27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
Luke 23 26-43 THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS 24 Luke 23 39-43 The turnaround experience
📖 Luke 23:26-43
Thu 06 Jan 2022 – The turnaround experience - Luke 23:26-43 - THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS (24) - Bible reading: Luke 15:18-19
“Lord Jesus, we thank You for Your wonderful plan of salvation, which is indeed profound but at the same time simple for a little child to understand. We see here how this second criminal understood Your plan of salvation, responded and benefited by inheriting salvation. We thank You. We give You all the glory and praise. In Jesus name, we pray, Amen.”
Luke 23:39-43 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us." (40) But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? (41) And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." (42) Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." (43) And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
As we follow the conversion of this second criminal, on the cross, we see that his first big step was that he understood that God needed to be feared. He understood that sin was against God.
Man does not fear God. Romans 3:18 “THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."
The majority of people, in this world, do not consider that their sin is against God. The world does not want to consider the matter of sin. The world wants to consider God to be dead, so that man can do whatever he pleases.
Sin evokes the wrath of God, for sin is against God. God is holy.
As we listen to the words of the second criminal to the first, we learn the second big step that was happening in his life.
"Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? (41) And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
He saw Jesus identifying with the same condemnation in which both of them were condemned. Jesus was one with them in the condemnation in which they were condemned.
Here was the first person in history to understand and benefit from the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement of Christ.
The doctrine of the substitutionary atonement of Christ is one of the pillars of the Christian faith, which Apostle Paul and others take much pain to teach the church. Whereas, this criminal, in all his pain, agony and trauma of the moment, understood and benefited from the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement of Christ.
This is why the gospel of Jesus Christ is both simple and profound, at the same time.
Galatians 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"),
Jesus identifying with man’s predicament is a vital step in experiencing personal salvation.
Romans 4:25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. I Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
Jesus was condemned just as both the criminals were condemned and this second criminal understood identification of Jesus with our sin, so clearly.
The third big understanding that dawned on the second criminal was that he was a sinner.
He saw that his and his fellow criminal’s crucifixion on the cross was a just reward. They deserved to be punished. He saw plainly, his sin and he acknowledged that he was a sinner.
(41) And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
If a person does not own up to his or her own sin before God, then that person cannot experience personal salvation.
Luke 15:18-19 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, (19) and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants." '
This personal acknowledging of sin is necessary for a person to be converted to be a disciple of Jesus. Sadly, and unfortunately, this step is not emphasized sufficiently, when people are led to Christ, which results in tragic consequences.
Leviticus 26:40-42 'But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, (41) and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt— (42) then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land.
Each of us must go through this process of confession of our sin at an individual level. The second criminal was going through the process of confession of his sin before God.
I John 1:8-9 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
As the church, we must not only come before God with a heart of repentance, confession and brokenness for our personal sin but we must repent and confess the sins of our people.
Daniel 9:4-5 And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, (5) we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
When the church repents and confesses the sins of the people, the Lord will heal our land.
II Chronicles 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Thought to ponder
The uncomplicatedness, as well as the depth of the gospel message, is amazing.