Luke 23:26-43 "The Forgiving Savior"

You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.

Our passion is to experience and express grace. Join us.

We're going to keep meditating on the cross for the rest of this service,

and in particular on the man of sorrows who was crucified on it.

See, that's what Luke has been focusing on in his gospel since chapter 1, isn't it?

Who is this Jesus?

What did he do?

What did he say?

What is his identity?

And we've been learning about him as a king who has an upside-down kind of kingdom that nobody's ever expected.

We've seen him as a prophet who is mighty in word and is teaching and mighty in deed and is healing and is other acts.

And all along the way, as we've learned all of those things about Jesus,

Jesus has been telling us that the most important thing about him,

the most important thing about who he is and about why he has come,

is coming in Jerusalem where he's going to suffer and die and rise again.

He's promised forgiveness of sins.

He's pointed us to eternal hope.

He's told us of a kingdom that's not of this world but that changes everything about this world.

And now this is it.

We're there.

The greatest events in human history.

The defining moments for Jesus and his followers.

Now, as we've seen recently, he's been betrayed.

Arrested.

Denied.

Beaten.

Found innocent.

And nonetheless condemned to be crucified.

Turn with me to Luke chapter 23.

Luke 23 · chapter mention

And we'll read together of his actual crucifixion.

In the middle of the night, Roman governor Pilate has granted the demand of the Jewish leaders

and the crowds to have Jesus killed.

And in the early morning hours of Friday, he hands him over to be crucified.

Follow as I read and listen for the heart of Jesus that tells you more of why he came,

why he died, and of who he is.

Luke 23 at verse 26.

And as they led Jesus away, they seized one Simon of Cyrene who was coming in from the country

and laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus.

And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.

But turning to them, Jesus said,

Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

For behold, the days are coming when they will say,

Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed.

Then they will begin to say to the mountains,

Fall on us and to the hills, cover us.

For if they do these things when the wood is green,

what will happen when it is dry?

Two others who were criminals were led away to be put to death with him.

And when they came to the place that is called the skull,

there they crucified him.

And the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

And Jesus said,

Father, forgive them,

for they know not what they do.

And they cast lots to divide his garments.

And the people stood by watching,

but the rulers scoffed at him,

saying,

He saved others.

Let him save himself if he's the Christ of God,

his chosen one.

The soldiers also mocked him,

coming up and offering him sour wine and saying,

If you're the king of the Jews, save yourself.

There was also an inscription over him,

This is the king of the Jews.

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.

This is God's word.

Let's ask for his help.

Holy Spirit,

we do ask that you would help us.

Help us grasp things that are too great for us to comprehend.

Amen.

These are somber words,

but really hopeful words.

They're words that in some ways are very familiar to us,

and in other ways are just so far beyond us.

Father,

I pray that you would not let a single person in this room miss the message of the cross this morning.

The message of the Savior who is on it.

Father,

don't let me miss it.

Don't let us miss it.

May we hear you.

Speak to us by your word,

we ask in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Luke doesn't,

in this account,

focus our attention much on the details of Jesus' physical suffering.

But as Jesus heads outside the city to be crucified,

we're told something at the very beginning that reminds us what he suffered in the past 12 hours.

Someone else has to come carry the cross for him.

Remember the emotional agony?

The physical torment in the garden,

sweating drops of blood?

That's only maybe 12 hours ago.

He's now been hit in the face and beaten.

He's been scourged with the flagellum whip

to the point that historians tell us bones and cartilage were visible.

A crown of thorns pressed into his head as blood runs down his neck.

He's been so weakened that Simon has to carry that cross beam for him.

Because the omnipotent Creator,

who by the word of his mouth spoke the trees into existence,

has now humbled himself so far in the flesh

to the point that he no longer has the strength to lift the wood that he made.

Just think about that for a minute.

That's where Jesus is.

I don't know about you,

but I'm pretty selfish by nature.

I'm told that not unlike many men,

when I get just a little bit of a cold,

that selfishness spikes,

and I become all about myself.

When I'm sick or weak,

when I'm attacked,

when I'm stressed or hurting,

I become even more self-centered.

I think mostly of myself.

And I've never endured anywhere near

the physical, emotional, spiritual torment

that Jesus is under.

And I want you to watch what happens through this passage.

If you want to know what he's about,

watch now as he puts his heart for others on display

in the midst of his intense personal pain and weakness.

An incredible reminder that he came not for himself,

but for others to be indeed good news of great joy for all people.

The first group he encounters is some women who are mourning.

Verse 27,

there followed him a great multitude of the people

and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him.

But turning to them, Jesus said,

daughters of Jerusalem,

do not weep for me,

but weep for yourselves and for your children.

