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Good evening, everyone. Turn 
in your Bibles to Luke 23, please. Luke chapter 23. We're going to begin reading in verse 
26. Our focus will be on verse 38 to verse 43, as we observe 
the occasion concerning the prince of life and the penitent thief, 
companions on this day of crucifixion. Luke 23, beginning in verse 26, 
the Word of God. Now as they led him away, they 
laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from 
the country. And on him they laid the cross, 
that he might bear it after Jesus. And a great multitude of the 
people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented 
Him. But Jesus turning to them said, 
Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves 
and for your children. For indeed the days are coming 
in which they will say, Blessed are the barren wombs that never 
bore and breasts which 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 in the green wood, what will be done in the 
dry? There were also two others, criminals, 
led with him to be put to death. 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 Jesus 
said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. 
And they divided his garments and cast lots. And the people 
stood looking on. But even the rulers with them 
sneered, saying, He saved others. Let him save himself, if he is 
the Christ, the chosen of God. The soldiers also mocked Him, 
coming and offering Him sour wine and saying, if you are the 
King of the Jews, save yourself. And an inscription also was written 
over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. This is the 
King of the Jews. Then one of the criminals who 
were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, if you are the Christ, save yourself 
and us. But the other, answering, rebuked 
him, saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under 
the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we 
receive the due 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. Amen. Well, let's pray. Heavenly 
Father, we thank you now for this time in your word. We rejoice 
in this exercise of worship, the preaching of your word. And 
once again, we would ask for your help. Once again, we would 
ask for the blessings of your condescending grace and mercy 
as we worship you in this way. We do pray that you would help 
preacher in the pulpit to proclaim rightly the things of your truth. 
And Lord God, once again, that for those in the pews this evening, 
that you would strengthen your saints, that you would save sinners. And Lord God, that the exercise 
of worship now and as we continue would be unto the praise of your 
glorious grace. and Lord God, that we would give 
to you all honor and all praise. We do pray in the name of our 
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, amen. An old 19th century commentator 
wrote these words with respect to this occasion of the Prince 
of Life and the Penitent Thief. He wrote, the story of the Penitent 
Thief has sometimes been considered the most surprising, the most 
suggestive, the most instructive incident in all the gospel narratives. In the salvation of one of the 
thieves, vital theology finds one of its finest demonstrations. See, what this occasion of the 
Prince of Life and the Penitent Thief does is it jettisons from 
our contemplations any notions of the truth of sacramentology 
that we need a interceding earthly priest in order to bring favor 
between us and God, that we need some intermediary agency in order 
to wash away the transgressions of our sins. It jettisons from 
our contemplations any notions that salvation is not solely 
and alone by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. jettisons from 
our contemplations any notions that we can merit everlasting 
life by the doing of good deeds, that somehow we commend ourselves 
to God by the exercise of good works and obedience to the law. to use the same language, jettisons 
from our contemplations any notions that there is a purgatory, that 
there is a limbus patrum, that there is some sort of intermediary 
state where one must go prior to entering heaven, such a state 
where he must by his own purgings do away with the stain of sin. 
No, this sets before us vital theology in its finest demonstration 
that salvation is by grace, through faith in Christ, and that, as 
seen with this thief, those who are saved are saved solely and 
alone by virtue of the doing and the dying and the rising 
again of the Prince of Life, Jesus Christ, the just, and in 
Him is our only hope. We want to look at the verses 
38 to 43 here. Luke 23, 38 to 43. And we're 
going to look at four things, and we'll proceed through these 
things as we go. But those four things we want 
to observe are, first, the telling inscription. Secondly, the cursed 
robber. Thirdly, the dying thief. And 
fourthly, the comforting Christ. And so first, I want us to observe 
the telling inscription. Notice v. 38. And an inscription 
also was written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and 
Hebrew. This is the King of the Jews. First, we want to note that this 
reflects an accusation. When one was crucified, they 
received something written, as we see in this case, an inscription 
written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. They received something 
written that disclosed the reason for their condemnation. Now, 
we know of course that Christ is wholly harmless. and undefiled. He is sinless. He is that perfect 
Lamb of God without blemish and without spot. But with respect 
to these two parties of persons, the unbelieving Jews and the 
unbelieving Romans conspiring together to bring an end to the 
life of the Prince of Life, we see that the accusation or this 
inscription, this is the King of the Jews, reflects the accusation 
that was against Him. And if you want, we can read 
some historical context that isn't taken up so much here in 
Luke 23, but it is in the parallel account in John 19. And you can 
turn there with me to John 19. Why do we have this inscription 
as an accusation? This is the King of the Jews. 
Very often what would happen is if you see somebody doing 
their march to their crucifixion, they would have perhaps someone 
preceding them with a sign upon which was written the accusation 
for their condemnation, their criminality. Perhaps they were 
adorned with that accusation. The inscription was upon their 
person. In the case of Christ, it's attached and it's affixed. 
to the cross, but we see with respect to, of course, the false 
accusation that he is somehow seditious or that he is somehow 
usurping or that he is somehow criminally liable for his actions 
against Caesar, these sorts of things. Notice John 19 beginning 
in verse 10. Then Pilate said to Him, Are 
you not speaking to me? Do you not know that I have power 
to crucify you and power to release you? Jesus answered, You could 
have no power at all against me unless it had been given you 
from above. Therefore, the one who delivered 
me to you has the greater sin. Now just pause for a moment. 
