Jesus and the Two Robbers | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from acts church.

We hope this message will light up your day.

Let me turn to scripture Luke, chapter twenty three. I'm

gonna read here from verse thirty two onwards to verse

forty three. Okay, turn with me to Lil twenty three.

Read here from verse thirty two onwards. Now, he says,

here there were also two others. Now, Jesus is not

being led to go Gotha, the place where he's going

to be crucified. And he mentions, here there are two others. Okay,

not just two other persons, but two criminals that led

with him to be put to death. Now verse thirty three,

and he says, and when they had come to the

place called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the criminals,

one on the right hand and the other on the left,

then said this is very important. He said, Father, forgive them,

for they do not know what they do. This is

a very important verse here. And they divided his garments

and cast lots, and the people stood looking on, But

even the rulers with them sneered, saying this is very important.

He said what they said, what he saved others? Let

him save himself if he is the Christ, the chosen

of God. Then the soldiers also mocked him, coming and

offering him sour wine and saying, if you are the

King of the Jews, save yourself. And on the inscription

also was written over him in letters of Greek, Latin

and Hebrew, this is the king of the Jews. And

in verse thirty nine, then one of the criminals who

were hanged blesspheeing him saying, if you are the Christ,

save yourself and us. But the other answering rebuilt him, saying,

do you not even fear God? Seeing you are under

the same condemnation. And we indeed justly, for we receive

the deal reward of our deeds. But this man has

done nothing wrong. Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember

me when you come into your kingdom. And Jesus said

to him assuredly, I say to you today you will

be with me in paradise. How many of you are

familiar with this story? Yeah? One the this is such

an amazing story. Ah, I know, it's always were always

talking call it the two criminals, or the two robbers,

or the two thieves. Now I want to draw if

you can today look at the stage here, and imagine

that Jesus is right at the center here, and then

we have one robber on the right on my right

or your left, and the other on my left and

your right as well. And today we're gonna have play

out a scene and a conversation and we're gonna understand

what is actually happening here. Okay. Now, first thing, first thing,

we need to understand that everything happens so fast. Okay,

everything happens so fast. Let me ask you a question.

Do you know how long did it take from the

arrest of Jesus until he was crucified? How long less

than eighteen hours? And in eighteen hours he went through

how many trials? Six trials? Not one? No, six trials?

Are he went through six trials in less than eighteen hours,

and that eighteen hours included six trials verdict the execution

all included in less than eighteen hours. Tell me way

in the world the law allows this, hm that anyone

can be allowed to go through six trials starting from midnight.

You know, I'm saying you starting from midnight six trials.

Three trials under Jewish law so called Jewish law, okay,

and three trials under the Roman law. Okay, six trials, okay.

And but by the time you know what time he

was crucified in our time, nine o'clock in the morning,

nine o'clock in the morning, nine o'clock in the morning

in Malaysia, and we are still waiting at the court.

You know, if you can ask someone by the police

nine o'clock, you'll still be waiting at the court for

the for the judge to show up. He is already crucified.

Reading you can imagine that kind of nonsense, the kind

of persecution is happening. You know, people capture you at

midnight and then they had determined one thing and one

thing only, death sentence. I'm saying, no, one thing and

one thing only death sentence. And why early in the morning,

because they want to remove as many are defense, as

many witnesses. The only thing they had was by the

third trial was only a very short window where they

had a trial just for formality's sake. And by the

time everybody is Awakeer Jesus is already sentenced and sent

to conscious pilot reity know need for witnesses, those who

had healed his disciples, his parents, those who followed from

him from Galilea. Oh, didn't even have a chance the

day before he was celebrated, you know, the whek before

he was celebrated, and by nine o'clock in the morning,

everybody was already calling for him to be crucified. So yeah,

tonight are you'll be It's like, imagine, tonight you'll be

hearing me, preacher, and tomorrow morning, nine o'clock you'll be

hearing me here, you'll be cussing me already. How fast

are things can happen? You don't believe me? Again? Check?

Going to read the Gospels again, so many things. But

now I want to draw you specifically to what actually

happened when Jesus is being crucified. We specifically learn actually

that people were already taunting Jesus. What was a taunt?

If you are the Christ, if you are the Son

of God, save yourselves, isn't it. And there's one robber

here imagine Okay, Actually they actually know their name, you know,

if you want to know the name, actually want them.

