Series: The Man in the Mirror

Coastland revival centre /
Man in the Mirror 4 /
Like a Thief on a cross /

James 1:23-24 - Anyone who listens to the Word, but does not DO what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. /

SOOS ‘n DIEF AAN DIE KRUIS / LIKE A THIEF ON THE CROSS

1 Cor 13:12(NKJV) – 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

1Co 13:12 Want nou sien ons deur ‘n spieël in ‘n raaisel, maar eendag van aangesig tot aangesig. Nou ken ek ten dele, maar eendag sal ek ten volle ken, net soos ek ten volle geken is.

Luke 23:32-47(NKJV) – 32There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33And 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. +34Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots. 35And 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.” 36The SOLDIERSalso mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” 38And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

39Then one of the CRIMINALS who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” 40But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” 43And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, TODAY YOU WILL BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.”

Luk 23:39 En een van die kwaaddoeners wat opgehang is, het Hom gesmaad en gesê: As U die Christus is, verlos Uself en ons. Luk 23:40 Maar die ander een antwoord en bestraf hom en sê: Vrees jy ook God nie, terwyl jy in dieselfde oordeel is? — Luk 23:41 ons tog regverdiglik, want ons ontvang die verdiende loon vir ons dade, maar Hy het niks verkeerds gedoen nie. Luk 23:42 En hy sê vir Jesus: Dink aan my, Here, wanneer U in u koninkryk kom.

Luk 23:43 En Jesus antwoord hom: Voorwaar Ek sê vir jou, vandag sal jy saam met My in die Paradys wees.

INTRODUCTION:

Hundreds of years prior, Isaiah had prophesied of the vicarious death of the coming Messiah, signifying among other things the he was to be “numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).

A. This was Fulfillment of Prophecy Concerning Christ

1. There is no doubt that Isaiah referred to Jesus (Luke 22:37). Thus, the thieves present valuable evidence that Jesus was the Christ.

2. This does not mean that the thieves are to be commended; they were not forced to do what they did.

B. The fact that Jesus was numbered with transgressors did not make Him a transgressor.

1. He was the “friend of sinners and publicans” (Matthew 11:19; Luke 7:34). That is, He was numbered with them, but He did not participate in their sins or condone their evil in any way (cf. John 8:11).

2. Nevertheless, He died as though He were a transgressor because of our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5; 2 Cor 5:21).

3 KINDS OF PEOPLE: ( Who wants Him to prove He is the Christ)

  1. RULERS - Regeringsklas
  2. SOLDIERS – Werkersklas
  3. THIEFS – Minderbevoorregtes / Kriminele

Rom 3:23 …ALL HAVE SINNED …..but JESUS CAME FOR THEM ALL

3 LESSONS TO BE LEARNED:

#1. No one is ever too far-gone to be saved.

I once heard a story about a man who was an alcoholic. He would do anything to buy his booze. Then one day his son became very sick and if he didn’t receive a certain medicine he would die. So this man begged and pleaded for money to buy his son the medicine he needed, and when he got the money, instead of buying the medicine for his son, he went out and bought liquor. His son died, and at the funeral this man stole his sons’ shoes just so he could sell them and go out and buy more liquor, but eventually he hit rock bottom and God reached down and this man received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. You may have heard of him. His name was Mel Trotter and he became a great preacher, and missionary. We should never give up on anyone. This man hanging next to Jesus was a thief and a murderer, and who knows what else. The Apostle Paul persecuted and murdered Christians, and Peter denied the Lord three times, and yet God saved them all. And God can save you. It doesn’t matter what you may have done or been in your life. Jesus Christ came to save sinners.

#2. All that God requires from us is simple faith in His Son Jesus. We can’t earn salvation, we can’t ever be good enough, we can’t work for it, and we can’t buy it. In-fact no one could ever meet the requirements that God demands for salvation. No one except for God Himself. So God came in the flesh and He fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law, and then He paid for our sins by shedding His blood and dying on a cross two-thousand years ago, and all we have to do is believe that and put our trust in Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that were saved by grace, through faith, and not by works. In fact, if a person refuses to accept salvation solely on grace, what they are really doing is saying that what Jesus did was not enough to save them, that His blood is not sufficient, and that they can improve on God’s plan.

#3. We should never doubt God’s willingness to instantly and eternally accept us into His family. Jesus told the thief, “todayyou will be with me in Paradise.” When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you are immediately forgiven, accepted, eternally secure, and bound for heaven. Now there are a lot of humanistic, self help programs out there that really don’t like that too much. It’s just too simple and easy. But Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes to the Father, but by me.”Joh 14:6Jesus antwoord hom: Ek is die weg en die waarheid en die lewe; niemand kom na die Vader behalwe deur My nie.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRACE and MERCY - Grace is the receiving of something we DO NOT deserve (GIFT) while mercy is the NOT receiving what we DO DESERVE ( Punishment)

Here we find 2 thieves on each side of the MIRROR, and if they look in the Mirror, what do they see…

I. The Thieves - 3 Similarities

A. They were thieves. (ALTWEE DIEWE)

1. They robbed others to enrich themselves, violating the laws of God and man (Matthew 27:38, 44; Mark 15:27). Luke uses the term “malefactors” (Luke 23:32-33, 39).