Don't you love the response of our Lord Jesus Christ there? 
that particular point. You see, Pilate assumes to himself 
too much power and too much esteem. Are you not speaking to me? Do 
you not know that I have power to crucify you and power to release 
you? And Christ answers beautifully, 
you could have no power at all against me unless it had been 
given you from above. This is sort of a, for Pilate, 
a Nebuchadnezzar type event, although Pilate isn't cast out 
into the wilderness to eat grass like Nebuchadnezzar. Nevertheless, 
he's humbled by the words of the sovereign Christ here, who 
from his lips that only ever speak verity, answers with strength, 
no power could be given to you. unless it had been given you 
from above." Beautiful. But moving on, verse 12. Then, 
from then on, Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried 
out, saying, If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's 
friend. Whoever makes himself a king 
speaks against Caesar. You see, the Jews are playing 
at this as that which should condemn the Christ. They're playing 
at this. And they're playing at Pilate's 
Caesar-loyal heartstrings here, if you will, by saying, if you 
let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever makes 
himself a king speaks against Caesar. Now, reading on, when 
Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat 
down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, 
but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the preparation day 
of the Passover, in about the sixth hour, and he said to the 
Jews, Behold your king! But they cried out, Away with 
him! Away with him! Crucify him! Pilate said to them, 
Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We 
have no king but Caesar. then he delivered him to them 
to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led 
him away." So getting back to Luke 23 here, we see that there 
is this accusation that is behind the inscription. The accusation 
against Christ is, as the Jews would say in another gospel account, 
don't say this is the king of the Jews, but that he said he 
was the king of the Jews in order to incite the charges of sedition 
against this Christ and charges against Caesar. All of that to 
come back to this, Christ of course is innocent, any accusation 
against the Son of God is absolutely false, but the crime for which 
he was being crucified is seen in this inscription. Must be 
noted here, perhaps this is in view when we get to Colossians 
chapter two and we read with regards to the perfect saving 
work of Christ is the blood of Jesus Christ cleansing us from 
all iniquity. We see Paul using there in Colossians 
chapter two the language of Christ having taken away the handwriting 
which was against us, having nailed it to the cross. Some 
have drawn a connection to this. You see, He bore an inscription 
that our inscription might be taken away. He bore upon His 
cross an inscription, the King of the Jews. He bore these charges. He bore these accusations, of 
course, falsely. And of course, beyond this is 
the reality of God, according to His determined plan and foreknowledge, 
sending the Son of His love to the cross to bear the iniquities 
of His people. But nevertheless, Christ bore 
an inscription that we might have ours taken away. And notice 
the title. This is the King of the Jews. While it may be fuel for mockery 
by the Jews and the words chosen by Pilate by virtue of his discussion 
with Christ and the unbelieving Jews, it is nevertheless true. This is the King of the Jews. 
You see, that was their Messiah. That was their King. What they 
confess in mockery, what they confess by this inscription, 
though not believing it, is nevertheless true. They are putting to death 
the King of the Jews. They are putting to death their 
very God and King upon Calvary's cross. It's absolute madness. That was 
their Messiah. That was their king. This is 
something that is recognized at the outset of Christ's earthly 
ministry. There's an account or some language 
in John chapter 1 by Nathanael. Jesus saw Nathanael, John 1, 
47, coming toward him and said of him, Behold, an Israelite 
indeed, in whom is no deceit. Nathanael said to him, How do 
you know me? Jesus answered and said, Before Philip called you 
when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. Nathanael answered 
and said to him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King 
of Israel. See, the confession of the believer 
is you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel. And so this is the King of the 
Jews, though again, bearing the marks of Jewish mockery and bearing 
the unbelieving marks of a pilot who was writing this upon the 
inscription based upon his conversation with Christ and based upon his 
conversation with the unbelieving Jews. Nevertheless, this is a 
blessed truth. This is the Messiah. This is 
the King. This is the Son of God. Remember 
that the Old Testament anticipates this, doesn't it? That the one 
who would be the Redeemer of Israel is God Most High, and 
He is Everlasting King. That prophecy in Micah 5, in 
chapter 2, those words given to Bethlehem, Ephrathah, Though 
you are the littlest among the thousands of Judah, yet out of 
you I will bring forth one to me who will be ruler in Israel. whose goings forth are from old, 
from everlasting. This is the One who was brought 
forth to be ruler in Israel. This is the King of the Jews. 
And Steve read tonight Psalm 22, the Psalm of the Cross. We 
see the progression. I mean, the Psalms in their entirety 
are the prayers of the Messiah, the prayers of Christ, the words 
of truth. We have in Psalm 22 what's been 
called the Psalm of the Cross. We see there clearly the language 
of crucifixion prophesied a thousand years before the crucifixion 
by David. We see in Psalm 23, following 
upon the heels of the crucifixion, we have the psalm of the crook, 
the shepherd's crook. He is our shepherd. We shall 
not want. He leads us into green pastures 
and all that glorious language concerning Christ as our shepherd. And then when we get to Psalm 
24, we have the psalm of the crown. We see the King of Glory. Who is this King of Glory? This 
is the King of Glory. This is the King of the Jews. 
Our blessed and our glorious Savior. With regards to the inscription, 
Melito of Sardis, a bishop in the 2nd century wrote these words 
and and by the way the to we need It's stuff like this that 
should chase away the conspiracy theories That the deity of Jesus 
Christ was forced on the church in the 4th century by the Roman 
Emperor Constantine Which is absolute madness. I read this 
morning a quote from Marcianus Aristides who was in one from 
126 AD, an Athenian philosopher converted by God, by the Christian 
proclamation in Athens. And if I read more in that quote, 
he acknowledges that this Jesus, the Son of God, is that God that 
came down from heaven and took upon himself flesh by way of 
the Hebrew virgin. 126 AD, the confession of the 
deity of Christ. Here we have Melito, only a couple 
handfuls or a few handfuls of decades later, writing these 
words, and it's at the point, getting back to Luke 23, and 
the thief on the cross, and the inscription here, notice, and 
thus he was lifted up upon the tree. speaking not of the thief, 
but of the Prince of Life, Jesus Christ. And an inscription was 
affixed identifying the one who had been murdered. Who was he? It is painful to tell, but it 
is more dreadful not to tell. The one who hung the earth in 
space is himself hanged. The Lord is insulted. God has 
been murdered. The King of Israel has been destroyed 
by the right hand of Israel. Of course, that language, God 
is murdered or God has been murdered, God can't be murdered, but by 
virtue of the hypostatic union, Christ taking to himself man's 
nature, Melito can speak with propriety using that language 
just the way that Paul can speak in the book of Acts saying God 
purchased us with His own blood, or the Church of Christ with 
His own blood. But back to this point, this 
title, this is the King of the Jews, is absolutely right. This 
is the Sovereign One. This is the Christ. This is God. This is the King of Israel. And 
notice the madness with respect to the inscription at the point 
of these Jews and Romans putting to death the king of the Jews. Putting to death the very creator 
and upholder of all things who took to himself man's nature. 