It's called demons. Okay, But that's besides another point. So

while the robber okay, and you must understand now crucifixion

is actually reserved for the worst of the worst criminal manner,

because why for the worst of the worst criminals, Because

crucifixion is not about just the torture. Crucifixion is about

sending a message to the public. You know what I'm saying.

You know, crucifixion is about sending a message. That's why

the place where Jesus was actually hung it's called the

place of Calvary or go Gotha, right, it's actually right

beside the highway or people walking out. So imagine if

Jesus was being crucified, it will be beside the highway

where you drive. You will probably see him. One. It's

very very obvious. One. That's why crucifixion is about sending

a message to everyone. One you can say, make sure

that everyone can see. And crucifixion is actually when you

hang there, you won't get a burial one and no,

you are not buried one. That is why when Jesus

gets a burial, it's an exception. You know, it's not

the norm. It's the exception. You know, most of them,

most of the people who are crucified don't get a

burial because you are left rotting there for days and weeks. One.

It is the Jesus getting a very easy exception. Most

of the time you don't get one. It's very very

hard to find archaeological evidence or people getting crusia very

rare because most of the time, when they're rotted, ready,

what do they do? They throw the body one shot

and they're burning month because it smells his things. They

don't have a they don't have a symmetry, they don't

have a burial ground for them. Jesus was the exception,

very very few exceptions. One. Okay, Now, so we have

a robber here hanging crucified, looking at Jesus, and then

on the other side his partner in crime as well. Okay,

of all things are where you can be doing a

and you're being hung on the crosser on nails, by

the way, and you'll you know, you're going to be

hanging there for a long time. And when he looks

at Jesus, what would you say to him? What's the

one thing you'll be saying? Most of us in our mind,

we won't be saying anything right because you'll be suffering

so much pain. Trona, I don't know. But then the

Bible says that he began to blasphem into Jesus saying

that if you are the son of God, or if

you're the Christ, save yourself and save us. Now, when

I read that, it actually resonates with us. Isn't it

one of the biggest problems that humanity has with God?

Isn't it? If God is real, why are they evil?

Isn't it? If God is real, then why he let

me suffer? Get me right? Why is it not answering

my prayer? Still, if you are real, why don't you

just show yourself? Why let us doubt? Why let it

let even let us go through this whole debate. If

you are really, just show yourself, if you are real,

right now, why can't you just save yourself so that

everyone will know you can you can quiet all the

Jewish leaders, it can quiet or even the Romans? Why

don't you just say yourself? Actually, Judas have the same

problem as well. Judas have a same problem with Jesus.

If you are the son of God, why can't you

just take control of the power, just say it? It's

so close, But yet every time you could do it,

you refrain, You step back, and you choose to serve

instead of room. You know what I'm saying now, you

just what's very frustrated with that, and so people were

mocking him, mocking him, mocking him. Now in terms of us, right,

a lot of us, we find that it's a big

stumbling block, isn't it. We need to know why, God,

why why things happen? Because if I know why, at

least I can manage my own expectation, my life and

everything else. At least I can manage. But if I

don't know, I find that it's a stumbling block and

I can't move on. You see, there's another person who

actually has the same problem as well, big problem. And

this person his name is Joke, you know how a

familiar job. In the Book of Job, he is described

as a man who was righteous, you know God, it

was so righteous that God was even talking about him

and telling, look at my faithful servant in whom there

was not found any fault. You know, was he even

talking about you? Got to talk about you in heaven.

You're quite something? Like this is really you are really

quite something? And you know he's he's getting a lot

likes and mentions in heaven. Okay, he's really doing very well. Okay,

but yet oh nowhere, because Satan throws accusations that job.

God allows job to be tested. So he got his rich,

his material wealth, his lifestyles, everything property all taken away,

his children taken away, his health taken away. And for

a long time he couldn't understand why he didn't do it,

why did he do anything wrong? As well? Then his

wife asked him to curse God. He wouldn't do it.

Then he's surrounded by friends who pretend to be good friends,

godly friends, but yet they betray him as well because

they cannot They try to put God and to put

jobs situation into something they can understand, and by doing that,

they actually send the wrong message to him, because a

lot of times that's what we do, you know, when

we are handling something that we cannot understand, we try

to squeeze into a box that we can, but we

don't realize that it's not meant to be squeezed into that.

We really don't, you know, why do I get this

and that person get that? Why this timing? Doesn't God

see and everything? And then towards the end of the boat,

you realize that job begins to you know, start to question.

