The Three Crosses

The death of the only sinless and perfect Man by cruel and sinful hands was the most important event in human history.  All other events pointed toward that one, and from it all other events have been dated.

There was a barren hill called Calvary just outside the north gate of Jerusalem; it was shaped like a human skull and had three awful crosses standing on it.  The God-Man was dying on the middle one – this is the central event in all the history of mankind.  Jesus’ trial by Pilate is over now.  Pilate, the Roman governor, found no fault in Jesus and wished to have Him released; but the bloodthirsty mob, incited by the priests and Pharisees, screamed for Jesus’ blood and death.

Pontius Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but he didn’t have the guts to render Jesus justice; and so Jesus was condemned to death, while Barabbas, the criminal, was released.  The Savior was mocked by the vicious multitude that followed Him; they smote Him and spit upon Him.  The rough soldiers pressed down the crown of thorns on His head.  Jesus climbed up Calvary’s hill beneath the weight of the Cross.

THE FIRST CROSS:  On the first cross a thief was nailed.  He railed upon Jesus; he cursed the Son of God even in the face of death.  The sinfulness and depravity of human nature spewed from his mouth.  He was blinded to the beauty of Christ; his ears were deaf, and his conscience was dead.  Men in their natural state are sinful, selfish and depraved, and this man on the left cross went into eternity with his sin on him and unforgiven.  He never did repent.  Salvation was there for him, but he refused to take it from Christ.  The very Son of God Himself was right there by him, almost in reach of his hand, but he hardened his heart and went down to death and Hell with his soul unwashed and black with sin. The lost thief - He died in his pride; he died like a man, he bravely went to hell.  Does that make him a man?  He cursed Jesus, mocked and made fun of Him.  He rebelled against God, he shook his fist in God’s face.

THE SECOND CROSS:  The Lord Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, died there for your sins against God, He died to provide a perfect payment and atonement for human sin, He died as the Substitute and Savior of sinful men.  The Lamb of God’s atonement was eternal and complete.  God’s atoning love and mercy was demonstrated on the Cross that day.  The Cross is the heart and kernel of Christianity.  *John 3:14; 12:32*  The only power which can truly draw and change the sinful human heart is the attractive and regenerating power of the Cross of Christ.

In every heart there is a Garden of Eden, and there comes a time in every life when each man chooses the things which are not in keeping with the will and word of the holy God.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.  *Isaiah 53:6*  For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  *Romans 3:23*

It is not our individual sins that condemn us, but our sin nature which produces spiritual death.  It is not the outward act of our sin but the inner filthiness, our inward sinfulness, alienation, and separation from God which causes the eternal destruction of our soul.  All of our wrongdoing, springs from the deep roots of our SIN and depraved nature deep within our hearts.  This dark nature deserves God’s eternal punishment.  If our sinful natures are unchanged by God’s grace, then the endless punishment of God’s wrath will be visited upon our soul.  Divine wrath is what we truly deserve, because our sin is infinite and our wrong and evil attitude toward God’s nature and holiness deserves eternal punishment and death.

We cannot save ourselves any more than a man can pull himself out of a miry swamp by tugging at his own bootstraps.  We are weakened and corrupted in judgment, affection, and will, and the best that we would ever be able to do could never pay the debt we owe to God’s divine justice.

So sinful man needed a sinless Substitute and Savior unless he was to be forever and hopelessly lost in SIN.  God’s law was righteous, just and good, but man could not fulfill the law because of his moral weakness; and so Christ came to fulfill the Law perfectly for us, and then shed His sinless blood as our Substitute and Redeemer from the guilt and the power of sin.  *II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:24*

THE THIRD CROSS:  The penitent thief railed on Jesus at first, but then a miracle of grace started working in his heart.  He told his buddy to shut up and give Jesus a break.  He feared God, he realized Jesus was a King, and called upon Him for mercy and was saved instantly.  He called on the Lord with the right heart, and went to be with Jesus in paradise.  The saved thief only spoke 41 words and went to Paradise.  Those words caught the ear of the Savior, make sure your words gain Jesus' attention, call upon Him in truth from the heart.

Crucifixion was the worst kind of public execution.  The penitent thief cried out to the Lord, and Jesus heard him. One thief, he said the right words, but had the wrong heart.  There were two thieves, both were guilty, both were condemned, both were sentenced to die on the same day.  One retains his pride, he curses God, He dies like a man, goes to hell, BUT WAS IT WORTH IT?

What is the value of pride anyway?  Everyone of us have it. Pride is always there.  Even if you’re saved, you are battling pride all the time.  Why do we keep it?  We all do.  What is the value of pride?  It started with the devil, it is promoted by the devil, it destroys lives, homes, churches, countries, your soul.

Hey, we’re all going to die and face judgment. Worldlings say this, "I live like a man, I’m going to die like a man, I don’t any of that sissy God stuff.  You have to be a wimp to be a Christian.  I’m not afraid of God or hell."

But does Sin make you a big man?  Smoking, drinking, chasing women.  Any wimp can sin.  You’re not a man because you smoke. Only addicted people smoke.  Any wimp can sin.  Awwww, but I’m a man, I like to look at dirty pictures.  But loose living and rebellion doesn’t make you any more of a man, rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.  Rebellion makes you a devil worshipper.  You're like a ant on a railroad track that shakes his fist at the train, and tauntingly says, "Hey get off my track!"

You can go to hell, with full head knowledge of scriptural salvation, and that will make you a fool.