Putting to death the very promised king of Israel. The madness of 
it. The gross injustice of it. This is the one This is their 
God. This is their Lord. This is the 
one who condescended by way of covenant to give them blessings, 
to give them favor, to condescend in mercy and eternal lovingkindness, 
to show forth His glorious perfections, pouring out His bounty upon them, 
giving them the oracles of God and showing forth His faithfulness 
and His covenantal faithfulness. What a gross injustice. Melito 
would go on to write, Why, O Israel, did you do this strange injustice? You dishonored the One who honored 
you. You held in contempt the One 
who held you in esteem. You killed the One who made you 
to live. Why did you do this, O Israel? 
O frightful murder! O unheard of injustice! This is the King of the Jews. As we observe the Lord's Supper 
tonight, what's an application that we can take away from this 
at the point of remembrance? Is that we partake of the Lord's 
Supper, not only then in the Lord's Supper in a special way, 
but each and every day to be sure as well, remember your King. Remember that it is the mark 
of human nature, even with our remaining corruption as the redeemed 
sons and daughters of God, to be found marked by a languor 
and a coldness on spiritual things and with a respect to the remembrance 
of our Christ. That's why we have the Lord's 
Supper. That's why the Lord's Supper is given to us. One of 
the reasons why is because we're so prone to wander, so prone 
to leave the God that we love, and with this we come back to 
a remembrance and a reflection upon our King, upon our Christ, 
upon the Son of God who came into this world, sinners to save. The human heart is drawn to pomp 
and power. That's the sort of King that 
we like. You know, our human minds and our human curiosities 
and our human, you know, inklings, we're drawn after kings of pomp 
and power, and no doubt Christ has that. He rises again the 
third day, He's exalted to the right hand of the majesty on 
high, He's given glory, dominion and a kingdom. But you see, we 
are to cast our eyes upon a bloodied and a battered Messiah. Our eyes 
of faith were to cast our eyes upon this king of the Jews and 
remember him. You see, because yes, he's altogether 
lovely and chief among 10,000 and his resplendent glory, exalted 
to the right hand of the Majesty on high. But to us who are His 
people, He's also altogether lovely to us when He's crying 
and forlorn in the garden of Gethsemane. When He's grieving 
in the garden of Gethsemane, He's altogether lovely to us. 
And here, battered and bruised upon Calvary's cross, A bloody 
mess upon this gibbet of execution. We are to remember Him, and He 
is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000. Moving on then 
to the cursed robber. Notice what we have in verse 
39. Verse 39, the cursed robber. Then one of the criminals who 
were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, If you are the Christ, save yourself 
and us. Notice that his last breath, 
or to his last breath, he is unrepentant and opposes Christ. Doesn't this picture for us the 
sinfulness and the depravity of the human heart? He's crucified 
upon a cross, this cursed robber. He Himself is a bloody and a 
crucified mess. He is being put to death for 
actually being one who is deserved of death. Who does deserve the 
punishment that He is getting. As the dying thief will say next, 
or will say later, we receive the due reward of our deeds. 
This one is being crucified, he is very near death, and yet 
he breathes out in wicked blasphemy, if you are the Christ, save yourself 
and us. Make no mistake, this isn't an 
honest and a wholesome pleading for salvation. That's not what 
the cursed robber is breathing out here. I mean, we already 
have Luke's commentary, Luke's narrative. Then one of the criminals 
who were hanged blasphemed him, saying, this language that he 
says here, this language that he speaks, if you are the Christ, 
save yourself and us, is obviously not then. an honest pleading 
for salvation. It is simply to echo those who 
beforehand said in verse 37, if you are the king of the Jews, 
save yourself. And previously to that in verse 
35, he saved others. Let him save himself if he is 
the Christ, the chosen of God. Perhaps it is in the heart and 
the mind of this cursed robber to side with the crowd in the 
hopes that perhaps the faintest chance of the Romans alleviating 
his punishment might be in the offing. But in the very least, 
we know, or we should mount up from that supposition to the 
reality that it is blasphemy that he speaks. And it probably 
carries the same tone of reviling and mockery as the others who 
are gathered in the crowd looking at Christ upon the cross. This 
is a reviling. This is a mockery. And this is 
their king. This is their Messiah. This is 
the promised one who came to bring deliverance to Israel and 
to Gentiles who are afar off. the blasphemy, to his last breath 
he is unrepentant and opposes Christ. Have a look at a passage 
in the book of Revelation with me, if you will. Revelation 16. 
Because there we have something else that ought to cause us to 
marvel, like this occasion of the cursed robber, at the wickedness 
and the sinfulness of men when even faced with doom and certain 
judgment. Notice in Revelation 16, beginning in verse 8. Then the 
fourth angel, this is Revelation 16, 8. Then the fourth angel 
poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to 
scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great 
heat, and they blasphemed the name of God, who has power over 
these plagues. And they did not repent, and 
give Him glory. This is the fourth angel pouring 
out the fourth bowl. There had already been judgments 
previously prior to the fourth. The first, the second, and the 
third. And even upon this fourth judgment, 
even upon this fourth righteous judgment poured out by the God 
of perfect holiness and justice. Nevertheless, these men scorched 
with great heat blasphemed the name of God, note, who has power 
over these plagues. Not only do they blaspheme God, 
but this is the One who has power over the plagues to stop them. 