For behold, the days are coming when they will say,

blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore

and the breasts that never nursed.

Then they will begin to say to the mountains,

fall on us until the hills cover us.

For if they do these things when the wood is green,

what will happen when it is dry?

Jesus not getting lost in self-pity

as the consummate prophet

continues to call God's people back to him.

Here he's warning them of coming devastation.

It would happen first in about 40 years

when Rome ransacks Jerusalem.

And it would be terrible.

Terrible to the point that

even a great blessing like childbearing

will be considered a curse.

If this crucifixion is happening to an innocent Jesus

when the wood is green,

imagine what judgment will come upon rebellious Israel

when the wood is dry, so to speak.

And so the point of what Jesus is saying

is the warning of impending judgment

calls you to repentance.

Just as the prophet Jonah's message to Nineveh,

yet 40 days and Nineveh will be destroyed,

it was meant to call them to repentance

and to find rescue.

So Jesus is calling Israel to respond in repentance.

In fact, if they listen and watch closely,

they'll realize their only ultimate hope

is Jesus himself.

His judgment-bearing death on the cross.

Jesus, on the way to the cross,

preparing to endure the just punishment for sin,

pleads the urgency of repentance.

Perhaps nowhere else better than the cross

can we see the necessity of turning

from our sins so clearly.

As awful as the cross is,

Jesus says weeping should be

for those facing the just judgment for their sin

with no protection from the eternal wrath of God.

Our sin deserves the cross

and eternal death.

Those, Jesus says, are the greater tears.

But they push Jesus onward,

out to Golgotha, the skull,

where verse 33 says

they actually crucify Him.

This means the actual nailing of His hands

to the cross.

One nail through each one.

And after being raised up,

likely then one nail through both feet together.

Most of us can't imagine pain like that.

The torn flesh,

the severed nerves,

literally excruciating pain.

A word just for this form of torture

means pain from the cross.

And I tell you that

so that you can marvel with me

at what comes out of Jesus' mouth

at this very moment.

The words from this passage

that have most stuck with me this week,

Jesus says,

Father,

forgive them.

Perhaps first referring

to those Roman soldiers

who are driving the nails

into His hands and feet,

but there are many

whose actions have led to

Jesus being here on the cross.

and He says,

Father,

forgive them.

There is little worse

that anyone could do

to a person.

In fact,

the crucifying

of the innocent Son of God,

whether they understood it or not,

has to be characterized

as the most heinous sin ever.

At least from a divine perspective,

what else would have incited

God's wrath,

kindled His just anger

more than His Son

being unjustly tortured

and killed.

And to these sinners,

Jesus' heart of forgiveness

is on full display.

Y'all, what's Jesus doing

at the cross?

What's He come to the cross for?

He's coming to forgive.

He's got forgiveness

so much on His mind

as He is nailed to the cross

that He is praying

for those who are causing Him

this intense pain.

I found so much encouragement lately

in Jesus praying for me.

As He prays for Peter

that Peter's faith would not fail,

that Peter's repentance

would actually advance

God's kingdom.

But this may be the best prayer

that Jesus prays.

The one I need to hear

over and over.

Jesus prays,

Father, forgive them.

He pleads for forgiveness

for the worst sinners.

Hear those words clearly

in your heart today,

especially if you think

you've failed God.

You've blown it really big.

You think no one,

especially God,

could ever really love you.

Father,

forgive them.

Maybe you've sung those words

that it was my sin

that held Him there.

And you felt the weight

of being just like those

who yelled,

crucify Him,

crucify Him,

and who drove the nails

into His hands and feet

and you felt ashamed

and hopeless

and you've given up hope

for yourself.

You must listen to Jesus

more than to your own condemnation,

more than to the lies

of Satan in your heart.

Jesus says,

Father, forgive them.

Who is Jesus?

Oh, He's a forgiving Savior.

That's why He's walking

this painful road

in the first place,

isn't it?

It's why He came,

praise the Lord,

He came to forgive.

I'll show us that again

in a minute.

But first,

Luke gives us a glimpse

of the people around Jesus

as He's offering forgiveness.

They're casting lots

for His clothes

in fulfillment

of the Old Testament.

Jesus and those around Him

in this passage,

one Old Testament prophecy

after another

being fulfilled by them.

But they're not just

putting Him on the cross,

they're also mocking Him.

He's already got blood

and tears covering Him.

Now there's their spit

and their jeers

just landing on Him.

Verse 35,

the people stood by watching,

but the rulers,

their religious leaders,

scoffed at Him,

saying,

He saved others.

Let Him save Himself.

