important, or as important as the cathedrals with all their religiosity. He felt like God was saying that this is a picture of the Church. Today, we tend to get Involved in so many non-essentials, involved in things that don’t matter. So many things are becoming important to us, we are neglecting the cross and the fact the Jesus died on the cross for our sins. However, this is the center of Christianity. We must understand that this does not change, it is still the most important thing.
Q. What may be some things you may have got so wrapped up in, you forgot the real importance of the cross?
All the stories of the Old Testament point in one direction, the cross of Jesus. If there was no cross, then all those stories are meaningless. All the many blessings we receive today all flow from the cross. Jesus died so we can live life eternal and have a blessed life.
Some of the teachings in the Old Testament are abolished, some are changed, and some remain the same. They go through the cross and remain the same. The cross of Jesus is the hermeneutic filter. We interpret the word of God through the cross.
Luke 23:32-34
Here is the clearest and simplest picture of salvation. There were three crosses, and on one God was represented through his Son, Jesus Christ. The other two crosses held two thieves who represent all of humanity. The cross of Jesus represents what Jesus does for sin, one thief dies of sin, and the other dies in sin because he refused to repent. The cross was where wicked people were put to death, so these two thieves must have been of terrible character, and committed terrible things.
Q. What may have prevented you from turning to Jesus when you first heard the Gospel?
Q. In what ways do you identify with either or both of these thieves?
Luke 23:35-37 NKJV
The soldiers and the one thief accused Jesus and criticized Him. They used the same thing as Satan used in the beginning ‘If you are the Son of God.’ It is a challenge to see if Jesus really is the Son of God. Jesus could have wiped them out (Matthew 26:53). If He wanted to, He could have called 72,000 angels to wipe mankind out and to rescue Him from the cross. If Jesus did that scripture would not be fulfilled and we would never have the opportunity of getting saved, but He was willing to endure the suffering and pain.
Hebrews 12:2 NKJV
When Jesus looked down the corridors of time, He saw each one of us. He knew that if He would go through that, we would respond to the Gospel and be reconciled to God and experience the forgiveness of sin. That is the joy that caused Jesus to stay there. We are His joy.
Q. What do these passages teach you about forgiveness?
Q. Toward what people do you need to follow Christ’s example of forgiveness?
Luke 23:40-43 NKJV
All those scribes and pharisees were religious people, highly educated. They went to the temple every week and had a tremendous amount of religious rituals. They went through all that stuff and still did not know who Jesus is. It takes a man who was a thief, a criminal, an outcast whom other people rejected – he hangs on the cross and looks to Jesus when he least of all looked like a king and he saw him as a king.
Today we have the Bible and millions of people that have witnessed the grace of God but there are still multitudes of people who don’t now who Jesus is. That’s why we are not to lift up man but to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 12:32 NKJV
The attraction in the Church must be Jesus and Jesus only. God forbid it if we use other stuff to attract people into the kingdom of God, Jesus is enough. He alone convicts, we cannot change people. It is the work of the Holy Spirit.
Q. What example can you share where you may have been attracted to Church but not Jesus and why?
Seven things Jesus that the work on the cross struck a death blow to:
- Good Works – most major religions depend on good works to get into heaven – we must repent from dead works. We are created for good works (Ephesians 2:10)
- Salvation by Works/ Baptism – we don’t have to be baptized to be saved. Grace is unmerited favor. Because we are born again, then we go through the waters of baptism – this is a public declaration of faith in Christ.
- Everyone goes to heaven – only one thief went to heaven, the repentant one.
- Soul Sleep – body, spirit, and soul stay in the grave, that is not true (Luke 23:43) as our bodies go to the grave and our spirit immediately goes to be with the Lord ( 2 Corinthians 5:8)
- Purgatory – (Luke 23:43).
- Death is the end – Every human being good or bad is going to live forever (Acts 24:15) (Revelation 20:6) (Hebrews 9:27)
- (I either missed this or he never got to it)
Q. Which of these false declarations may be a stumbling block for you and why?
Only way we can be reconciled to God is by the death of his Son.
Pray for each other, your communities, and the Church
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