And yet, nevertheless, they blaspheme Him. And they did not repent 
and give Him glory. We ought to draw a line of relevance 
to our passage back in Luke 23 here. When faced with crucifixion, 
and when faced with the penal sanctions of the civil magistrate 
unto very death, This one blasphemes Christ. If you are the Christ, 
save yourself and us. Now this ought to have some echoes 
as well. I'm not sure if you remember, 
but back when I was preaching on Matthew 4 and that occasion 
there in the wilderness where the the fearsome lion of the 
pit and the lion of the tribe of Judah, that is the devil and 
the Christ, go toe-to-toe in single combat in the wilderness. 
And one emerges victorious. And it isn't the devil. It is 
Christ who emerges victorious. And some of the daggers of the 
devil there in that wilderness episode are the same things that 
the thief here spews out from the cross. Not the dying thief, 
Not the blessed thief, but the cursed robber. He takes the same 
tact as the devil, perhaps even animated by Satan himself. If you are the Christ, save yourself 
and us. Remember the words of the devil 
in the wilderness. If you are the Son of God, turn 
these stones into bread. He repeats the same sort of language 
in the next temptation, or in the last. If you are the Son 
of God, cast yourself down, because as it is written, He has given 
His angels charge over Him. The thief is, as if here, animated 
by the devil. Perhaps a last-ditch effort. 
We don't know what the devil knows. We don't know the propositional 
content of his satanic mind. Is he perhaps making a last-ditch 
effort at preventing the crucifixion in Matthew 4? The idea there 
is perhaps that the devil is trying to stymie, to try and 
stymie the messianic work of the mediator, the Lord Jesus 
Christ, and is seeking to tempt him away from being obedient 
to God, seeking to do a repeat of His damage done to the first 
Adam. Perhaps here the devil himself 
is animating the cursed robber. But what we do know is that the 
cursed robber blasphemes the glorious King of the Jews, Jesus 
Christ our Lord, and he is wicked and sinful and unrepentant as 
he opposes our glorious Christ. Before we move on to point number 
three, what can we take away from this as a point of application? 
Again, with the Lord's Supper before us, as we look forward 
to partaking of it, and it being an act of remembrance, we are 
to remember our former state. We make a mistake, and I would 
submit we make a grave one, and we assume too much to ourselves 
if we think ourselves better than this cursed robber when 
we were, before we met, were met by divine and condescending 
grace. We were no better than this cursed 
robber. I think a modern hymnist gets 
it right when he wrote, ashamed I hear my mocking voice call 
out among the scoffers. You see, a reflection upon our 
pre-converted state, a reflection upon our sinfulness when reigning 
sin was our lot and when the wrath of God abided on us. When 
we were the sons of disobedience and children of wrath just as 
the others, we had that reality that we called out with mocking 
voices among the scoffers and we would have been just like 
this cursed robber crying out. If you are the Christ, save yourself 
and us, not out of some honest and wholesome pleading for salvation, 
but out of reviling and mockery. Remember your former state. That 
we were once a cursed robber, but now having been brought in 
by grace. We are like this one now that 
we move on to the dying thief. The blessed thief. Verses 40-42. We want to acknowledge first 
that he acknowledges, that is, the dying thief acknowledges 
the necessity of the fear of God and rebukes the cursed robber 
for the lack of it. Notice what he says here in verse 
40. But the other. that is, the other robber, the 
other thief, answering, rebuked him saying, do you not even fear 
God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? You know, 
he's sort of answering the question that we might be brought to at 
the point of Revelation 16.9. Do you not even fear God? You've just been the recipients 
of four bowls of wrath poured out. You've just been the recipients 
of divine judgment and wholesome and right. The wholesome severity 
of the divine magistrate has poured out his wrath upon you. 
And after the fourth time, you're still blaspheming him, knowing 
that this one has the power to stop these plagues, and you're 
unrepentant? Do you not even fear God? These 
words of the thief are absolutely amazing because remember, let 
alone when we're not under travail, under physical affliction like 
this thief would be in the midst of crucifixion, we're all about 
ourselves. But upon the cross, he takes 
occasion not to just wallow in the loss, wallow in the misery, 
wallow in the shame of the cross, but he takes occasion to defend 
the very honor of God and this Christ beside whom he is crucified, 
saying, do you not even fear God? Beautiful response by this 
thief. Now, remember, at this point, 
this thief is converted. In parallel accounts, we have 
the reality that both robbers, that both thieves reviled Christ. That both thieves blasphemed 
Him. At some point on this blessed occasion of the crucifixion, 
this solemn occasion as well, at some point, God by His grace 
reached down to this dying thief and brought him forth from deadness 
and sin to life in Christ. And he says here, do you not 
even fear God, seeing that you are under the same condemnation? 
