Picture in your mind one of the drawings or paintings that you have seen portraying Christ’s crucifixion. If the artist based his or her rendering of Calvary on the Bible’s account you probably saw three crosses in the picture. Although there were three crosses I am assuming one was probably more prominent than the others. Whether they were empty or occupied the cross of Christ was most likely in the center of the picture. The crosses on which the two thieves were crucified often appear smaller or off the in background.
This traditional way of picturing the Friday we call Good is understandable. Of the three
crosses the one in the middle is most important. On it God sacrificed his dear boy for the sins of the world. When Isaiah drew his picture of the crucifixion with words 700 years before it happened he made Christ’s cross most prominent. He described Jesus’ cross with many verses in careful detail and then simply stated that Jesus would be "numbered with the transgressors" at the end of one verse. (Isaiah 53:12) The two other crosses on which the thieves were crucified are naturally not given the same importance as Jesus’ cross.
These verses from Luke’s gospel tell the story behind the three crosses on Calvary. There is a message in each of them for us. The cross in the middle tells us what Christ did for us. The one on the right and the one on the left also have a message. One is a cross of rejection. One is a cross of repentance. In our time together let’s consider:
THE MESSAGES OF THE THREE CROSSES ON CALVARY
I. The cross of redemption
II. The cross of rejection
III. The cross of repentance
Background: These verses are well known to most of us. The words that our Savior spoke in his last hours hold deep significance for Christians. This is one part of the great spiritual battle that ended with the words, "It is finished."
Transition: In the centuries since Jesus’ suffering and death the cross has become a symbol for all that he accomplished. When we look at we see the payment for our sins. The full price of our redemption. Although all of Scripture is a witness to how Christ redeemed us these verses from Luke’s gospel give us the message precisely. Through the words of Jesus’ enemies, through the words of those crucified with Jesus, and through his own words we are reminded of the facts concerning the one who died on the cross in the middle.
I.
It was not an infrequent thing for Jesus’ enemies to speak the truth about him in their efforts to discredit him. "The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.’" With hatred in their hearts and sarcasm on their lips the rulers of the people hurled those insulting words at Jesus. Although they questioned who he was Jesus had proven who he was many times. Yes, he was the "Christ of God, the Chosen One."
That fact, that Jesus was the Christ, the Chosen one, made his cross the cross of redemption. In eternity God chose his Son to bring salvation to mankind. God planned to let his anger at sin and all the consequences of sin fall on Jesus. In the Revelation that Jesus gave to John he saw that Jesus is the "Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world." (Revelation 13:8) Colossians 1:19-20 describes the cross of redemption in this way, "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Jesus’ cross is a cross of redemption because God balanced the books of his justice on it. He accepted the blood of his Son in the place of the blood of sinners. Galatians 3:13 describes this, "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." 1 Peter 2:24 adds this thought, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
As we stand at the foot of the three crosses message of the one in the middle quickly becomes obvious. It is a cross of redemption. The innocent Son of God is paying the price for the sins of the world. The thief on the cross of repentance recognized this. We are told, "But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’" Sometimes the truth comes from the most unlikely sources. A thief saw that Jesus was innocent. It was his innocence that enabled him to be the redeemer we needed. He lived under the Commandments of God and the laws of men in our place without ever sinning.
The fact that his cross was the cross of redemption allowed Jesus to declare to the repentant thief, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Jesus now has the right to open heaven.
Appropriation: As we look at the three crosses on Calvary the message of the cross in the middle is one that we dearly love. It tells us we have been redeemed. We have been bought back as 1 Peter 1:18-20 reminds us, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed...but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake." We are allowed to see and hear the message of the cross in the middle. It is a cross of redemption.
Transition: But not everyone saw the cross of Christ as a cross of redemption. There were those who saw it as deserved destination for a trouble maker. Some saw it as the appropriate place for an imposter to die. Others saw what they thought was a helpless king dying a hopeless death. The words that came from one of the three crosses on Calvary summarize all those who rejected Jesus. "One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’" This cross serves as a warning. It is the cross of rejection.
II.
Why would a man with only a few hours to live spew out such hatred toward a man he apparently didn’t even know? The thief on the cross of rejection listened to the crowd. He heard the rulers shout, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." If the experts on religious matters rejected Jesus as an unfit Messiah then why not join in the fun and ridicule him as well? Perhaps the criminal on the cross of rejection listened to the soldiers. They said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." Those rough Roman soldiers pointed out the obvious. How can Jesus be the king of the Jews or the king of anything if he can’t save himself from the cross? The man also let his experience move him to reject Jesus. He wasn’t doing anything for him. The man on the cross of rejection was angry at the world. He was hiding his horrible life of sin behind his hatred to the Son of God.
