05-26-2019 Lessons from a Thief - DELIVERANCE

26 As they led Jesus away, a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, happened to be coming in from the countryside. The soldiers seized him and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. 28 But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ 30 People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ 31 For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?” 32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” 40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

We have been following the vignettes of the thief we met on Resurrection Sunday. Four (4) Important words, one in each scene, DISTRACTION, DENIAL, DARKNESS

Last week were reminded of the Words of Jesus in 3 passages of Matthew, that those who fail to believe enter that place called OUTER DARKNESS..

Now we come to the Most important, that which follows the theme of our focus in 2019 - DELIVERANCE

Matthew’s Gospel tells us a bit more about the other two men crucified on the eve of the Passover in AD 32 - They were not only “criminals” but “robbers”

Matthew 27:32–44 NLT

32 Along the way, they came across a man named Simon, who was from Cyrene, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus’ cross. 33 And they went out to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”). 34 The soldiers gave Jesus wine mixed with bitter gall, but when he had tasted it, he refused to drink it. 35 After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. 36 Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. 37 A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39 The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery. 40 “Look at you now!” they yelled at him. “You said you were going to destroy the Temple and rebuild it in three days. Well then, if you are the Son of God, save yourself and come down from the cross!” 41 The leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders also mocked Jesus. 42 “He saved others,” they scoffed, “but he can’t save himself! So he is the King of Israel, is he? Let him come down from the cross right now, and we will believe in him! 43 He trusted God, so let God rescue him now if he wants him! For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ” 44 Even the revolutionaries who were crucified with him ridiculed him in the same way.

In some sense were are all on equal footing with those thieves. We have stolen the glory of God created into us as those created in the image of God, and we have attempted to re-create God in our image instead of living up to His created purpose for our lives.

Instead of Seeking Him, We have Scoffed At Him, Sinned Against His Word and Selected to Worship ourselves or idols fashioned with own hands in place of Him

Here in Matthew’s Gospel Chapter 27 and verse 44, we find it was not only the soldiers, the passers-by, the religious and elders who mocked Him, even the condemned - suffering the same cruel punishment - one on either side were mocking His Claim to be the Son of God and Messiah.

Jesus Said, No man has Greater Love than He Lay his Life Down for His Friends...

This is Why God, The Creator of Heaven and Earth had to come into this world, born of a virgin, raised under the Law of God, Obedient even to the Death, the Death on the Cross

The Bible Says, God Loved the World so Much That He Gave His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, that WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM should NOT PERISH but Have EVERLASTING LIFE

God, Come in the Flesh is the Only Being Capable of Greater Love than created man laying down his life for his friends...

The Scriptures declare to us:

When we were UTTERLY HELPLESS, Christ came at JUST THE RIGHT TIME and DIED FOR US SINNERS. Now, most people would not be willing to die for a good person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. BUT GOD showed His GREAT LOVE for us by sending Christ to DIE FOR US while we were STILL SINNERS.

And this brings us back to the THIEF ON THE CROSS… As Jesus is nearing the end of His Life, Having Spent nearly all at that moment in Payment for MY SIN, YOUR SIN, The SIN of all PEOPLE for ALL TIME…

The Voice of the Rebellious, The Radical, The Revolutionary, The Robber is recorded for all of eternity… and Something has changed…

The REBEL has REALIZED who Hangs beside him.

In a moment, REJECTION is put aside and RELIANCE based on FAITH becomes his new REALITY

Luke’s Gospel Tells us:

But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

The Rebel REPENTS

The one accused FALSELY FORGIVENESS

The SINNER is SAVED

The one CONDEMNED TO DEATH IS SPIRITUALLY DELIVERED by the One DYING for [the DAMNED] those Condemned by their own sin

All This Happens in One Statement by the Dying Savior:

And He said to him, “Truly, I say to you, Today you will be with ME in Paradise”

DELIVERED. The DYING REBEL Has been DELIVERED by a Love Greater than even the love of dying for a very good person.

You See Jesus did not die simply to save the Self-Righteous (those who believe they are good enough); The Spiritual Elite (those who attempt to recreate God in their own image or in an image to their own liking);

He Died for the Rebels, the Radicals, the Revolutionaries, The Robbers, The Sinners, The Shameful and those Ashamed… He Died for the Prisoners, The Pitiful, The Peasants, The Poor, He calls out with a Message of Deliverance to the Sages, Those who think they are Saints, The Politicians, Those Polarized from Society, To the The Wise, The Witty, To Every Man, Every Woman, Every Child He makes the Same Offer.

He Died for ALL, but only those who Cease their REJECTION and come same REALIZATION as our thief

Only those who BELIEVE on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ will Hear the Great Words uttered to the Thief on the Cross - Today, You shall be with ME in Paradise...

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