He acknowledges sin and the due penalty for sin. Notice the language 
in 41. And we indeed justly, that is, 
we indeed receive condemnation. We indeed justly, for we receive 
the due reward of our deeds. You know, that's a refreshing 
statement by a sinner, saved by grace. It's a refreshing statement. You see, it's the case, it's 
the nature of men that we want to blame shift, we want to lie 
and say we have done nothing wrong. when we're caught in sin, 
when we're found out in sin, that's sort of one response, 
well, it wasn't me. Or the other response is to blame 
shift, or minimize, or try to wiggle out of it one way or another, 
rather than simply owning it. Like this dying thief, who is 
a model of human honesty under the regenerating power of the 
Holy Ghost, and we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward 
of our deeds. He acknowledges sin and the due 
penalty for sin. He realizes that God is holy, 
that He has a law that we have violated, that He has violated, 
and that the just deserts for such violation are the condemnation 
of the law. Penal sanctions, penalty, It's 
wonderful, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. He acknowledges 
it. He owns it. He knows. He confesses 
his iniquity before God, and he confesses his iniquity even 
before this rebel robber. As well, he confesses the innocence 
of Christ, their companion upon the cross. Notice the language 
here continuing in verse 41. But this man has done nothing 
wrong. You see, I think we do minimize 
the knowledge and we minimize what this thief knew and what 
this thief confessed prior to his death and his entrance into 
paradise. See, it's a common sort of tact, 
or it's a mark of our modern era, our watered-down Christianity, 
to do just that, watered-down Christianity. Let's just boil 
it down to the most minimum amount of propositions possible. There's 
a mere Christianity movement. Can we not, again, just all get 
along, there's so many of us out there, so many denominations, 
associations, approaches to Christianity, can we not just boil it down 
to the lowest common denominator? I mean, come on, the thief on 
the cross, what did he really know? What did he really know? Three verses. What could he have 
known? I would submit that he knows 
a lot, and that he knew a lot. Remember, he acknowledges the 
necessity of the fear of God, and he acknowledges it to the 
point where he has the wherewithal to rebuke the cursed robber. 
for having no fear of God and blaspheming Christ. He acknowledges 
sin and the due penalty for it that would reflect or that would 
have in the back as supporting realities a God of holiness the 
divine law that that God of holiness demands, and the penal sanction 
for the law's violation. He knew a lot. Not only that, 
but he confesses now the innocence of Christ, their companion. He 
says, but this man has done nothing wrong. This whole event, this 
whole occasion, was prophesied by Isaiah. You can turn to Isaiah 
53, and no doubt, probably knew I was going to go there at some 
point, but the language with respect to these robbers is there, 
and the language with respect to what this dying thief confesses, 
that is, the innocence of Christ, it is there. Notice in Isaiah 
53, Excuse me. Isaiah 53, beginning 
in verse 7. He was taken from prison and 
from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut 
off from the land of the living. For the transgressions of My 
people He was stricken. And they made His grave with 
the wicked, but with the rich at His death, because He had 
done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth." You see 
that language there with respect to the confession by this dying 
thief, this blessed thief? that this man is innocent, this 
man has done nothing wrong. He has done no violence, nor 
was any deceit in his mouth. And then notice verse 12. Therefore, 
I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide 
the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul unto death, 
and he was numbered with the transgressors, and he bore the 
sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." He was 
numbered with the transgressors. He was set up upon Calvary's 
cross and had two transgressors as companions. And so, this dying 
thief, who no doubt would have taken in some truth proclaimed 
to whatever degree being sure a zealot there in Jerusalem no 
doubt he would have come into contact with the Old Testament 
scriptures perhaps on this occasion upon Calvary's cross the Spirit 
of God is rousing his spirit within him to cast reflection 
upon nuggets of truth proclaimed and he's reflecting back upon 
the reality that Isaiah prophesied concerning this one who had done 
no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth, he had done nothing 
wrong." He confesses next, well actually, before we move on, 
let's just pause for a moment. This man had done nothing wrong. 
This was beforehand confessed by Pilate himself, when he says, 
I have found no fault in this man. And when he says again later 
on, I have found no reason for death in him. There was there 
though an unbelieving confession of his guiltlessness, but Christ 
was sinless. Christ was wholly harmless and 
undefiled. Another application as we take 
this, take and eat this bread and take and drink this cup is 
to remember, to reflect upon the fact that the Christ that 
we remember is the only one that was ever innocent and without 
sin. You know, we know nothing but 
sin in this lower world as we deal with one another. Sin. Everyone sins. We traffic in 
a world of sin. We don't bump up against anyone. 
who is wholly harmless and undefiled. We don't bump up against anyone 
who is separate from sinners in the perfection of his obedience 
and guiltlessness. We don't bump up against anyone 
who is like a lamb without blemish and without spot. I think sometimes, 
perhaps it's hard for us to wrap our minds around this because 
we just don't come into contact with this. But Christ, this man, 
has done nothing wrong. He was innocent. He was sinless. Adam had thrust us into sin and 
depravity by his disobedience, yet by this one man who only 
ever perfected obedience, who only ever was obedient to the 
law of God. Every jot and tittle, there was 
no jot and no tittle, wherein Christ broke the law of God, 
but at each and every point of the way, it was His will to do 
the will of His Father, or it was His meat to do the will of 
the Father who sent Him, and He never failed in doing that. 
This man has done nothing wrong. Absolutely beautiful. Next, he 
confesses, that is, the dying thief. He confesses the lordship 
of Christ and pleads for remembrance. Notice verse 42. Then he said 
to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. He 
confesses the lordship of Christ. and he pleads for remembrance. 
Unlike the cursed robber, who isn't confessing the Lordship 
of Christ, he's only reviling and mocking and saying, if you 
are the Christ, save yourself and us, this blessed and dying 
thief says, Lord, confessing the Lordship of Christ. And what 
follows after that is a repetition of the acknowledgement and the 
confession of His Lordship. Remember me when You come into 
Your kingdom. He recognizes that this Christ 
has a kingdom. That this Christ perhaps, not 
perhaps, but that this Christ is the one of Daniel 7 who ascends 
to the ancient of days and is given glory, dominion, and a 
kingdom. This One is the One of Isaiah 
9.6. That Child that is born. That 
Son that is given. The government will be upon His 
shoulder and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty 
God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. And of the increase 
of His government, there will be no end. He has a Kingdom. This King. This Glorious One. 
This Jesus. This Lord. I love this. You know, we noted a number of 
minutes ago that this thief is converted. This thief having 
just, at some point earlier, having blasphemed Christ, having 
reviled and mocked Him. God has pulled him forth from 
the darkness of sin to life in Christ. And he's now the Son 
of God. He's now the brother of Christ. He's now the saved of Christ. 