Do you see the warning in the cross of rejection? The crowds of the world are still ridiculing Jesus? They may say, "Oh, Jesus taught some good things, and he may even have done some miracles, but in the end the cross proved he was only a man." Many religious experts in our time have removed the redemption from the cross as well. Have you heard what some of the leading liberal theologians have said and written about Jesus? They are not unlike the words of rejection spoken against Jesus on Good Friday. The wise people in the world today still parrot the perception that the Roman guards had of Jesus when they crucified him. "If he is King of kings and Lord of lords as you Christians claim why do his followers suffer and struggle? Where is the power, and the glory, and the kingdom of Jesus?" Yes, friends in Christ, Satan would love to lead us to the cross of rejection. May we always be armed with the truth. Let God’s Word speak clearly to your heart on a regular basis so that you see Jesus’ cross as a cross of redemption and not cruel joke.
Application: In the fateful winter morning of January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger stood poised for launch. Overnight, the temperature had plummeted into the twenties. At liftoff it was a crisp 36 degrees F. Four-foot icicles still clung ominously to the launch tower. Allan McDonald, an engineer employed by the manufacturer of the solid rocket boosters that straddled the shuttle, shuddered, but not because of the cold. Research had shown that the O rings sealing the sections of each booster might be more likely to leak as the temperature dropped. In fact, the rings had never been tested during an actual launch below 51 degrees F. McDonald stood virtually alone as he steadfastly opposed the launch that icy morning, but he was overruled. The launch went ahead as scheduled, and 73 seconds later six brave astronauts and one enthusiastic school teacher lost their lives when the O rings failed. Was Allan McDonald arrogant when he challenged the decision to launch? Was he intolerant? Any thinking person would say no. He just was unwilling to see innocent people die because others had ignored or distorted the facts. We would say Allan McDonald knew the truth, and he stood up for it.
It is always tempting to go with the flow and compromise with the crowd. It can have life and death consequences. But tragically it can also have eternal life and eternal death consequences. Let the cross of rejection serve as our warning. Don’t listen to what everyone says about Jesus. Don’t believe the world’s assessment of him. Don’t even believe what our feeble senses might tell us. We must see his cross as the cross of redemption.
Transition: After seeing the cross of redemption and the cross of rejection we turn our attention to the third cross. "But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’" What message is there in third cross? We see that it is a cross of repentance.
III.
If we look at the other gospel accounts of the crucifixion we are told that both of those crucified with Jesus made fun of him. At some point one of them was led to see the truth about Jesus. God converted him or turned him around. Now we have to say at the outset that he didn’t reach this conclusion on his own. And no he wasn’t a nicer guy at heart than the other criminal. It is very likely that he learned God’s law as a child. Seeing the one called Christ willingly give his innocent life into death convinced him of God’s great love--even for him. This man didn’t listen to the crowds, or the Romans soldiers, or his experiences in life. He saw the King that almost everyone else failed to see.
So what can we take to heart as we see the thief on the cross of repentance? We see someone who throws himself completely on the grace and mercy of God in Jesus Christ. It was God’s grace alone that overcame our natural unbelief. It is God’s power along that enables us to believe all the things that seem so unbelievable about Jesus. He must lead us to the conclusion that the only way of salvation is the cross of redemption.
To the man on the cross of repentance Jesus said those dearly loved words, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." How awesome those words must have sounded. His past was forgiven and forgotten. Soon the cross on which he hung would bring death to his body but the cross on which Christ hung brought life to his soul.
What a joy it is to be on the cross of repentance. Things are right between us and God. Heaven is our home. To avoid any confusion it would probably be good to repeat the fact that we can’t put ourselves on the cross of repentance. We can only put ourselves on the cross of rejection. If we begin to rely on anything but God’s mercy we may be heading to that cross. If we listen to what the world says instead of what Jesus says we may find ourselves on the wrong cross. One we cannot choose but the other we can.
Appropriation: The third cross shows the way to the cross in the middle. The cross of repentance that convicts us of our sins and causes us to despair of all hope outside of Christ connects us to his cross of redemption.
Conclusion: Three crosses on calvary. One cross holds a man dying for sin. (redemption) One cross holds a man dying in sin (rejection). One holds a man dying to sin (repentance) Amen.
