Category Archives: Sayings of Jesus

What does sorrow look like? What does it sound like?

(Matthew 26:36-46 NIV)  Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” {37} He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. {38} Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” {39} Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” {40} Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. {41} “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” {42} He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” {43} When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. {44} So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. {45} Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. {46} Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

(Hebrews 5:7-11 NIV)  During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. {8} Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered {9} and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him {10} and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek. {11} We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.

Our willful sin separates us from God

(Isaiah 59:1-3 NIV)  Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. {2} But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. {3} For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things.

After all the beatings and stripes, the wounds and blows and the crown of thorns, Jesus sufferings did not end.  The rejection and humiliation was not all.  And now, after three hours with His wrists and ankles pierced with long nails, we must now consider what was the worst aspect of all His sufferings.

(Matthew 27:45-49 NIV)  From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land. {46} About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” {47} When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” {48} Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. {49} The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.”

These words spoken from the cross are certainly perplexing.  How could Jesus be God and yet be forsaken by God? The word forsaken here carries the idea of “abandonment.”  Jesus’ statement reflects the fact that His greatest suffering upon the cross was not physical but was rather spiritual.

Why was He suffering spiritually?  Why was His soul in agony?  He was hurting spiritually because He was bearing the guilt of the entire world on Himself.  The Bible says that Christ “became” sin for us:

(2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV)  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

And this fact brought an agony to His soul that was unparalleled.  Jesus became the sinner’s substitute.

It was that the sins of sinners were being laid on Him, and the wrath of God against those sins was being poured out on Him.  This was the cause of His greatest anguish.  He had known nothing but perfect bliss and happy communion with His Father.  But now, with the sin of the world laid upon Him, that fellowship was cut off.  Great fear was upon Him.  Loneliness.  Darkness came upon His soul, as the light of the noon day sun was blotted out and darkness covered the land.

You see, for our sin, we deserve eternal wrath and punishment.  But during those final hours upon the cross, Jesus bore our sins for us.  He suffered the curse and penalty of sin for us, in our place.  At that time, He knew what we merit:  to be separated from God, to be away from His Presence forever.

And being the Infinite Son of God, He was able to suffer the equivalent of what we all deserve, though His sufferings took place on only that day.  Jesus Christ, as a Lamb, slain for us!  Feeling the displeasure of God the Father.  Bearing our sins.  Being our Substitute.  He took upon Himself all of our sins, so that we could be saved from sin forever.

God did turn His back on Jesus judicially but not relationally. 

In other words, God did forsake Jesus judicially because He was bearing all the sins of all men for all time and God cannot look on sin (Hab. 1:13).  Remember, God will not allow unrepentant, uncovered sin in His presence.  Jesus was temporarily forsaken judicially by the Father that we might never be forsaken by the Father.

On the other hand, God loved His Son Jesus and did not abandon Him relationally.  God didn’t stop loving Jesus and turn His back on Him for good.  For Jesus once told His disciples in (John 8:29), “The one who sent me is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.”  God did not abandon Jesus relationally even Jesus said that God would never do that.

You see, the words cried out from the cross are from (Psalm 22)…a psalm which parallels the suffering of David with that of Christ.  The psalm begins with despair but ends in its closing verses with renewed trust in God

(Psalms 22:1-2 NIV)  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? {2} O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.

(Psalms 22:24-25 NIV)  For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. {25} From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.

Jesus was pointing to the reality that even though He sensed judicial separation from the Father, He knew it was temporary and that His relationship with the Father was strong and would be restored.

DURING OUR TIMES OF SUFFERING, GOD IS NEAR EVEN WHEN HE SEEMS SO FAR AWAY. When we experience difficult trials and tribulations, we normally pray to God and ask Him for immediate relief.  However, as we all know, God answers prayer in His own time, so we may not receive immediate help from Him.  We may have to go through many days, or weeks, or months or years of trying times.