2. In contrast, Jesus deprived Himself to enrich others (2 Cor 8:9).

B. They were revilers.(ALTWEE KWAADSPREKERS) (Mocking; Insulting)

1. They reviled the sinless Christ, along with the rest (Matthew 27:44; Mark 15:32).

a) Some say there is a contradiction between the gospel writers (cf. Luke 23:39).

b) Evidently they both reviled Jesus at first, but one changed his mind.

2. In contrast, Jesus reviled not again (1 Peter 2:23).

C. They deserved death.(DOOD VERDIEN)

1. They were condemned by civil decree (Romans 13:1-4). Also, they were deserving of the punishment God will inflict on all evildoers (Romans 2:8-9; Hebrews 10:28-29).

2. In contrast, Jesus was a doer of good (Acts 10:38) and totally innocent of evil (Luke 23:14, 22; 1 Peter 2:22; Hebrews 4:15).

III. The Thieves – 3 Differences

LINKERKANT / LEFT / REGTERKANT / RIGHT
  1. One is untouched in the presence of divine goodness (Luke 23:39).
/ A. One is touched and moved in the presence of the dying Savior (Luke 23:40-42).
  • He goes deeper in sin by railing against the Lord.
/
  • He came under conviction

  • He refuses to listen to the words of his dying comrade.
/
  • He acknowledged his own sinfulness and he proclaimed the innocence of the Lord.

  1. THERE WAS NO PENITENCE - Rom 10 – No change of heart and NO confession
/
  1. There was PENITENCE= Pleaded With Jesus

When This Man looked into the mirror
  • He did not deserve to die on the cross
  • He was not a law breaker
  • He was not a sinner
  • He would not be judged and go to hell!
/ When This Man looked into the mirror
  • He did deserve to die
  • He knew was not a law breaker
  • He confessed was a sinner
  • He was ready to be judged

C. HE DID NOT BELIEVE or EXPECTED the COMING of an eternal Kingdom - / C. The wise thief had an expectation of the coming eternal kingdom (2 Peter 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:50; 2 Timothy 4:18).
He met death with a hardened and impenitent heart. This brings tragic results (Rom 2:5). / He met death with an altogether different heart. This brings marvelous and glorious results (Numbers 23:10).

Rom 2:5 Maar ooreenkomstig jou verhardheid en onbekeerlike hart vergader jy vir jou toorn as ‘n skat in die dag van die toorn en die openbaring van die regverdige oordeel van God

Rom 2:5 But by your callous stubbornness and impenitence of heart you are storing up wrath and indignation for yourself on the day of wrath and indignation, when God's righteous judgment (just doom) will be revealed.

V. Jesus Responded To The Penitent Thief

"Today you will be with me inparadise." (Luke 23:43)

  • PAUL writes - "And I know that this man -- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows -- was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell." (2 Cor 12:3-4)
  • JOHN - "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in theparadiseof God." (Revelation 2:7)

A. Jesus proved the existence of a place called “paradise” for the righteous after death.

  • He did not say that the thief would sleep in death until he would some day be with Him in paradise.
  • 2. Jesus referred to “Hades,” where He also went after His death (Acts 2:27-32).

a) The word “paradise” is of Persian origin.

(1) It originally meant a garden and particularly a garden of pleasure, filled with trees, shrubs, fountains and flowers.

(2) In hot climates these gardens were particularly pleasant; and therefore they were attached to the mansions and palaces of nobility and of the rich.

b) The word came to denote any place of happiness and then to denote the abode of the blessed after this life passes away.

  • It is also analogous to “Abraham’s bosom” in Luke 16:22.
  • We know that “paradise” was not heaven because of His statement to Mary Magdalene (John 20:17).

OTHER THINGS JESUS TAUGHT

  • Jesus taught that when we die in the Lord, we will be with Him in eternity (Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 22:14).
  • Jesus taught:

a) Man has a immortal soul (Matthew 10:28).

b) The soul exists in Hades after death (Luke 16:19-26).

c) He would survive the grave (John 2:19-21; Matthew 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19; 26:31-32). - Even the enemies of Jesus knew this (Matthew 27:63-64).

d) He would one day call forth all the dead to a general judgment and eternity in heaven or hell (John 5:28-29).

John 11:25-26(NKJV) – 25Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Joh 11:25 Jesus sê vir haar: Ek is die opstanding en die lewe; wie in My glo, sal lewe al het hy ook gesterwe;

Joh 11:26 en elkeen wat lewe en in My glo, sal nooit sterwe tot in ewigheid nie. Glo jy dit?

Rev 2:5 Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God's will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent.

Rev 2:5 Onthou dan waarvandaan jy uitgeval het, en bekeer jou en doen die eerste werke. Anders kom Ek gou na jou toe en sal jou kandelaar van sy plek verwyder as jy jou nie bekeer nie.

Conclusion. The thieves on the crosses are typical of two classes of people today (cf. Acts 17:32). We need to consider which class we are in. One is impenitent who is untouched by the preaching of the cross. These people are hardened and will not repent even in the face of death. The other is the penitent who breaks down by the sight of a suffering Savior. The wise thief took advantage of his opportunity. There was nothing else he could have done, but he had such a humble attitude of heart that he would have done anything the Lord required. So which class are you in? Will you not repent and comply with the simple terms of the gospel (Acts 3:19)?

IF YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR ; WHAT DO YOU SEE ?

Act 3:19 "Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you,