Cyril of Jerusalem makes these remarks. I love these comments. What power, O robber, led thee 
to the light? What taught thee, or who taught 
thee, to worship that despised man, thy companion on the cross? O light eternal, which gives 
light to them that are in darkness. Make no mistake, you see, we 
don't have the language, and perhaps this is for a designed 
reason, which I may offer up in a moment. But you see, we 
don't have this elevated narrative of the conquering power and the 
grace of God ripping down and the heavens open and light shining 
down and a voice coming from heaven, Thou art now my Son, 
O dying thief. I think What we're supposed to 
be brought to here is the reality that God's amazing grace is seen 
in the silent course of events where a sinner is brought from 
a blasphemer to a confessor of Christ. You see, we are not to 
seek after and we reflect upon our lives. We are not to plague 
ourselves to try and find some penetrating moment where the 
heavens opened and like Saul on the road to Damascus, we're 
just knocked off of our horses and there's this amazing conversion 
event. Make no mistake, it is amazing 
grace. It is sovereign and victorious 
grace. But you see, sometimes it is 
the simple report that we're brought from the kingdom of darkness 
to the kingdom of the Son of God's love. We're brought like 
this dying thief from blasphemy to glorying in this blessed Christ. And so an application at this 
particular point, remember when by grace you came to know Christ. It was, there was a time, perhaps 
you know the day, perhaps you only know the month, or perhaps 
you only know the year. Perhaps, you know, those of us 
out there in the midst who, as Spurgeon said, whose hair is 
whitened by the sunlight of heaven, it's hard for you to remember 
the day on which God pulled you from the darkness of sin to light 
and life in Christ. But you see, remember when by 
grace you came to know Christ. Remember that blessed time. Remember, in the very least, 
that you were once without hope and without strength in the world. 
But God reached down, and by His grace and for His glory, 
brought you into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Now notice, 
lastly, we have the comforting Christ. The comforting Christ. And Jesus said to him, Assuredly, 
I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. Christ brings words of highest 
comfort to the dying thief. It's as if he's saying, for but 
a moment longer, endure the nails. For but a moment longer, endure 
the pain. Endure the wicked sneering. Endure 
the shame. Because assuredly I say to you, 
today you will be with me in paradise. Isn't that glorious? Isn't that blessed? You know, 
it brings much comfort not only to the thief. None of us will 
most likely be crucified for crimes or in an act of martyrdom. Some of us will endure, some 
of us will incur affliction, trial, suffering, however that 
may providentially come upon us. Perhaps we observe family 
members, believers, struggling with the horrors of cancer, some 
sort of a disease. We have these blessed words of 
comfort that come to us. Endure the affliction. Endure 
the suffering, because assuredly I say to you, today you will 
be with me in paradise. Christ brings words of highest 
comfort to the dying thief. As well, as we look to close 
here, Christ communicates the certainty of the dying thief's 
salvation. He says, I say to you today, 
you will be with me in paradise, but this is introduced by an 
amen. This is introduced by an assuredly. Assuredly, I say to you. You 
know, perhaps when others say that, assuredly and certainly, 
and I promise, and those sorts of things, there's a possibility 
that it won't come to pass, or that it's not true. But you see, 
from the words of the Word of God, from the words of Christ 
Himself, who only and ever spoke verity, that really is true. Assuredly, 
I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise. Christ 
communicates the certainty the dying thief's salvation. This 
assuredly brings with it the weight of divine promise. The 
weight of divine promise. You see, our perseverance, our 
assurance does not depend upon our own free will, but upon the 
immutability of the decree of election flowing from the unchangeable 
love of God the Father. Divine promise is in view behind 
this, assuredly. And not only divine promise, 
but the very thing that Christ was working out at this very 
time. The perfection of his merits, 
the perfection of his righteousness, the perfection of his blood. 
What is behind this assuredly? What is behind this amen? What 
is behind the certainty? It is divine promise. The very 
character and nature and the very integrity of Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit is behind this, and the very act of perfect salvation, 
the shedding of blood and the righteousness of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. This assuredly brings with it 
the weight of glorious promise. I love these words of Cyril as 
we move to one more application and then we pray. Cyril says 
this, connecting Adam and Christ. He says, Adam by the tree fell 
away, thou by the tree art brought into paradise. He's speaking 
here as if he's speaking as Christ. Christ's intercourse on this 
day of crucifixion, that means communication with, discussion 
with, this Christ's intercourse with the thief on this day of 
crucifixion. He says, Assuredly, I say to 
you, today you will be with me in paradise. And so Cyril, paraphrastically 
speaking as Christ says, that this is Christ speaking to the 
thief, Adam by the tree fell away, thou by the tree art brought 
into paradise. And this is true for each and 
every one of us. By one tree, that is, by Adam's 
fall in the garden so many years ago, we are thrust into sin and 
depravity. Adam, by the tree, fell away, 
and so all of his progeny, that includes us afterwards, we fell 
away. And yet by Christ on this tree, 
yet by that tree, art we all brought into paradise. Blessed 
truth. our Savior, our King, our Christ, 
our God. And so finally, in application 
at this particular point, remember that the word of the Savior to 
the dying thief are our words. The words of the Savior to the 
dying thief are our words. They were spoken peculiarly to 
the thief. But I would submit that just 
as Thomas' words are on the day of the resurrection, the Sunday 
after the resurrection, thou art the Christ, the Son of the 
living God, or my Lord and my God. So too, the words of Christ 
to the thief are ours. Assuredly, I say to you, today 
you will be with Me in paradise. Not this day, because hopefully 
none of us die on the way back from church. But these words, 
when that day comes, are ours. And remember that these words 
cannot be snatched away from us. These words cannot be stolen 
away. These words cannot be kidnapped 
from the reality of our own salvation, but they are abiding and they 
rest upon certain promise and the blood and on the righteousness 
of Jesus Christ. They are our words, blessed truth, 
and glorious reality. See ourselves here in this thief, 
this dying thief, not the cursed robber, but having been brought 
from that state as cursed robbers, we're now like this dying thief, 
this blessed thief, who rests not upon his own deeds of righteousness 
done and holiness of heart, but rests solely and alone upon the 
perfection of the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Let us pray. 