If He's the Christ of God,

His chosen one,

soldiers are joining in too.

They mock Him,

coming up,

offering Him sour wine,

saying,

If you're the King of the Jews,

save yourself.

And that's what it says,

right?

There's an inscription

over Him,

Pilate's written it.

This is the King

of the Jews.

Mockery

of this supposed Messiah King.

You hear what they're doing,

right?

It's His identity

that's in question.

Some King this is.

He's seemingly powerless.

Doesn't seem like a king.

Interestingly,

they acknowledge

that He has saved others.

Perhaps they've seen

or heard of those He's healed.

The demons He's cast out.

Even dead people

He's brought back to life.

And that's worried them

a little bit.

But here now,

finally,

they're back in control.

They finally see proof,

they think,

that He has no real power.

That we're really the ones

in charge.

They have won.

They're stronger than He is

after all.

It always reminds me

of the scene

at the stone table

in C.S. Lewis'

The Lion,

The Witch,

and The Wardrobe.

There's Aslan bound

and being killed

and the wicked white witch

and all the evil creatures

dancing around

the great lion

and calling him

this little bound kitty cat

with no power

to scare them.

It seems victory

is in their hands

and Aslan has finally

and decisively

been defeated

and died.

See,

in the minds

of the mocking

religious leaders

and soldiers,

the Messiah,

the coming King

would have always

been stronger, right?

He would always

defeat His foes

and so

this here

is proof

that He's not

who He claims

to be.

Actually,

it's Jesus

who has read

Isaiah 53,

isn't it?

You remember that

from earlier?

It was long.

It said

the Messiah,

the King,

would actually be

a man of sorrows,

pierced,

crushed,

oppressed,

afflicted,

anguish of soul,

the picture

of a suffering servant,

a suffering Savior.

Jesus has been

telling him

that His entire

ministry,

that this is what

the Messiah must do,

right?

This would have

to happen to Him.

It's absolutely

part of His kingship

and it's the way

that He as a king

actually saves others

unlike any other king

they've ever heard of.

They've never considered

that this could really

be the way a king

saves.

Do you see

who Jesus is?

One of the thieves

does,

doesn't He?

by some miracle

of God

in His heart,

one of those

being crucified

on a cross

next to Jesus

sees through

all the mockery

and realizes

the truth.

He sees through

all the seeming

weakness

of this dying king

and He realizes

Jesus'

ultimate strength

that in order

to save Him,

Jesus can't get down.

He must stay

on the cross.

He has to even

correct the first thief,

doesn't He?

Verse 39,

one of the criminals

who were hanged

railed at Him

saying,

are you not the Christ?

Save yourself

and us.

Get down

and help us out here.

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.

These are not

just petty thieves.

They've committed

capital offenses.

They deserve to die

and the thief

sees that

and knows that.

He's guilty

before Rome.

That's why

He's on the cross.

But even more

ominously than that,

do you not fear God?

He sees He's guilty

before God.

Justly under a sentence

of condemnation

for what He's done.

And He sees that

and somehow

He also recognizes

Jesus' innocence,

doesn't He?

But this man

has done nothing wrong.

It's actually

the fourth time

in this chapter

that someone

pronounces Jesus

to have done

nothing wrong.

one after another

has seen

His innocence

even as He

heads to the cross.

And so the thief

sees a righteous king

even as He hangs

on a cross.

And so what He does

is He begs

Jesus for mercy.

He seems to realize

that even as Jesus

heaves His final breaths

on the cross,

there's much more

to this king

than you see.

There's a lot of life

left in Him yet.

And so He asks

the king for what?

Not for immediate relief

from His death sentence,

but for eternal remembrance

by Jesus.

He said,

Jesus, remember me

when you come

into your kingdom.

And then the glorious,

beautiful,

hopeful words

of Jesus,

He said to Him,

truly I say to you,

today you will be with me

in paradise.

A promise

with the immediate hope

of today,

with the unending joy

of with me,

the eternal comfort

of in paradise.

paradise.

What a word to hear

as you die.

What a promise.

Today you will be with me

in paradise.

Simple faith in Jesus

was all the thief had.

Right?

No record of good deeds.

No pattern of trying

to reform His ways.

No time to balance out

the good with the bad

so maybe things will go well

when I die.

Probably, I think,

not even a perfect grasp

of all the intricacies

of reformed theology.

I don't know.

Probably not.

Only a faith

that if Jesus remembered him,

he would be safe.

If this guy remembers me,

I'll be okay.

I trust that the death

of this king

would somehow give him life.

That's all he had.

He had no other opportunity.

Not Jesus,

get down and save me,

but Jesus,

stay on that cross

and save me.