In the Bible, many great men of God experienced these types of emotions:

For example, David experienced a feeling of isolation from God when he was running for his life from Saul.

We read in (Ps. 13:1), that David cried out to God and said, “How long, O Lord?  Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?”

Job, who lost everything–his children, his wealth, his servants, his reputation, and his friends–experienced despair and isolation from God.  (Job 23:1-9).

(Job 23:1-9 NIV)  Then Job replied: {2} “Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. {3} If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! {4} I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. {5} I would find out what he would answer me, and consider what he would say. {6} Would he oppose me with great power? No, he would not press charges against me. {7} There an upright man could present his case before him, and I would be delivered forever from my judge. {8} “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. {9} When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.

It is common and natural to feel Isolated from God when we experience difficult times, however, the Bible assures us that God is present even when He seems far away! Even when God seems 1,000 miles away and uninterested in our affairs, He is with us step-by-step during difficult times.

A wonderful illustration of this unseen presence is described in (Luke 24:13-35 esp. vs. 15).

(Luke 24:13-35 NIV)  Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. {14} They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. {15} As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; {16} but they were kept from recognizing him. {17} He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. {18} One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?” {19} “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. {20} The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; {21} but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. {22} In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning {23} but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. {24} Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” {25} He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! {26} Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” {27} And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. {28} As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. {29} But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. {30} When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. {31} Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. {32} They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” {33} They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together {34} and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” {35} Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

In this passage, two of Jesus’ disciples were walking toward a village called Emmaus.  They just came from Jerusalem and were undoubtedly very upset and depressed because they witnessed the crucifixion of their Lord Jesus.  They were not only discouraged because Jesus was dead, but also because it was the third day and they had hoped that Jesus would have been raised from the dead, as their Lord promised.

They must have given up hope on Jesus’ resurrection and decided to head home, back to their old way of life.  But as they were walking, something marvelous happened.

These men, who were most certainly experiencing emotional and spiritual pain because of Jesus’ death, did not know that Jesus was walking right along with them the whole time.  During their time of anguish, Jesus was next to their side.

If we are faithful, God is walking right along with us especially during our times of suffering, even when we feel isolated from Him.  He has not abandoned us, just like God didn’t abandon Jesus relationally on the cross.  We are His children and He loves us and cares for us.  We must realize that He is watching over us and is doing what is best for us.

(1 Pet. 5:7) tells us to cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.  Does this sound like a God who cares little about our problems?

ILLUSTRATION:

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.  For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you the most you would leave me.”

The Lord replied, “My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

When we suffer, we may feel isolated from God, but the reality is that God is with us step-by-step and many times He is carrying us through our difficult times…

How was Jesus able to withstand the agony of the cross?

(Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV)  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. {2} Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. {3} Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

 Most of the crowd standing at the base of Golgotha were there for entertainment. Some, like the disciples, where there out of shock – i.e., Peter. But a few, and it was only FOUR people, that were there out of commitment.

• Mary the mother of Jesus
• Mary, the wife of Cleophas, which was Mary’s sister
• Mary Magdalene
• And the Apostle John, known as John the Beloved

While Jesus was hanging on the cross, His mother was standing near by. Can you imagine Mary’s horror as she looked up at her son who was suffering and near death?  Those of you who are parents – especially those of you who might have lost a child – can fully understand what Mary was going through.

As we ponder this story, one thing that we must keep in mind is that Mary was a woman who over her lifetime had experienced a great deal of sorrow and grief.

• What sorrow she must have experienced when she had to lay her newborn son in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.
• What anguish she suffered when she learned of Herod’s plan to destroy her child.
• What hardship she faced when she was forced to flee to Egypt and stay there for several years to avoid Herod’s wrath.
• What grief must have filled her heart when she saw Jesus hated and persecuted by His own people.
• But all the grief that she had experienced through her lifetime did not compare with the grief that she must have suffered as she stood near the cross…watching her son die a horrible death.

