“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed at Him, saying, If Thou be Christ, Thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou save art in the same condemnation?” Luke 23:39–40

A HAUNTING QUESTION

While driving one day I saw an ambitious sticker on a car reading as such:  “Put Christ into Christianity.” A trite, but yet a noble thought! There was a billboard sign along the highway boldly proclaiming the assertion—“Jesus Is the Answer!” A translucent message! A late-night vandal, however, armed with a can of spray paint, had hurriedly added his commentary, “But What Is the Question?” This creaking message hits one broadside with the haunting question that shivers its way into the consciousness of every sufferer, and every suffering Christian!  Where is God now? We have missed the mark with our awkward and muttered questions and that’s why we have missed the mark to “Where is God now? Such it is—in a raging, degenerate world, seething with despicable turbulence, madness—sin-bound for demolition in a dysfunctional society!

BIBLICALLY SMUG

In short, we give Jesus as our answer to questions about forgiveness of sin or cosmic justice. We become Biblically smug instead of being haunted by our jarring and pathogenic experiences. Our questions are often wrong! That’s why our answers remain complex doctrines and/or fleeting social attitudes, social ideas, and personal affirmations and agendas, instead of confirming our faith with “Thus saith the Lord.” Exodus 9:1

But, Jesus crucified can clearly reveal to us what the world is like by the manifestations of man’s shameless and rebellious conduct today and demonstrated by those reluctantly and satirically present then at the foot of the Cross:

  • The congregated people stood beholding in stolid and heavy indifference but with malicious intent (Matthew 27:25).
  • The governing Rulers wanted religion but without the divine Christ; rather, they mocked (Matthew 27:41).
  • The brutal and wicked scoffed and railed at Jesus with vicious and scornful abuse (Matthew 27:39). NO omit the at.
  • The covetous sat glibly before the cross and played sordid games; four soldiers over a tunic (Matthew 27:35–36).
  • The conscience sinner virtuously prayed (Matthew 27:41–42).

Not only does the cross reveal so clearly what the world is like today, but the cross and the crucifixion is the judgment of this world as well: “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” John 12:31

TWO RAW BONED THIEVES

The Apostle Luke, “the beloved physician,” wrote the longest of the gospels; the Gospel of compassion, which was written principally for the Greeks, calls the crucifixion a “hanging” (GR: kremosthenton). When the two malefactors or criminals (Matthew calls them brigands or mountain bandits) were hanged beside the Lord Jesus, one was no better than the other; most likely partners in crime. They who were crucified with him railed at him (Luke 23:39). Matthew and Mark merely tells us “then were there two thieves crucified with Him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.” Matthew 27:38. (Mark 15:27). Ah! But, the Apostle Luke tells us what they said!

The better Greek text tells us what the first thief said, “You are the Messiah, aren’t You? Well, then, save Yourself and us!” (Luke 23: 39).The first thief was really sneeringly sarcastic—in fact taunting Jesus! He was hardened to the last! Though he was now in pain and agony and in the valley of the shadow of death, yet this did not humble his proud spirit, nor teach him to give good language, no, not to his fellow-sufferer . No troubles will of themselves work a change in a wicked heart, but sometimes they irritate the corruption which one would think they should mortify! There are some that have the impudence to rail at Christ, and yet the confidence to expect to be saved by him; and to conclude that, if He does not save them, He is not to be looked upon as the Saviour.  Ahh. But we could still easily say that the first thief’s outburst as, “Where is your God?”

The other thief, however, softened at the last, rebuked him, saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.” Luke 23:40–41. “Dost not thou fear God?” This implies that it was the fear of God which restrained him from following the multitude to do this evil. All that have their eyes open see this to be at the bottom of the wickedness of the wicked, that they have not the fear of God before their eyes.

This second thief, however, when just ready to fall into the hands of Satan, was snatched as a brand out of the burning fire, and made a monument of divine mercy and grace, and Satan was left to roar as a lion, disappointed of his prey. But, this gives no encouragement to any to put off their repentance to their death-bed. Or to hope that then they shall find mercy; for though it is certain that true repentance is never too late, it is certain that late repentance is seldom true.

None can be sure that they shall have time to repent at death, but every man may be sure that he cannot have the advantages that this penitent thief had, whose case was altogether extraordinary.  To elaborate further, you see, the first criminal asks the age-old- question, “Why should God let an innocent man suffer?” To say it in another way, “How can God stand by idly and watch this happen?”

WHO IS ON TRIAL?

It is not so much Jesus who is on trial here, but as God! The first thief in reality asked, “Where is He?” Isn’t that a historically searching question? A question that haunts all of mankind? But, God in fact, isn’t watching this innocent man hang on the cross. God is on the cross!!