That's his prayer

and that's exactly

what Jesus does,

isn't it?

He achieves

and extends

the forgiveness

he spoke of earlier

in praying

to his father.

He promises the thief

his eternal

and immediate presence

in a paradise.

It's a garden.

The cross is restoring

all of creation

to its good design.

Well, there's another

whole sermon there

for not for this morning.

But Jesus' immediate

and eternal presence

is certain

even though

and actually because

right now

he hangs dying

on a cross.

salvation

by grace alone

through faith alone

in Christ alone.

Hallelujah!

What a Savior!

In that moment

he saves him forever.

I want to give you a picture

of this salvation

that has been

helpful to me.

Many pastors have

used a version of this.

Kids,

you can draw this

if you want

to draw a picture.

I think you'll understand

what we're talking about.

It might help you

to draw it.

But there were three

men

who were crucified

who died on the cross

that Friday.

The first thief

had a lot

of sin

in him.

In his heart.

His deeds,

criminal deeds,

his words of hate

to Jesus

and he hung there

on the cross

receiving the penalty

for that sin.

The due reward

of his deeds.

In other words,

his sin was on him too.

He was paying the price,

carrying the weight

and the burden

of his sin.

The second thief

had a lot of sin

in him too,

didn't he?

We don't know

exactly what they were.

Thieving.

Perhaps creating riots.

Insurrection maybe.

And when he came

to the cross

on that day,

his sin

was also on him

as he walked

and hung there.

He was going

to pay the earthly

and then the eternal penalty

for his sin.

But something changed.

And this is what's

really important

to understand.

Something changed.

A man

whose innocence

this thief noticed

who had no sin

whatsoever in him

was actually there

dying on a cross

next to him

in the place

of real sinners.

Taking a punishment

he didn't deserve.

Dying for other sinners

like you

and me

and like the thief

who looks at him

and says

I trust him.

I want my sin

on him.

And so Jesus

who had no sin

in him

actually has sin

placed on him

on the cross.

The sin in particular

in this moment

of that thief

who's trusting him.

he himself

1 Peter tells us

bore our sins

in his body

on the tree.

Jesus

with no sin

in him

has sin

placed

on him.

He bears

the penalty.

He takes

the death

and the

wrath

of his father

for sin

so that

as a result

the thief

who trusted him

still hung there

on the cross

with sin

in him.

That was still

a sinful thief.

But as he

trusted Jesus

his sin

went on to Jesus

there was no

sin

on him

anymore.

Instead what?

An eternal hope

promise

from the one

who took

his sin.

Y'all

every single

person

in this room

has

sin

in

him.

Sin

that

deserves

death

and eternal

punishment.

Every

single one

of us

you

and

me.

The question

is

which

thief

are you?

will you

go to

your grave

with the

sin

that is

in you

remaining

on you?

Or

will you

trust

the Savior

who goes

to the

cross

with the

rescue

and forgiveness

of guilty

sinners

on his

heart?

Please

don't leave

here this

morning

uncertain

about the

answer to

that question.

You've

got to

know.

what's

going to

happen

to the

sin

that you

feel

and know

in your

own

heart?

How

will it

be

handled?

Somebody

will pay

for it.

God

is just

and holy.

The question

is will

you

or will

Jesus?

May it

be

that the

forgiving

Savior

is the

one you

trust

to handle

your sin.

Might you

say

with confidence

and joy

he was

pierced

for my

transgressions

he was

crushed

for my

iniquities

by his

wounds

I am

healed.

The message

of the

cross

of Christ

crucified

is the

power of

God

for salvation

amen?

That's our

hope.

And it's

not just

every single

person in

this room

who needs

Jesus'

forgiveness

it's every

single

person

in your

neighborhood

in your

school

in your

workplace

every

single one

of those

people

has sin

in her

sin

deserving

death

eternal

separation

from their

father

and unless

she entrusts

herself

to the

substitute

who hangs

on the

cross

in our

place

she also

has that

sin

on her

do you

understand

that?