 As Jesus was dying, He began thinking about His Mom.  He knew how much she was suffering and grieving for Him, so He spoke to her.  He provided her some words of comfort.

While Jesus was gasping for air, He looked down at His mother…who probably had tear-stained cheeks…and said to her, (paraphrasing) “Mom, let John take care of you.”  “John, please watch over my Mother.”  Though Jesus would eventually rise from the dead, He knew He would not be on this earth to care for His mother, which was His responsibility as the oldest Jewish son.

Therefore, Jesus transferred that duty to His beloved friend, John.  John became Mary’s surrogate son.

 See here the tender affection of these women toward our Lord Jesus in his sufferings. When all his disciples, except John, had forsaken him, these four still continued their commitment to Him. They could not rescue him nor relieve him, yet they stayed near him, to show their devotion. But that is all it was!

Jesus was the firstborn son of the family – but not the only child (Mt 13:55,56). But Jesus’ half-brothers were untrustworthy of taking care of Mother.

False Conclusions About This Event

1. That Mary is given great honor here
2. That the apostles were to care for Mary, and adore her
3. That Mary would be worshipped by the apostles
4. That Mary has any part in the mediatory action of Christ on the cross. But, she has no power or ability to intercede for the benefit of others.

(1 Timothy 2:5) “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” Jesus taught much about praying but He nor any other Bible writer ever hinted that we should pray to her.

5. That Mary is a type of the Church
6. That the Apostles were to care for the Church like they would Christ’s Mother

Christians MUST take good care of each other – The greatest test of our commitment to the Lord.

(Matthew 25:40 NIV)  “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

(Matthew 12:46-50 NIV)  While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. {47} Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” {48} He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” {49} Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. {50} For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

 What was occurring during the ministry of Jesus?

(Matthew 15:1-11 NIV)  Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, {2} “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” {3} Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? {4} For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ {5} But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ {6} he is not to ‘honor his father ‘ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. {7} You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: {8} “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. {9} They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'” {10} Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. {11} What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.'”

See Romans 1 and Paul’s statement of the progression of sin…and that “disobeying parents” was on the list.

(1) JESUS SHOWS US HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HONOR OUR PARENTS.

As a boy, Jesus clearly honored and obeyed His parents.  I think of the words of Scripture in (Luke 2:51) where we are told that Jesus “went down to Nazareth with (His parents) and was obedient to them.”

Jesus respected His parents and was always obedient to them.  Even on the cross Jesus showed Himself to be perfectly obedient…specifically to the fifth commandment, which teaches to honor your father and mother.

With His words from the cross, Jesus demonstrated how children of all ages are to treat their parents.  In essence, Jesus asked John to provide for His mother’s present and future needs.  To give her shelter, food, clothing, protection, and love.  Jesus arranged to have all that provided for His mother.

As Christians, we have a responsibility to provide for our parents.  We must provide our parents with food, shelter, clothing, protection and love.  Taking care of our families is important and it takes precedence over helping non-family members.

“If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim. 5:8).

We should strive to help as many people as we can, but we must provide for our family.  If we don’t, the Bible teaches that we have denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

Many people present this morning have parents who are still alive.  Let me ask you, if I may, how are you treating them?  Are you continuing to honor them?  Are you taking care of them?  Is it time for a visit? A phone call?  A note? Is there a birthday or anniversary to remember?  Is there a special love that needs to be shown?  Or maybe there is a gravesite that needs attention.

Some words for the children

Proverbs 10:1 (NIV)  The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.

Proverbs 15:20 (NIV) A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish man despises his mother.

Proverbs 19:26 (NIV) He who robs his father and drives out his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace.

Proverbs 23:22 (NIV) Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.

Proverbs 29:15 (NIV) The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

 “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t you the Christ?  Save yourself and us!”  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.”  Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:40-43).