It is Luke alone among the New Testament writers who calls Jesus “the chosen One” (Messiah), and he calls Him that on the cross. The Old Testament concept of the Suffering Servant and the Old Testament concepts of Messiah merge together on the cross.

It is God the Messiah, on the cross and it is the cross of suffering that God in Christ becomes the Messiah. Without that merger on the cross, faith wouldn’t have much to say to anybody. Now the cross of Christ is to some a savour of life unto life, to others of death unto death. To them that perish it is foolishness, but to them that are saved it is the wisdom of God and the power of God (2 Corinthians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 1:18).

THE LAST GASP!

The second thief that at first reviled Him said, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” Luke 23:42. This is the prayer of a dying sinner to a dying Saviour—the last gasp! The tone of this request is utterly different from the cynical fling the other thief made. This man showed amazing confidence in Jesus for he saw Him dying on a cross, and yet believed that he would come into a Kingdom. It took him, however, three hours before he made this decision! It is only the grace of God in the cross of Christ that can instantly transform a reviling sinner into an attitude of saving faith and confession.

The repentant thief began to see:

  • The justice of his own punishment (Luke 23:41).
  • The sinless character of Christ (Luke 23:41).
  • The Deity of Christ (Luke 23:42).
  • A living Christ beyond the grave (Luke 23: 42).
  • A Kingdom beyond the cross, with Jesus as its coming King (Luke 23:42).

MY KIND OF GOD!

As the Jews persecuted Jesus under the notion of a pretended Messiah, so did the Romans under the notion of a pretended King. The superscription over the head of Jesus setting forth His crime was, “This is the King of the Jews.” Luke 23:38.

He is put to death for pretending to be the King of the Jews—so they meant it—but God intended it to be a declaration of what He really was, notwithstanding His present disgrace. He is the King of the Jews. He is the King of the Church. He is the King of mankind. He is the King of the Universe.

Jesus, called “the Chosen One” by Luke as Jesus was on the cross.  But, do you know why? Because those struggling people of faith need not so much a God that is over you or above you or beyond you, as a God who is alongside you, a God who is accessible and vulnerable.

You need a God who is, yes, mortal, a God willing to go to the cross for you!  Faith does not begin with joy. It begins on a cross with “suffering love.”

TWO CROSSED BRANCHES

A little girl whose parents died when she was quite young was bounced around from orphanage to foster home to orphanage. She really was a beautiful child, although all the moving and trauma of her young life had taken its toll, leaving her quite withdrawn. She finally came to settle in a boarding house which was run by an older couple who ran the home, not so much out of altruistic concern for the children as for the state welfare monies they received for each child.

Needless to say, they were not very kind to the little girl, and as one would suspect from an experience in such a hostile environment, the little girl became even more withdrawn and introverted. As a matter of fact, she stopped speaking altogether, at least to other people. Her only real friends became the animals that played in the yard with her. A particular favorite was a certain squirrel that frolicked in the tree just outside her window. She would often go to the window and talk to the squirrel as though the animal could actually understand her, and a great bond of friendship developed between them.

One day, the woman who ran the orphanage came up to the little girl’s room and found her talking to the squirrel through the open window. The woman flew into a rage. She scolded the girl severely for encouraging silly animals to “hang around” like that and forbade her to do so again. With that she slammed the window shut and stormed out of the room. But she didn’t go far. Rather, she waited and listened at the door to see if the girl would disobey her, and when she heard no sound she cracked the door and peered in. To her amazement, she saw the little girl busy at her work table writing a note. The wife continued to watch her as she finished the note, put the pencil down, and then carefully folded the note in half. Then she got up and left the room with the note in hand. The woman was curious by now and followed her to see what she was up to. The little girl ran out of the house, through the yard, and up to the tree where the squirrel usually stayed. She climbed up into the tree as far a she could, stretched out her hand, and placed the note between the fork of two branches in the tree. Then she climbed down and ran back into the house.

The woman called to her husband, told him what had just happened, and instructed him to retrieve the note. When he climbed down with the note he gave it to his wife who opened it and read it, and when she did, a strange thing happened. Instead of being outraged by the girl’s disobedience, she looked startled and surprised by what she found in the note. Her husband said, “Well, what does it say?” So she gave it to him to read. When he looked at it, this is what it said, “To whoever finds this, I love you.”

PLEASE. . . !

Two thousand years ago, on a dirty little dung hill just outside a major city in Palestine, between two crossed branches, God hung a letter, and it says, “To whoever finds this, I love you!”

If you’ve found it, then you already know why in the church we have the courage and faith to call our worship service– holy. If you haven’t, I pray you will. Please. . . !

One thief was saved, so that none need despair; but only one, so that none may presume.

Pray to be remembered by Christ now that He is safely in His Kingdom—may this be our desire and prayer.

Amen <><

John Theodorou

U.S.A.