Won't you

tell her

and show

her the

good news

of a

forgiving

savior

it's our

only hope

it's their

only hope

see as

Jesus hangs

on the

cross

we see

who he

really is

don't we

he's

innocent

undeserving

of death

in fact

the only

person

who ever

stands

that way

before

God

his

father

he's

the

king

the

promised

messiah

the

suffering

servant

who

demonstrates

what he

has

taught

that glory

comes from

going down

that strength

is in

willing

weakness

that those

who appear

most rejected

are most

welcomed

by the

true

king

he shows

us

his heart

for others

that he

came

to rescue

to forgive

even as he

dies

reaching out

to weeping

women

to cruel

enemies

to a

dying

thief

and ultimately

to all

his people

who will

ever

trust

him

by staying

on the

cross

for them

he forgives

and brings

desperate

sinners

into paradise

see the identity

of Jesus

is not

merely a

philosophical

discussion

is it

it's profoundly

personal

ask

ask the

thief

only

the

innocent

son of

God

son of

man

can

suffer

in

my

place

and offer

me

eternal

life

I don't

deserve

he's the

only one

with space

to take

the sin

that is

on me

on to

him

he's the

only one

who can

do that

and the

good news

is

he has

the heart

to do

it

so sorry

Jesus was

committed

to going

to that

cross

and no

taunts

or pleas

for him

to get

down

or appeals

to his

self-love

could get

him down

he is

committed

to staying

there

for you

and for

me

Jesus

paid

it all

if you

trust him

the payday

for your

sin

when the

bill is

coming up

and you

have to

give account

for it

is not

ahead of

you

but is

behind

you

you

just

read

about

it

judgment

full

and final

and punishment

on your

sin

has been

meted out

on your

savior

and there

is nothing

else to

be paid

you will

be with

him

free

from

sin

victorious

over

death

forever

amen

that's

the good

news

of the

gospel

and we

all

need

this

forgiving

savior

don't

we

no matter

where you

are this

morning

listen

Christian

some of

you are

living

in

shame

you've

known

Jesus

maybe

trusted

him

a long

time

but

you can

hardly

walk

into

church

you drag

yourself

into

your

father's

presence

occasionally

but doesn't

feel good

you're

sure

that he's

shaking

his head

rolling

his eyes

because

your

past

sin

your

present

struggle

lift up

your head

this morning

hear

Jesus

words

father

forgive

them

he forgives

soldiers

nailing him

to the

cross

he forgives

a thief

who has

no chance

to earn

it

he forgives

you

completely

you're

free

free to

sing

joyfully

free to

pray

confidently

free to

live for

him

passionately

some of

you spend

a lot

of time

around

Jesus

you're

very

close

to

him

you come

to

church

you're

near him

a lot

but you've

never

actually

in

faith

asked

him

to

take

the

sin

in

you

on

him

don't

remain

like

that

other

thief

don't

stay

like

the

religious

leaders

who

knew

a lot

about

Jesus

but

left

the

forgiving

savior

at

arm's

length

as

someone

much

less

than

a

real

king

happy

not

to

have

to

deal

with

him

any

longer

listen

your

eternity

can be

settled

in an

instant

and

your

days

here

given

purpose

and

meaning

that

are

eternal

I

suspect

some

of you

are here

this

morning

and

you

have

always

written

Jesus

off

you

have

spent

your

life

ignoring

him

even

though

you

have

heard

of

him

and

some

of

his

claims

I

am

glad

you are

here

I

would

ask

you

to

consider

him

on

the

cross

this

morning

who

is

he

why

was

he

there

either

an

utter

failure

or

there is

eternal

forgiveness

one

of the

most

well

attested

events

of human

history

Jesus

of

Nazareth

on

the

cross

why

he

says

to

forgive

really

big

sinners

you're

not

beyond

hope

in your

brokenness

pain

he

says

to

enter

into

the

sorrows

of

the

deepest

suffering

ones

you're

not

alone

in

your

pain

he

says

he's

there

to

make

right

every

wrong

including

yours

forever

with

him

you're

not

stuck

fending

for

yourself

you've

got

one

who

will

fight

and

win

for

you

over

your

greatest

enemies

there

is

forgiveness

there

is

purpose

there

is

eternal

hope

because

there

is

a

savior

hallelujah

if

you

don't

know

him

you

can

trust

him

today

won't

you

trust

him

if

you

do

know

him

oh

friends

there

are

so

many

not

in

this

room

right

now

who

need

to

know

him

let's

pray

Jesus

for

your

death

in

our

place

we

can

never

thank

you

enough

we

worship

you

we

trust

in

you

and

we

ask

that

you

would

keep

Satan

from

our

hearts

and

allow

us

to

believe

that

someone

could

truly

forgive

us

completely

fully

and

finally

and

forever

that

you

would

love

us

that

much

would

you

so

overwhelm

us

with

the

joy

of

that

that

we

can't

help

but

shout

it

from

the

rooftops

to

be

the

feet

that

bring

good

news

to

many

who

need

a

savior

we

are

the

first

ones

who

need

him

and

so

father

thank

you

for

sending

him

for

us

give

us

joy

in

him

even

today

we

ask

in

his

name

amen

for

more

information

visit us

online

at

southwood.org