Right Response to the Righteous One on a Cross

INTRO: Review, beginning at v. 32: Two criminals led away with Jesus to be crucified at the same time. Jesus compassionately prays a request of the Father to forgive these perpetrators for their part in this unique atrocity of putting him to death. The scoffing from the Jews, the mocking from the soldiers, even the callous inscription from Pilate of Jesus’ crime... are all meant by Luke to enhance the poignant irony of Jesus’ innocence of any wrongdoing, while at the same time being exactly who their ridicule says he is.

And now we pick up our reading there.

Luke 23:39–43 ESV

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Two criminals and Jesus hang on crosses - The two thieves here represent entirely different reactions to Jesus dying on a cross.

The Spiritually Blind & Arrogant Slander Jesus’ Sacrifice (v. 39)

The first joins in the response of mockery, rebuking Jesus.

The question presumes a yes answer to “Are you not the Christ?” which means this is bitter sarcasm and disrespect. Luke makes sure we catch this by introducing the speech from the first criminal as blaspheming/slandering Jesus.

Luke will leave the reader with the impression that these are ultimately the alternatives regarding how people respond to Jesus: disdainful rejection or repentant faith. (rejection or acceptance, mocking or embracing)

One is the blind and arrogant wrong response to Jesus, and the other the only right way.

The Right Response to the Righteous One Dying on a Cross (& Rising Again): Repentance & Faith (vv. 40-42)

The second criminal ultimately responds entirely differently, rebuking the slanderer, confessing his guilt versus Christ’s innocence, and requesting that Jesus mercifully remember him.

It is such a response of repentance and faith that pleads for saving mercy from the Lord, that Jesus meets with granting immediate reversal of destiny.

Mt 27:44 & Mk 15:32 have recorded that both thieves taunted Jesus, with only Luke including this change of heart from the second thief (likely because of an additional source). Probably originally caught up in the mockery, this crucified criminal completely reverses his position on Jesus, undoubtedly coming to some recognition of what he is witnessing. Although Luke is silent on the matter (in this instance), we know from our NT theology that this clarity and change can only come by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-8). The emphasis here is on the side of the responsibility of man, and it is that unique right response to Jesus that Luke is so keen to record for his audience.

The second criminal rebukes the first for his hypocrisy (do you not fear God to slander the innocent one who dies while you hang here justly condemned!). This rebuke includes an admission about himself that reveals repentance and faith, when coupled with his request to Jesus, confessing the authority and power of Jesus to truly save him and usher him into his Kingdom.

Recognition & Repentance: “we indeed justly” condemned

Faith’s Confession: Jesus died innocently (for me) and has the authority to save and usher me into his Kingdom

Salvation is always received through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. -Did you notice that the first thief requested to be rescued too, but without a submissive heart to God’s revelation about himself and about Jesus? - Steve Cole: “The two radically different responses show us that not all that come into contact with Christ respond favorably. Some are hardened by the very same message that softens others.”

Repentance stops blaming God and others and admits fully and completely one’s own guilt, and turns from that sin to God to exercise his mercy (without any attempt to manipulate God or bring your good deeds before God as merit) - full admission of guilt and its consequences, and throwing yourself on the mercy of God - forsaking sin as any means to true good, and embracing God as the highest good - Repentance then comes from a recognition of God’s own view of sin, which causes a person to turn from the pursuit of the sin that is the cause of our guilt, and in fear of God to cast oneself on his mercy. Psalm 41:4

Psalm 41:4 ESV

As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!”

- Jesus, about the Pharisee and the tax collector, Luke 18:13-14

Luke 18:13–14 ESV

But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The emphasis from Jesus here is that it is the humbled who repent, while those who think themselves righteous do not see the need for repentance and throwing themselves on God’s mercy.

[You can’t have faith without repentance, and you can’t have repentance without faith. They are negative and positive aspects of the same fact.]

Faith is trusting wholly in the promised grace of God through the sufficiency of Jesus Christ alone as a means to be restored to right relationship with God.

Bob Deffinbaugh “Let us not pass by this conversion without noting several essential ingredients. First, there is the recognition of one’s personal sin, and of his deserving of death, of divine wrath. Second, there is the recognition that Jesus is precisely who He claimed to be, the sinless Son of God, Israel’s Messiah, the only way by which men can enter into the kingdom of God. Third, a belief that Christ’s kingdom lies beyond the grave, and that resurrection will enable us to be enter into it. Fourth, a belief in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which prompted Him to die in our place, to provide a salvation for the worst of sinners, which is not merited or earned, but which is achieved in accordance with grace alone. A simple trust in Jesus for forgiveness and eternal life, by virtue of what He has done.”

And now how does Jesus, hanging on a cross, respond to this repentance and faith?

Jesus’ Response is Beyond the Request (v. 43)

Again we note the compassion of Jesus here, and that when God grants salvation, he does so instantly, freely, and abundantly.

“Today you will be with me” (immediacy - surely he was expecting that, even if this request were granted, it would be at some future Kingdom).

“In paradise” - The concept is one of the eschatological garden, the abode of the righteous, the heavenly realm where the righteous are gathered to be in the presence of God. Although not stated directly, it is clearly implied that there is a kind of immediate and conscious awareness of being in the presence of God at death (which is yet an intermediate state until the final resurrection and consummation of all things—every detail of God’s plan fulfilled and the righteous reign of the Christ, the Son of God, perfect and complete).