It was no accident that the Lord of glory was crucified between two thieves. There are no accidents in a world that is governed by God. Sovereignty tells us that God either causes something to occur or He allows it (letting natural law and freewill choices run their course of action).

God was presiding over that scene. From all eternity he had decreed when and where and how and with whom his Son should die. Nothing was left to chance or the caprice of man. All that God had decreed came to pass exactly as he had ordained, and nothing happened save as he had eternally purposed.

Was not the Savior numbered with transgressors to show us the position he occupied as our substitute? He had taken the place which was due us, and what was that but the place of shame, the place of transgressors, the place of criminals condemned to death!

Crucifixion was probably the most horrible form of capital punishment ever devised by man. The ancient Persians practiced it. When the Persian ruler Darius conquered Babylon, he had 3,000 leading citizens crucified. Later crucifixion became a mode of Greek execution. Following the destruction of Tyre, Alexander the Great crucified 2,000 men of military age.

On occasion, the Jews resorted to crucifixion. In the inter-biblical period, Alexander Jannaeus (103-76 B.C.) crucified eight hundred Pharisees who had been involved in a revolt. The Romans, however, were most noted for the practice. In 71 B.C., following a slave revolt in Rome, six thousand recaptured slaves were crucified on the Appian Way leading to the city (Vos 1999, 439).

The verb “crucify” (46 times in the New Testament) was used by the inspired writers of the New Testament to depict the mode of Jesus’ death. But not his only—two other men were crucified at the same time as Christ. All four Gospel writers are emphatic that two criminals were crucified—one on either side of the Savior (Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:32; John 19:18).

While Jesus hung on the cross, He never once uttered a defense.  He didn’t yell out, “You’ve got the wrong man.  I didn’t commit an offense worthy of death.  You are crucifying an innocent man.”   In fact, not only did Jesus utter no defense…none of His disciples protested His persecution.  Not one disciple spoke out on Jesus’ behalf.  They all remained silent as they watched their friend and teacher suffer intense pain.

Interestingly enough…the only person who spoke out in defense of Jesus was a convicted criminal…a thief…a robber…an unrighteous, sinful man. This thief had the courage and the faith to stand up for Jesus.   And this impressed Jesus so much that He told the man that he would join Him in paradise.  This is a wonderful story.

Another important lesson which we may learn from the crucifixion of Christ between the two thieves, and the fact that one received him and the other rejected him, is that of the sovereignty of God. The two malefactors were crucified together. They were equally near to Christ. Both of them saw and heard all that transpired during those fateful six hours. Both were notoriously wicked; both were suffering acutely; both were dying, and both urgently needed forgiveness.

Yet one of them died in his sins, died as he had lived – hardened and impenitent; while the other repented of his wickedness, believed in Christ, called on him for mercy and went to Paradise. How can this be accounted for except by the sovereignty of God!

To whom does God offer forgiveness? Is it to the best amongst us? Is it to those who have met some preconditions? We get a small glimpse of love that is measureless and an ever so miniscule peek at God’s infinite reservoir of forgiveness, when we hear those second words from the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise”.

Being crucified on the same day, and hanging on either side of the Lord, on their own, deserved, crosses, were two evil-doers.  One of these, even though hanging and dying, and coming near the end of his life, only to face God in judgment upon his death, joined in with those who mocked and hated Jesus.  “Are you not the Messiah?  Save yourself and save us, too, if you are able!”

But his former partner in robbery, murder, and rebellion rebuked him.  For now, upon a cross and facing death, this second sinner has a change of mind about his life.  The sentence of death brings home to him the truth that he is worthy of wrath and punishment because of his constant refusal to submit to the moral will of God. In this humbled state, he turns to Jesus, recognizes him as Lord, and cries for mercy and pardon.  Perhaps he has bee encouraged by overhearing Jesus’ prayer for His enemies.

And he may have reasoned, “Am I not a life-long enemy of God?”  Though he has no lifetime of good deeds to present, though he can only say that he is unworthy of pardon, the good and merciful Lord Jesus, from His own cross, assures this man of eternal life.