He count the handred. He starts to God why and

why these things are happening to me? And then you

know what? Does God reply to him? Actually wrote here,

I think it's in the slightest there you say. Is

in Job thirty a verse four to verse eleven, God says,

where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Tell me, if you have understanding who determined its measurements?

Surely you know or who stretched the line upon it

to what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone?

When the morning stars sang together and all the sons

of God shouted for joy? Or who shuts or who's

shut in the sea with doors when it bursts forth

and issued from the womb? When I made the clouds

its garments and think darkness, it's wadling band. When I

fixed my limit for it and set bars and doors.

Then when I said this far you may come, but

no further, and here your proud waves must stop. Now

this is only a portion of it, but it goes

a lot longer. Now, why is God talking about these things? Okay,

you understand what I'm saying. Now is trying to say

that God, I need to know why. Then God begins

to approach Job and say that wow. If you are

asking me to account to you, if you are putting me,

the Lord of Heaven and Earth, on trial to answer you,

before I answer you, you need to answer to me first.

You know I'm saying now, since you are demanding an

answer for the things that you suffer, now I demand

that you also give an account for the things you enjoy.

So let me. This is an example. When you come

through this door this morning and you sat on your chairs,

did you ask to know how these chairs were put together?

Did you ask this when you come this evening why

they were car packs? Did you ask how the person

cooked your foot? Sometimes you'll cook nice if the food

on nights? You question a lot of things are When

you wake up this morning, did you ask how God

still preserves your life? Your heart is still building and

you don't have a heart attack, and you still can

draw breath as well, how your children is not in sickness?

You know how your parents are still available and to

talk to you. And every single thing of your life

did you need to understand before you enjoyed it? True

or not? If you're life you need to understand before

you moved on? Then how would you move on? Because

obviously you didn't understand anything, because now you obviously have

no problem unless you don't want to sit now you'll

want to stand for the rest of the time. How

many if you want to do? Doing that right now?

I don't want to see it because I didn't do

or did yet you know I don't want to come

to bj LA because I haven't done or dmae. See,

we don't have a problem to enjoying, sir. You know,

we don't have a problem to ask to not need

to understand when we enjoy, good things are. But the

moment when we have a problem, we demand an answer

and explanation. We say that it's a stumbling block. And

God says, sir, it's not just our micro life, but

in the course more the universe where it's happening. You

didn't demand an understanding, yet you lived in it. You

have no problem. Then when when jobs start to understand

and to realize and all these things, you know, what

do you say? You know what he said? I think

it's in the in job chapter. Let me just quickly

hear job chapter forty two, and he says, I know

that you can do everything and that no purpose of

yours can be with help from you. You ask who

is this who hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have

uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for

me which I did not know. And then I jump

to the last part in verse sixty, and he says,

therefore I abhor myself, I hate myself, or you know,

I reject myself and repent in dust and ashes in

So what I'm saying, no, So when he starts to

see God as who he is, he realizes that all

the things that he suffers and have no answer is

no longer qualified. He said, what I'm saying, there is

no longer qualification in my claim. I have no right

to ask these things. The only thing that God has

revealed is more than enough. He comes saying, you know what,

does not all ask anything? You know? But yet at

the cross we have one criminal who is looking at Jesus.

And you know why. He says, if you are the

son of God, and if you are the Christ, save

yourself and save us. Because he is saying that because

everyone else on the crowd who is watching Jesus also

say the same thing, because they are all saying that

before that, and he joined it as well. But he

doesn't really, but he also realizes he is also hanging there,

dying in his saying. And yet the only thing that

he could do was to laugh and to mock that fella.

Now you switch over to the other side, and you

have another robber equally seem fool as well. Imagine with Mina.

And he looks across past Jesus and to his partner,

same situation, and he looked at him, mocking and cursing

at Jesus. Something happened to him. He is suffering as well.

And as he hears and as he looks at Jesus,

I believe something change. And then when he saw the

other robber, he starts to see himself. You know what

I'm saying, No, he's saying that that could be me.

She were both there. Actually, I want to ask Jesus

as well, if you are some god, why can't you

say yourself say me? I could say that. But when

I look at my friend, my partner as well, he

deserves it. But yet in all these things, he is

still cursing someone that he had no business of cursing.

