The Crucifixion of Jesus
26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23: 26, 32-43
Three Crosses:
Jesus is in the middle, with one criminal on his left, and one on His right.
To those watching on there was very little to distinguish between them;
Three men – all pretty much naked, no status, no possessions or riches;
Seemingly no power, and their reputations in the gutter;
All of equal standing in this moment – all three convicted as criminals;
No chance of a reprieve.
There is a difference though: a sign above Jesus’ head reads “this is the King of the Jews”
But it didn’t afford Him any status either – it was just there to mock Him;
And the soldiers charged with crucifying Jesus also mocked Him:
“if you’re really the King of the Jews, save yourself“
The people simply dismissed Him and watched on
Two criminals:
We don’t know their names,
We don’t know why they were there: perhaps convicted as robbers, rebels, or revolutionarys;
But these two men deserved to be there and they knew it;
They knew their crimes, and knew deserved their punishment.
Both had an encounter with Jesus that day,
In their final hours they came face to face with Jesus
Both recognised Him as Jesus – the long-promised Messiah, the Saviour
One Innocent Man:
Jesus was convicted as a criminal, but guilty of no crime;
The Jewish leaders had grown jealous of His status and influence,
So they conspired against Him, brought false charges and engineered false witnesses.
Jesus had been arrested after being betrayed by one of His close friends;
The Roman authorities could find no fault in Him, no basis for a charge to stick,
But the Jewish authorities were insistent,
So the Romans took the easy route and gave in to their demands
Three Crosses / Two Criminals / One Innocent Man
Three Deaths:
All three of those men died horrific deaths that day:
Designed to be painful and prolonged,
Designed to be a warning and a deterrent to those watching.
Three deaths that day – one innocent man, and two criminals.
But what’s more important is the responses before their deaths.
Before His death, Jesus forgave the soldiers who were crucifying Him;
What about the criminals?
Two Responses:
In their final hours they came face to face with Jesus and knew they couldn’t just ignore him;
They couldn’t dismiss him as the crowd had done:
Something about Him demanded a response.
Both men responded to Him very differently.
The first: deflected from the situation and mocked Him:
“if you’re really the Messiah, save yourself”
The second: defended Jesus:
“you’re about to die too – don’t you fear God?”
There’s one part of the their response which was similar:
The one who defended Jesus called on Jesus to save him
“remember me when you come into your Kingdom”
The one who deflected, also called on Jesus to save him
“if you’re really the Messiah, save yourself & and us!”
But Jesus knew that request wasn’t genuine:
One man asked Jesus to save him, but that man didn’t believe;
One man believed.
“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12
One Man Saved:
Jesus’ responded to the second man with a promise:
“today you will be with me in paradise”
I have every confidence that Jesus honoured that promise and welcomed him into Heaven
Three Crosses, Two Criminals, One Innocent Man
Three Deaths, Two Responses, One Man Saved
“For God made Jesus, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Jesus.”
2 Corinthians 5:21
Just as the criminals on the cross discovered, Jesus demands a response…
What’s your response to what you’ve read:
– dismiss Jesus – as the crowd did when they just stood watching?
– recognise Jesus for who He is, but mock Him as the second man did?
– or recognise Jesus for who He is and call on Him as Saviour as the first man did?
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:13
Jesus said “I have come that you might have life in all its fullness”
John 10:10
On Good Friday Jesus wrote the cheque to pay our debt in full; On Easter Sunday, because of His resurrection,
the cheque cleared.
My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought,
My sin, not in part, but the whole,
Was nailed to the cross and I bear it no more:
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord O my soul!