SOME LESSONS

Thief on the cross a pattern for salvation?

To argue that the example of the thief on the cross is a pattern of salvation today involves an unwarranted assumption and a faulty view of biblical chronology.

The Facts

When the Lord was crucified, he was positioned between two robbers, both of whom, at some point during the six hours of agony, reproached him (Matt. 27:44; Mk. 15:32). The Greek grammar suggests a repeated verbal assault. However, as the ordeal proceeded, a change occurred in one of the thieves. This aspect of the case is only recorded by Luke.

“And there was also a superscription over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? Save thyself and us. But the other answered, and rebuking him said, Dost thou not even 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. And he said, Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom. And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise” (Lk. 23:38-43).

Several important facts come to light by a careful analysis of this paragraph.

By comparing Luke’s record with that of Matthew and Mark, it is obvious that there was a change in the man’s view regarding Jesus. Instead of reviling the Lord, he glorified him and petitioned the Savior. And Jesus graciously responded to his change in behavior.

The penitent thief had a good deal of information concerning Christ. Exactly when he learned these facts is not specified. But there are two possibilities. Either he considered what he heard about Christ during that six-hour episode and became convinced of his royalty, or else he already knew about the Savior from earlier circumstances.

Here’s a thoughtful question. Isn’t it possible that he had been exposed significantly to information about Jesus earlier in his life, had been impressed by it, and later regressed into a life of crime?

Note some things about the man’s beliefs.

• He acknowledged the existence of God.
• He believed in a standard of right and wrong.
• He confessed that he and his companion had transgressed divine law.
• He conceded they were being punished “justly.”

Additionally, he confessed the innocence of Christ. The Teacher had done “nothing amiss.” And remember, the Lord was being crucified for his affirmation of being the “Son of the Blessed One” (Mk. 14:61, 62). The robber’s statement, therefore, is basically an acknowledgement of the truth of Jesus’ claim.

Then consider this. The penitent thief believed that Christ was a “king” and that this act of murder would not terminate the Savior’s life. Rather, the Lord would “come in [his] kingdom.” And he was confident that Jesus would be able to bless him in that future state. At the very least, these expressions indicate that the thief believed it was possible to have association with the Lord after both of them were dead.

God is not interested in what we once were; instead, He is interested in what we can become. Many people in the Bible overcame a turbulent past, and became great and faithful servants of the Lord.

• Abraham, the father of the Hebrew nation, at one time worshipped other gods (Joshua 24:2).
• David, the third King of Israel, although he committed adultery, became a man after God’s own heart.
• Paul, the great apostle of Jesus Christ, at one time had Christians arrested and killed.

Although at one time these men lived ungodly lives, they were given another chance and eventually they became great servants of the Lord, and so can we. We must forget our past failures and focus on our future successes.

The Authority of Christ

Having said that, let us now focus our attention in another direction. The careful Bible student must acknowledge that there are different periods of sacred history, in the course of which, certain religious requirements may vary. Abraham was never commanded to be baptized or to observe the Lord’s supper.

In today’s era of religious history, we are not obligated to observe the Passover, or to offer animal sacrifices. Jehovah has had different requirements in different periods of history.

Christ Had Authority to Forgive Sins

During his personal ministry, Jesus possessed the authority to forgive men’s sins personally and directly, upon whatever terms he chose. For example, once while in the city of Capernaum, the Lord encountered a man who was paralyzed. The unfortunate gentleman had been conveyed to where Christ was by four of his friends.

When Jesus saw “their faith,” he said to the palsied man, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). Then, in order to establish his “authority” in the matter of personally forgiving sins “on earth” (2:10), Christ healed the man of his malady.

(2) The fact is, while Jesus was on earth he had the authority to dispense blessings directly based upon the circumstances at hand.