You know what I'm saying, No, But yet when he

looks into Jesus what did he hear Jesus say, remember

the scripture earlier, What did Jesus say, forgive them? For

they do not know what they do? He looks at

the man that even when he is being crucified hah

palm pan and still mocking him, the thing that is

being squeezed out of him is forgiveness. You know? Is

will a liar do that? Really? We're a liar when

he's being tortured choose to forgive someone? You know what

I'm saying? No, when he is being hung on the cross,

he really has to. Really, this is a really real

mental dramas happening. Here is what my friend do? I

want to end up like my friend cursing God in

my sin and die in my sin? Or am I

asking myself? Who is Jesus really? And as he look

at his friend, he's though, even though he is having

a good time mocking, he notices one thing that his

friend and he himself included, they are not ready to die.

That is why he said, are you do you not

even fear God? Because he fears God? And not don't

you even fear God? When we people send many people

ask you don't you fear God? Means that are you

ready to die or not? Are you really ready to die?

And to give an account? You know, come for every

single thought, every single deed most of us I have

ready forgotten now, all the evil things, all the nonsense

we've done in our lives, you know, most of us,

you know, and that by the time we think that

we are so righteous, were so diverted, deserving all them,

most of what has forgotten. You know. We are such

a short memory. But we we are held accountable for

every single thing that we say we do, and we

harbor as well, and for all the times when we

feel that we have getten gotten the wrong end of life?

Are we ask God, God, if you are real, how

con you never all of us are. It's not just

that the criminal all of us have mocked God before

now have really really mocked God, you know? And I

tell you that all what people are to the very end,

they will continue to mock God. And they will say things,

you know, saying I'm too reasonable, I'm too pragmatic, I'm

too smart to believe in this nonsense. Really, you will

hear it many many times. Celebrities, podcasters and people who

will continue to say, you know, until when they get

to the hospital. You know, I have a I have

no I want to share a personal story that my

dad used to be a very hardened man. And now

there was one time when he had canceled. He was

going through his first jury, right, and I went to

him and he said, you know that, you know I'm

gonna visit you. You want me to pray for you?

You know, SA no on it? He said, why, oh no,

I'm already. This is the natural order of life. How

me if you know people like that half man half man,

I mean half. This is not everybody must die, am,

everybody must die one. It's just my turn. Only I've

lived long enough. Ready, some people die during the years.

I'm considered fortune already. Well, oh, I can't even break

about that as all. So it's everybody. Everybody's turned one.

It's okay, oh say this. But after that, when they

started to strip him down because he's going to go

for Sergeria, and they lay you down on that cold steel.

How many of you are doctors? You know what I'm

talking about, right, And when they lay on you on

the cold steel, I can tell you their face turned white. HM.

When I saw my dad there, I tell you everything,

just gripping people was turned white, hiking hiking and he's

like suddenly he grabbed my hand and he when I

could and I couldn't follow him, and he started gribbing

the nurse's handle. I can tell you nobody is prepared

to die one, nobody, no matter what they say. You see,

I'm saying, nobody is ready to die. One. Nobody knows

unless you know God and all. Nobody's ready. You want

to know. And I can tell you people who say

death is natural, I can tell you death is not natural.

Death is not not men to die one at all.

God did not create you for you to die one

and all. But there is seen in our lives. Why

do you think that God made seen such an enemy

that he's willing to send his son? Death is not

natural people. God came to conquer death, you know, I'm

saying not. So don't settle for deaf people? Are you real?

We have this mentality that we settled for death and all.

I'm not asking you that you cling onto this life

you all, but I'm set I'm not telling you that

God intended you for life, life more abandaning and life eternally. People,

you're not men to settle for death one. You know,

I'm saying, you know that it is not the origin.

But now what we end up believing this rhetoric that

we're all men to die. But then towards the end,

then we start to, like you say, when you place

you on that cold stew, you realize that you are

not ready. And so this Robert looks across. Do I

want to end up like my friend, dying because of

sin and also dying in sin, continue mocking and rejecting

and denying God until I pass on to the next life.

Or right now, because of my sin, I am looking

at Jesus and I'm looking towards heaven as well. Is

there still hope for me? You can mean, right, is

there still hope? Now? At least he corrected one thing.

You know, he started to have a proper image of himself.

I'm saying, now, I'm a sinner. I have no right

to look at everybody else and mock them. You know,

I'm a sinner. But now comes this situation. Who is Jesus?

Jesus is here? Is it a coincidence? Who is this

man after being crucified? And clearly he's not like us?

Because this guy just got caught in less than eighteen hours.

It's not on trial. And yet when he's being tortured,

he chooses to forgive people. When on towards the very

last end here he still has a choice to offer something.

