March 25/27

‘THEY MET AT CALVARY’

(5) THE MALEFACTORS WHO DIED WITH HIM LUKE 23

READ LUKE 23:32-33, 39-43

(See also Matt 27.38; Mark 15.27,32; John 19.18)

A DEATH OF SHAME:

Jesus and the criminals. Three crosses stood on Calvary: those of two convicted criminals – and that of Jesus in the middle. ‘He made his death with the wicked’. He associated with sinners during his life; and he died amongst them!

What do you imagine the feelings of Jesus’ enemies to have been at the sight of him dying amidst convicted criminals? What do you think the feelings of his friends were?

What thoughts and feelings does it give rise to in you?

What do we learn form the gospels about the men who died with Jesus?

What do we learn from the gospels about what they witnessed before their deaths whilst hanging either side of Jesus?

THREE CROSSES – so very similar, yet so very different. I. THE CROSS OF REBELLION 23.39 - the man who abuses Jesus

What do you make of this man’s verbal abuse of Jesus? How would you sum up his attitude? Do his words imply any sort of belief in Jesus at all? Or are they just the cruel mockery of a dying man?

From where, from what do you think such abuse could spring in such a moment? What could possibly induce a man dying in such awful pain to so abuse a fellow sufferer? - Does the fact that he was so near death make his abuse more understandable or more surprising?

Some people today are more than indifferent to Jesus: they actively abuse him. What sort of things lead them to do that? From where does the venom spring? - How can we best deal with such things?

II. THE CROSS OF REPENTANCE 23.40-42 - the man who believes

“The last kind word spoken to my dying Lord was spoken by the penitent thief” (W.E.Sangster) What do the words of the second thief reveal - about his attitude to Jesus?

- about his attitude to himself?

In what ways is the truth of this man’s repentance revealed by his words on the cross?

In what way is his faith exhibited? and just how great was that faith? (From what , do you think, did it spring?)

How do you explain the contrst6 in attitude of this second thief to the first, when every other circumstance of their experience seems so similar?

(Can the ‘fear of God’, of which he speaks, have anything to do with it?)

Is it a fact that in life people with very similar experience can exhibit very different responses? What accounts for this?

This man found salvation in the moment of his bitterest need. How typical is that? How do you explain it?

III. THE CROSS OF REDEMPTION: 23.43 - the man who saves

What is so unique and wonderful about the central cross?

What do we learn from the way Jesus bore his sufferings and the use he made of them?

(See what Peter thought: 1 Peter 2.18-25) What assurance do we get from this verse of what is ours through faith in this dying Saviour?

(What are the full implications and wonderful consolation of these words of Jesus?) What does this passage have to teach us about who can be saved? And about the sole grounds of our salvation?

CLOSING THOUGHT ON THE THIEF WHO BELIEVED:

HE’S THE MODEL OF A PENITENT HEART

He distanced himself from his sinful companion 23.40

He openly owned his own sin 23.41

He displayed a genuine fear of God 23.41

He proclaimed Christ’s sinlessness 23.41

He professed profound faith in Christ 23.42

He prayer a simple prayer of commitment 23.42

He received an answer to his prayer of faith 23.43

HE WAS THE FIRST OF MILLIONS THROUGH THE GATE OF HEAVEN.