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for 
this account of Jesus Christ, the Prince of life and the penitent 
thief. We pray, Lord God, that You would 
cause us to reflect with great joy upon the doing and the dying 
and the rising again of the Son of God, our Savior, the Lord 
Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews. We do pray, Lord God, as 
we now observe the Lord's Supper, that You would help us to do 
so solemnly with great joy. We do pray that you be with us 
as we observe this ordinance and that the risen Christ would 
by His Spirit strengthen us in the inner man and we pray that 
we would be nourished, that we would be strengthened and that 
we would be all the more conformed to the image of the Son of God. We do pray that you would continue 
to be with us in worship and we pray in Christ's precious 
name. Amen. Well you can turn with me to 
Matthew 26 Matthew 26, where we have the Lord Jesus Christ 
instituting the Lord's Supper on the night in which He was 
betrayed. This is an ordinance that was not to die off with 
the age of the apostles, but the Lord's Supper rather 
is an institution of our Christ. It is an ordinance of the New 
Testament ordained by Him to be observed in His churches unto 
the end of the world. We tonight here are doing that 
which Christ commanded. So many years ago, Matthew 26, 
what I'm going to read very briefly is the account leading up to 
the institution of the Lord's Supper. We'll make some comments 
and then we'll have the brothers come up to pass out first the 
bread. This is Matthew 26 beginning 
in verse 17. Now on the first day of the feast 
of the unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus saying 
to him, where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the 
Passover? And he said, go into the city to a certain man and 
say to him, the teacher says my time is at hand. I will keep 
the Passover at your house with my disciples. So the disciples 
did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover. 
When evening had come, he sat down with the 12. Now as they 
were eating, he said, assuredly I say to you, one of you will 
betray me. And they were exceedingly sorrowful. And each of them began 
to say to him, Lord, is it I? He answered and said, he who 
dipped his hand with me in the dish will betray me. The son 
of man indeed goes just as it is written of him, but woe to 
that man by whom the son of man is betrayed. It would have been 
good for that man if he had not been born. Then Judas, who was 
betraying him, answered and said, Rabbi, is it I? He said to him, 
you have said it. Amen. Just very briefly, we are 
to marvel in a good way that this isn't a haphazard institution 
of the Lord's Supper. Oh great, isn't it lucky that 
it fell within the observance of the Passover? No, this is 
by divine design that that particular meal that pointed forward to 
Christ, or first off, that particular meal that pointed back to the 
Exodus and called the Israelites in remembrance to reflect upon 
their Exodus, their deliverance physically from out of bondage 
in Egypt, it also pointed forward to this one who would now institute 
the Lord's Supper. Christ is our Passover sacrifice. He is our Passover who has been 
sacrificed for us. So Christ, anticipating that, 
and again, by divine design and by divine decree, He institutes 
the Lord's Supper in the midst of the Passover meal. The Passover 
ultimately foreshadowed the Passover lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ, 
who would shed his effectual blood for the remission, for 
the forgiveness of sins. And so it's right, and it's providential, 
and it's glorious that the Lamb of God is instituting the Lord's 
Supper in the context of the Passover celebration. Now, as 
we take the bread and as we drink the wine, Remember that this 
is an ordinance for Christians only. If you're not a Christian 
here tonight, you're not to take of the bread and take of the 
wine. If you're hungry and if you're thirsty, I believe there's 
some food upstairs so we can find something for you. But this 
is a solemn matter, and this is a serious matter. This is 
an ordinance that, as we'll find, is instituted by Christ for believers 
only. And it is for believers who are 
living consistent with their profession. If you're a Christian 
tonight, and you're harboring sin, and you are not repentant, 
you have not repented of that sin, but you're holding on to 
it for whatever reason, you are not to take. Now, remember, and 
I say this every time, and hopefully it never gets old, and hopefully 
that you see it as true. We have forgiveness with God 
that He may be feared. And so if you are harboring sin, 
repent of your sin. If you haven't repented, if you're 
remaining impenitent at a particular point, repent. Find forgiveness 
immediately with God. There is no biblically prescribed 
season of self-flagellation and walking up mountains with sacks 
of tires. There is immediately the reality 
that when we sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus 
Christ the righteous. who himself is the propitiation 
for our sins. And in him we fly, and we fly 
quickly, forsaking our sin and knowing the blessed reality of 
forgiveness, that he is secured by his shed blood. The bread 
and the wine remain bread and wine, not only to the outward 
senses, but also with respect to the reality of the things. 
We reject the Roman Catholic blasphemy of transubstantiation. The bread does not change into 
the body, blood, and divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, nor 
does the wine change into the blood of Jesus Christ, but rather 
these remain what they are. They are consecrated from a common 
use unto a holy use here in the Lord's Supper. but they remain 
what they are, and in that, emblems of the broken body and the shed 
blood of Christ. We are ingesting bread and we 
are ingesting wine. And yet, just as sure as those 
physical elements are to our physical senses, so too is the 
grace of God, so too is the empowering Spirit of Christ to our souls 
who strengthens us in our faith as we walk in Him. the language of the gospel of 
John at this particular point very briefly, and the brothers 
can come out to pass out the bread, but in John chapter 6, 
we have this wonderful language with respect to eating and drinking. I am the bread of life. He who 
comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall 
never thirst. And these reflect that truth, 
that in Christ we have our meat. In Christ we have our drink. 