And this mercy, this grace, is granted to the thief freely. - “How much could this thief do to merit eternal life? He could not clean up his life! He couldn’t promise to do better in the future. He had no future! […] God’s salvation is always given in one way and one way only: by His free grace, totally apart from any human merit. That way, no one can boast.” (Steve Cole)

While this salvation is indeed instant, free, and abundant, notice that what Jesus promised him did not alleviate his present suffering or free him from the earthly consequence of sin.

Application: Salvation is available to any sinner right up to the point of death. We are all faced with the inevitability of death. We literally live our lives to the fullest based upon an awareness of death, and not only death, but the eternal destiny and purpose of our own existence before God.

-Why you shouldn’t try to plan for a deathbed conversion: (Steve Cole)

*If you reject the light that you have now, your heart will be hardened toward the gospel later.

*A life of selfish, sinful living does not bring joy, either presently or in eternity.

*Not all dying people have an opportunity to repent.

Jesus warned that people die in sin not because they are worse sinners, but because they do not repent. Luke 13:3 (also v. 5)

Luke 13:3 ESV

No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

But you have opportunity to repent and believe even now. The thief on the cross repented and trusted in Christ at the final hour. Perhaps today is your hour to repent and submit to Jesus by faith.

Let’s continue.

Luke 23:44–49 ESV

It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.

Heaven Responds to the Significance of this Act (vv. 44-45)

These cosmic signs, both the covering of darkness in what would normally be the afternoon heat of the day (between approximately noon and 3pm) and the tearing of the temple veil, seem clearly to be commentary from God on the significance of what is taking place in the sacrifice of Jesus.

Darkness - The darkness covering the earth was more than simply foreboding, an intimidating supernatural act of God in the heat of the day (could have been regional or global, but NOT by a solar eclipse as some like to say, because a solar eclipse can only occur at a new moon, and Passover was celebrated at full moon). Such surprising darkness was undoubtedly symbolic of God’s judgment in two ways: indicating his displeasure with humanity for crucifying his Son (even though it was in his plan and control), and also signifying Jesus bearing God’s wrath for the sin of his people.

Near the end of this stage of darkness, Matthew includes a statement from Jesus quoting Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” MacArthur explains: “Christ at that moment was experiencing the abandonment and despair that resulted from the outpouring of divine wrath on him as the sin-bearer.” (MacArthur SB note on Mt 27:46)

Curtain - [excellent, helpful notes from…]

The ESV Study Bible (Matt 27:51)

curtain of the temple. The curtain between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was an elaborately woven fabric of 72 twisted plaits of 24 threads each. It was 60 feet (18 m) high and 30 feet (9.1 m) wide. No one was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place behind the curtain except the high priest, and he only once a year, on the Day of Atonement (Heb. 9:2–7). Torn in two signifies the removal of the separation between God and the people. An extended commentary on this event, and the heavenly reality that it symbolized, is found in Heb. 9:11–10:22

Now Luke seems to have thematically joined together the darkness and the curtain as expressions of heaven’s reaction to these events, even though from parallel accounts it appears that the curtain tore immediately upon Christ’s death. Matthew records another crazy phenomena at that point too (Mt 27:52-53): a great earthquake and some believers who had died were raised from the dead!

In Luke’s account, he transitions from the cosmic signs to Jesus’ final words and his death, followed by additional responses from other witnesses present.

In Jesus’ final words and death, we see that…

Jesus Responds as the Righteous One to the Last: Trust in God and Expectation of Vindication (v. 46)

In this final prayer, Jesus quotes from Ps. 31:5, where the context is “the prayer of a righteous sufferer who wishes to be delivered from his enemies and expresses trust that his fate is in God’s hands.” (Bock, 1862) This is indication then of both trust in the Father (indicating submission to his will) and expectation of vindication, that he will be resurrected from the grave, just as he predicted.

Jesus cries out in a loud voice with this prayer to the Father. The final statement from Jesus is both intimate and intense. It’s intimate in the sense that Jesus prays to the Father directly, making a familial appeal, and he commits himself into the Father’s hands, an expression of trust in his care. It is intense because of the loud cry, followed by breathing his last (or has Mt has it, “yielded up his spirit” Mt 27:50).

To the end, Jesus obeyed the Father’s will because he trusted in the Father’s care and in the Father’s plan and in the Father’s perfect justice to vindicate the Righteous One who offered himself in a sacrificial death for the unrighteous.

Luke follows this with the responses of witnesses to Jesus’ death: The centurion overseeing the crucifixions expresses again the righteousness of Jesus (the seventh note from Luke of Jesus’ innocence!), the crowds are emotionally devastated by what they have seen, and then we are reminded that we must wait and see how those who have been following Jesus will respond to what is still to come!

Conclusion:

Are you responding rightly to the Righteous One?

What is the necessary initial response to Jesus’ compassionate choice to innocently suffer the cross on our behalf?

Repentance & Faith that Confesses Sin and Christ Jesus as Lord

-Could you be secretly scoffing, hiding out in plain sight among God’s people?… Or are you genuinely submitting to Jesus as Lord?

What should be our ongoing response to the willing sacrifice of Christ?

To love and worship him, to continually grow in submission and obedience to his command.

To model our lives after his sacrifice for the good of others to the glory of God, and to emulate his trust in God & expectation of vindication in the midst of the struggles in life’s journey.