And what can he offer a criminal hanging on the cross?

What can a criminal on the cross ever offer? You mean,

right when your hands are bound radia, your legs are

nailed to the cross, radia, what can you do? Give money,

serving the church, give to the poor. What good can

you do? Ready? What can a man like him offered

to God? That can be satisfying, that can be pleasing,

that can be worthy enough? And he said this, you

know this man has done nothing. Lord, Please remain remember

me when you enter into your kingdom. No, what does

it mean when he said when you enter into your kingdom.

We won't say your kingdom unless you say that that

he is king. Read the scripture. When you enter into

your kingdom, remember me, he said, king Lord. When you

enter back there, remember me. I testify before you, and

I testify before everyone, before my partner in crime, my

everyone who's smocking at you that if you are the

son of Christ, save yourself. I choose to believe. When

everybody mocks, I choose to believe. And because there is

all I have to offer my testimony, remember me. So

my question is this rest import my message repletn only

is are we ready to die? Are we ready to die?

You know? Are you ready to die like this man

on the robber here? Or are we really started to

have an actual understanding of who we are and see

where we are headed, and to realize in between there

where them nation is, and then in between stands Jesus.

I really believe that Jesus, when he is hung there,

although his hands are being nailed, his legs are being nailed,

he can't feed you, he can't take the bread and

break it. While on the cross, he is still performing miracles.

He's still performing the miracle of saving people. Do you

think that I believe that when he was hanging, Yes,

pain was crawling through his body, but I believe he

was still his mind. He's still on that man my life.

I'm gonna stay long enough so that I can respond

to this guy as well. His mind is still on

this guy. Even on the cross. Jesus is still saving people.

Even on the cross, Jesus is still performing miracles. You

come saying no, people have given him so little, and

he's multiplied and this man who has nothing to give,

he can still save him. And some of us are

we think that God, I don't think we have much

to give. You know, maybe I messed up so much,

maybe I'm too busy to have many things to tie

me down ready, But I won't let you know that

God can just work with such a small thing in

your life. He can take what is divided in your life,

take it and multiply it. Bec I'm saying, no, it's

really really an amazing story, you know. And I really

believe that many of us here you probably have gone

through a lot of challenges. Some of you you'll probably

identify in your heart God. I said things like this,

Robert said before. I've said things where the crowd is

said before God, if you are real, why didn't you

show up? But now as I see the cross, see God,

despite all these things and people, he chose not to

say anything. You know, you remember this if you are,

if you are remorseful right now, you are sorry for

all the things that you've mocked God before. I won't

let you know even in all these things, he forgives

you because he said, Lord forgive them, for they do

not know what they do. I won't let you know.

God forgives you. God forgives you even when you have

mocked him, you've taunted him, you've rejected him. He forgives you,

and so you need to turn back to him. You

are aware. You are not by coincidence. You are not

here by coincidence. You are here because God loves you.

God loves you so so much. Some of you will

may be asking, why will God love me? It's not

because you are smarter, it's not because you are better.

It's not because you are more obedient or anything. All

of us are like the Robberts. You know we deserve

what we deserve to get all everything that is you,

You know we all deserve it. God loves you because

you belong to him. I'm saying, you know he has

nothing to do with you. God loves you because you

belong to him. I think it sounds one hundred. He

says that we are we are his sheep, we belong

to his pasture. When you are a parent, right did

you get to choose what kind of child you get?

When you have a child ready, and then you realize

that one of your child is among all the other babies,

like maybe twenty thirty babies there? Did you put it there?

And then after that said, oh, I think the other

one looks nicer. I want the other one. That one

got blue eyes, you know, or that one one looks

you know, chunky. You know this one can grow up

very strong when you don't. You only one your baby.

You know why, because the baby belongs to you, and

no other baby will do. No other baby will do baby,

no other baby will do. You will only say why.

You will say that child and do man, no matter

what is, you will have that baby because that baby

is mine, mine alone. Nothing else will, nothing else will do.

And you belong to God. And when God create, he

has loved you, loved you for such an eternity that

you cannot understand. And that is why when you understand

that the only love, that it's beautiful is God's love,

truly beautiful, is God's love. That God loves you and

is willing to go on the cross for you, that

you will not die as the criminal. You see God,

for God forgive him and all. But yet he needs

to responding on. He needs to respond on and this person,

this Robert responded, he saw, even with so little gossid,

you will be with me in Paradise. Amen.

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