Our time is running out.  Since life is so unpredictable, we may only have a short time left.  We need to place our faith in Jesus and receive God’s wonderful gift of salvation before it is to late.

During his personal ministry, Jesus possessed the authority to forgive men’s sins personally and directly.

For example, once while in the city of Capernaum, the Lord encountered a man who was paralyzed. The unfortunate gentleman had been conveyed to where Christ was by four of his friends. When Jesus saw “their faith,” he said to the palsied man, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mk. 2:5). Then, in order to establish his “authority” in the matter of personally forgiving sins “on earth” (Mk. 2:10), Christ healed the man of his malady.

The fact is, while Jesus was on earth he had the authority to dispense blessings directly based on the circumstances at hand. At the time of his death, however, his authority was made resident in his testamentary “will” (Heb. 9:15-17). And the terms of that will specify baptism as a condition of pardon (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).

No one has the legal right to eliminate that condition by appealing to something the Lord did during earthly ministry before his final will was ratified. The heavenly kingdom takes precedence over the former.

It becomes very apparent, therefore, that those who appeal to the case of the “thief on the cross” as a specific example for conversion today are mistaken in several particulars.

• They do not comprehend the differencebetween the Savior’s earthly ministry and his current reign from heaven; and,
• They have thrust aside the plain demands of the New Covenant.

 Paradise … Ash noted that “In some elements of first-century Judaism, (this word) described the heavenly abode of the soul between death and the resurrection.” Without much doubt, this is the meaning here. After Jesus rose from the dead, he stated that he had not yet ascended to the Father (John 20:17); therefore, Paradise is not identified as the final abode of the blessed. It is the same as “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:11).

The term paradise is used in the New Testament to refer to the future dwelling place of God’s people (see 2 Cor 12:4; Rev 2:7). The reader should not become so concerned with the question of the intermediate state that the point is missed. Luke is reminding his readers of that which he has told them often. God forgives penitent sinners, while the impenitent (the rulers, the soldiers, and the other criminal) are excluded from the blessing.

A Cross of Love

The cross of Christ was a cross of love. Early in his ministry Jesus declared: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up” (John 3:14; cf. 12:32-33). He then affirmed: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16).

A Cross of Sacrifice

The cross of Christ was a cross of sacrifice. Paul reminded the saints in Ephesus that Christ loved them, and the expression of that love was that he “gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor and a sweet smell” (Ephesians 5:2).

A Cross of Peace

The cross of Christ was a cross of peace. Jesus was able to implement a plan of reconciliation by which sinful humanity could be at peace with the holy God, from whom sin had demanded a separation (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 5:1ff; Ephesians 2:1ff). This was provided for both segments of humanity, so that “in Christ” no longer is there Jew or Greek; Christians become “one” in him (Ephesians 2:13-18; Galatians 3:28).

 A Cross of Joy

The cross of Christ was a cross of joy.  In considering the Savior’s determination to implement the plan of salvation, the writer states that the “author and perfecter of faith,” for “the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). The Savior’s joy over the potential salvation of the human family eclipsed the shame of the cross!

 The Use of “Hell” in the New Testament

There is a great deal of confusion among religious folks regarding this word due to the fact that the English form “hell” actually represents three different terms in the Greek New Testament.

The term “hell” is found twenty-three times in the King James Version of the English Bible. There is a great deal of confusion among religious folks regarding this word due to the fact that the English form “hell” actually represents three different terms in the Greek New Testament. Let us give consideration to this matter.

 Hades

The Greek hades is translated “hell” ten times in the KJV. Most recent versions transliterate the term, bringing it directly into English as Hades.

Hades is used for the general abode of the spirits of the dead, whether good or evil. Jesus affirmed that he possessed the keys (authority to open) of “death” (the receptacle of the body) and “Hades” (the realm of the departed soul) (Rev. 1:18).