Jesus was in the middle.  One thief died in pride and in his sins, and one thief humbled himself and called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  You are one of these thieves right now.  Will you rebel and die like a man, shaking your fist at God, and go to hell forever?  Or will you humble yourself, and turn to and trust to Jesus in faith and repentance.

Now listen carefully – I have five minutes to live, I cannot move, or be moved, I have no money or possessions, I cannot read or write, I am guilty of sin.  Here’s the question – How can I get rid of my sins, and go to Heaven?  Religion doesn’t have an answer, but Jesus has the answer.

The contrite thief believed the word of God.  He believed Romans 3:4.  Let God be true, but every man a liar. Hey, do you believe the Bible?  If you do not believe the Bible, you CANNOT get your sins forgiven.  Muslims can’t get their sins forgiven.  Soow do you get your sins taken away?  Jesus Christ is the word of God, John 1:1, Rev 19.  The word of God in the Bible, and Jesus Christ are the same.  You believe the word of God?  Science, superstition, religion, and tradition keep you from believing on Jesus.

Jesus says one thing, and your friend, family, priest, preacher, professors, friend or family say another.  Who are you going to trust with your soul and Eternity?  Darwin says something to contrary to the word of God.  Peer pressure – Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ, or your friend?

You must fear of God, that is the beginning of wisdom, the beginning of knowledge.  The penitent thief didn’t get any wisdom until the end of his life; it is never too late to start over; you have the opportunity to know the knowledge of God.  Without the fear of God, you will not understand what you read in the Bible.  You must fear and believe God, you will never get wisdom from God’s book until you fear and believe God.

He believed the Eighth Commandment – thou shalt not steal.  He admitted his crimes.  The impenitent thief says, "Awww, everybody sins, so what!  I don’t believe in hell, I’m not bad enough to go to hell.  God is love anyway, isn’t he?  Do you believe its wrong to steal?  Well, everyone steals sometimes in their life... Ha,ha,ha you’re crazy, there’s no hell, well, he will find out in just in a few minutes."

The penitent thief believed God was just in sending him to hell.  Most people that God is love.  God is love, but He is holy.

You can sweep a room, then look around, and if mom is not looking, you sweep it under the rug, but God Almighty cannot do that with your sins.   God knows all about your sins, at the judgment He will lift up the carpet.  Do you believe you deserve to go to hell?  Oh yes, I deserve to go to hell.

Any person can think, that heaven will not have Adolph Hitler or Paul there.  Hitler murdered people, and so did Paul.  But one went to heaven, the other one went to hell. Paul got forgiven for his murders of human beings.

He believed Rom 6:23, the wages of sin is death.  James 1:14 – bringeth forth death.

Real life troubles have a way of awakening you.  He was dying because of his sin.  He could not go to God’s kingdom in that condition.  He knew more about Truth than the Pope or Muhammad. He believed in the necessity of a sinless Savior.  Maybe he heard Jesus preach, or heal, or maybe he was at the trial and heard about this man. All religious leaders are sinners, they cannot help you, they choose to die for their own sins.  If you die for your own sins, you will go to straight to hell.

We are all in the same boat when it comes to sin.  If you are in quicksand, can someone in the sand with you say, can I help you.  We are all in the quicksand of sin.  I can’t help you, you can’t help me.  But I saw Someone standing on a solid rock one day, He had nail-pierced hands, and He offered to help me, I took His hand, I trusted Him, I believed on Him and cried out, "Help Lord, save me Lord."  And the Lord Jesus replied, "Today thou shalt be with me in paradise."  Do you believe in a sinless Savior?

He believed in Romans 10:13.  It wasn’t even written yet.  He’s going to die in five minutes.  Baptism was out of the question, good works were impossible, and giving to charity was impossible.  He cried out, "Lord save me, Lord remember me."  *Romans 10:13*

If a Jehovah Witness comes to your door.  Take your watch off, and say, "Suppose I have five minutes to live, and I want to have my sins forgiven, what do I do?  I have 4.30 min to live... I have 4 min to live.... I have 3.00 to live.... be baptized, join our church... They don’t have the answer, do you?

Salvation all boils down to this - crying out from your heart, "Lord Jesus, save me!"with the right heart.  Everything else is religion.  Are you saved, or are you religious?   You my believe religious people are wimps, you’re going to die like a man, well I’m not impressed.

The penitent believed in life after death.  What do you believe?  I believe a man makes his own heaven or hell while he is on this earth.  He has more wisdom and common sense than the pope or the professor.

Is this the penitent thief smarter than you?  He believed salvation was not of works or baptism. He believed in the resurrection, and in the second coming of Christ.

Christ Jesus loved you, and died in your place for your sins... I’m a sinner, If I got what I deserved, I should go to hell, and you would be right and I would be wrong, I believe that you died for my sins Jesus, I don’t believe doing good works or being baptized will do anything for me.

I am saved, I know for certain when I die, that I am going to heaven, that is the greatest thing you can know in the world.  Do you know your sins are gone?

The penitent thief believed in eternal security.  He believed you could know where you are going when you die. The impenitent thief died cursing God.  One day you will die.  How will you die, where will you go?  Are you rebelling against God?  Be wise now, humble yourself at the feet of Jesus Christ.

The greatest thing in the world to know is to know for sure when you die you are going to heaven.

Two thieves, both condemned, both were guilty, both died that day, one went to heaven, one went to hell. Where are you going when you die?

“A man there was, a real man,
Who once on Calvary died;
And streams of blood and water ran
Down for me from His wounded side.”

“If ever it should come to pass
That sheep of Christ could fall away,
My fickle, feeble soul, alas,
Would fall a thousand times, a day.”