Well, if the brothers could come up and pass out the bread, a 
reminder that when we get to the wine, the juice is in the 
outer ring. The first hymn that we're going 
to sing this evening is hymn 192. You can stay seated, and 
we'll sing 192 to a familiar tune. To have been smitten and afflicted, 
see Him dying on a tree. Tis the Christ I have rejected, 
yes, my soul disease is healing. "'Tis the long-expected prophet, 
David's son, and David's Lord. By his Son God now hath spoken, 
"'Tis the true and faithful word. "'Tell me, ye who hear him roaming, 
was there ever ♪ Caused it slowly, those exalting 
his distress ♪ ♪ Many heads were raised to rule him ♪ ♪ None were 
interposed to save him ♪ ♪ But the deepest stroke that pierced 
him ♪ ♪ Was the stroke that justice gave him ♪ O suppose we, O great, Hear and 
view its nature mightily, Near its guilt may estimate it, Are the sacrifice appointed? See who bears the awful load. Tis the word the Lord's anointed, 
Son of man and Son of God. Here we have the firm foundation, 
here the refuge of the lost. Christ, the rock of our salvation, 
is the name of which we boast. Lamb of God for sinners wounded, 
sacrifice new, cancel guilt. None shall ever be confounded, 
who on him their hope hath built. Amen. In Matthew 26, at verse 26, we 
read, And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and 
broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat, 
this is my body. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, 
we thank you for the fact that we can now take of this bread. 
We rejoice in what it represents. we thank you knowing that it 
represents the broken body of the Lord Jesus Christ that upon 
Calvary's cross he bore in his own body our sins upon that tree 
that we having died to sin might live for righteousness and we 
thank you for his death upon the cross we know that we are 
not saved by our own deeds of righteousness but solely and 
alone by the deeds of Christ and we thank you for that work 
of obedience upon Calvary's cross, wherein He took the punishment, 
do all those who believe. We pray now that as we partake, 
we would reflect with great joy upon the doing, the dying, and 
the rising again of the Son of God. We pray in His most precious 
name. Amen. Let's take together. You can stay seated and turn 
in your hymn books as the brothers come up to pass out the wine, 
a reminder that the juice is in the outer ring. We're going 
to sing hymn number 186. That's 186. You can stay seated. When I surveyed the wondrous 
cross, On which the Prince of Glory died, ♪ My richest king I count but a 
dose ♪ ♪ And more contempt on all my pride ♪ ♪ For it o'er 
that I should boast ♪ Save in the death of Christ my 
God, all the weak things that charm me most, I sacrifice them 
to thee. His head, His hands, His feet. Sorrow and love flowing no doubt. There's such love and sorrow 
♪ O'er th'arts now glow so rich 
of brown ♪ ♪ Were the old Elm of nature thine ♪ ♪ That were 
a present far too small ♪ It's so divine, deep as my soul, 
my life, my all. In Matthew 26, we continue reading 
at verse 27, Then he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave 
it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you, for this is my 
blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission 
of sins. But I say to you, I will not 
drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when 
I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom. And when they 
had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Amen. 
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you 
now that we can take of this wine, we rejoice in what it represents, 
the blood of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. As we reflect 
upon the biblical witness as it testifies to this fact, without 
the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. We know 
that there is no hope and there is no strength in anything unless 
we are covered by the blood of the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
Only therein do we find the forgiveness and the remission of sins. And 
we thank you that having been found, having been saved by virtue 
of the shed blood of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and so 
receiving the forgiveness of sins, we thank you that we can 
now partake of this emblem, this symbol, And we do pray that we 
would, as we take, and even after, as we focus, and as we continue 
in worship, Lord, that we would reflect with great joy upon the 
shed blood of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's in 
His name that we pray, amen. Let's take together. Well, let's stand together and 
sing a familiar tune. And when we gather together for 
the Lord's Supper, 175, Man of Sorrows, what a name for the 
Son of God who came. Let's stand and sing together, 
175. ♪ Can the sorrows quite die in 
♪ ♪ For the Son of God who came? ♪ ♪ Ruined sinners to reclaim 
♪ ♪ Hallelujah, what a Savior! ♪ ♪ There in shame and scoffing grew 
♪ ♪ In my place none empty stood ♪ ♪ Still my pardon with his 
blood ♪ ♪ Hallelujah, what a Savior! ♪ ♪ Guilty, vile, and helpless 
be ♪ ♪ Spotless Lamb of God ♪ All eyes open, and in me, Alleluia, 
what a Savior! When up was He to die, His finish 
was His pride. Now in heaven exalted lie, Alleluia, 
what a Savior! Then he comes, our glorious King, 
All his ransomed home to bring. Then a new day's song we'll sing, 
Alleluia! What a Savior! Ah! Now may the God of peace who 
brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd 
of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 
make you complete in every good work to do His will, working 
in you what is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, 
to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Heavenly Father, 
go with us now. We rejoice in the fact that we 
are able to gather on the Lord's Day Sabbath to worship Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit and to reflect upon the riches and the excellencies 
of Jesus Christ. We do pray that you go with us 
into this upcoming week that having been saved by grace alone, 
through faith alone, in Christ alone, that we would, by Your 
aid, seek to live in light of our calling by grace, that we 
would live in light of so glorious a gospel. We do just pray that 
You would strengthen us by Your Spirit to do so, and that we 
might even throughout this week, each and every day, rejoice and 
reflect upon the glories of our Savior, His doing, His dying, 
His rising again. So do go with us now, and bring 
us back again in a week's time to do this all again, that we 
might render unto you the honor and the praise that is due your 
Most High Name. And we pray in the name of our Savior, the Lord 
Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, please be seated. We'll 
have a brief time of prayer, and then when the piano's finished, 
you're dismissed.