Both death and Hades will be emptied at the time of the judgment (Rev. 20:13-14), i.e., the grave will give up the body, and the spirit sphere will surrender the soul.

By means of a figure known as a synecdoche (the whole put for a part), Hades is sometimes used to designate a limited region of the spirit world. Depending upon the context, that region may either be one of punishment or reward.

For example, Jesus warned that the wicked inhabitants of Capernaum (who had rejected his teaching) would go down into Hades (Mt. 11:23; Lk. 10:15). When the cold-hearted rich man died, his spirit was found in Hades, a place of torment and anguish (Lk. 16:23-24).

On the other hand, when Christ died, while his body was resting in Joseph’s tomb, his soul was in Hades (Acts 2:27-31), which elsewhere is called “Paradise” (Lk. 23:43). This seems to have been the same state as “Abraham’s bosom,” a place of comfort (Lk. 16:22,25).

When Christ promised to build his church, and declared that the “gates of Hades” would not prevail against it, he may have been suggesting that when he died, Hades would not retain his soul, thus preventing the establishment of his kingdom. Or, he may have been proclaiming that the church would share ultimately in his victory over death at the time of the resurrection.

 Tartarus

The apostle Peter wrote that: ”. . . God spared not angels when they sinned, but cast them down to hell, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment . . .” (2 Pet. 2:4).

Here, “hell” is from the Greek term tartarosas, a participle, the noun form of which is Tartarus (so rendered in the footnote of the ASV). This is this word’s only occurrence in the New Testament.

Originally it simply denoted a deep place; it carries that significance in Job 40:13; 41:31 in the Septuagint. Homer, the Greek poet, spoke of “dark Tartarus . . . the deepest pit” (Iliad, 8.13). Here, it is used of the abode of evil angels prior to their banishment to Gehenna, their ultimate destiny (cf. Mt. 25:41).

The ancient Greeks, however, applied the word to the region of the wicked dead. Since there is no indication that Peter assigns an extraordinary meaning to the term, it is reasonable to conclude that it denotes that area of Hades in which both rebel men and angels are punished preliminary to the day of judgment.

Gehenna

The final and eternal abode of those who die apart from God is Gehenna. The word is found twelve times in the Greek New Testament. In eleven of these instances, it is Jesus Christ himself who employs the term. The fact is, the Lord spoke of “hell” more frequently than he did of that state called “heaven.”

Gehenna is a transliteration of an Old Testament Hebrew expression, “the valley of Hinnom,” which denoted a ravine on the southern side of Jerusalem. This valley was used by certain apostate Hebrews as a place where their children were offered into the fiery arms of the pagan god Molech (2 Chron. 28:3; 33:6).

It was thus an area of suffering and weeping. When Josiah launched his reformation, this valley was regarded as a site of heinous abomination (2 Kgs. 23:10-14). It finally became the garbage depository of Jerusalem where there was a continual burning of refuse.

Gehenna, being associated with these ideas, appropriately served as a symbolic designation for the place of suffering to which evil persons will be consigned following the Lord’s return. Let us now consider the New Testament passages in which Gehenna is mentioned.

Jesus spoke of Gehenna several times in his “Sermon on the Mount.” For instance, he warned that whoever addresses another: “You fool!” shall be in danger of the “hell of fire” (Mt. 5:22). This does not mean that a legitimate use of the appellation “fool” (or its derivatives) is prohibited (cf. Psa. 14:1; 1 Cor. 15:36; Gal. 3:1). Rather, the Lord condemns the explosive use of pejorative barbs for the sake of venting one’s personal rage.

Employing several examples of hyperbole (for the sake of emphasis), Christ stressed that it would be better to proceed through life with great loss (e.g. deprived of an eye or a limb), rather than having Gehenna as a final destiny (Mt. 5:29-30; cf. 18:9; Mk. 9:43-47).

On another occasion, the Lord said: “And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Mt. 10:28; cf. Lk. 12:5).