 The title of our sermon this morning is It Is Finished. It is finished from the words of our Lord in John chapter 19 verse 30. And we have come now this morning to our text, John chapter 19, verses 17 through 30, and the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since the traitorous kiss of Judas in the garden, the narrative of John has been relentlessly building to this inevitable and foreordained end. In John chapter 18 verse 12, the large cohort of Roman soldiers together with the the temple police, the chief priests, the scribes, the Pharisees, arrested Jesus. They bound him and they led him away. Under the cover of night, under a shroud of darkness so to speak, his three-part Jewish or ecclesiastical trial began, if you could actually call it a trial. That trial would end at dawn in front of the Sanhedrin who would charge him with blasphemy and then sentence him to death. In John chapter 18 verse 28, Jesus was led away to pilot for what became a three-part Roman or civil trial, equally a travesty. And over the course of mere hours Jesus would be questioned, Jesus would be determined to be innocent, and yet savagely beaten, mocked, spit upon, scourged, and finally delivered over by the cowardly Roman prefect for crucifixion. So his ministry among the Jews has come to an end. The so-called trials have been completed. The Jews, the Romans, and this world have all rendered their final verdict against him. The hour of his death has come. As the Bible has said, those things which God foretold by the mouth of all his prophets, that the Christ would suffer, he has thus fulfilled. Him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, the Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of him. Behold, the Lamb of God slain from before the foundation of the world. See, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ was appointed to suffer and die. He came to die, not a natural death, not a death due to accident or injury or old age or disease, not because someone took his life from him against his will, it was determined, it was foreordained, it was decreed that he would voluntarily lay down his life at the cross. A shameful, excruciating death lifted up before sinners, suspended between heaven and earth, so to speak, numbered among the transgressors and cut off from the land of the living. Why? Why? Begs our remembrance. Paul says in 1 Timothy 1 verse 15, this is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptance that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. The angel told Joseph in Matthew chapter 1 verse 20, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit and she will bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus. Why? Why? For he will save his people from their sins. John the Baptist would point to Christ as the sacrificial lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Paul again in Romans chapter 5 verse 8, God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him while we were still sinners. Those words from Paul in Romans chapter 5 verse 8 provide a very dark context to the work of Christ while we were still sinners. We see that dark context as we walk through our text in John chapter 19. First in John chapter 19 verses 1 through 16 and now through John chapter 19 verses 17 to 30. We should be as we walk through these verses, we should be reminded and grieved by the depravity of man and we need to see the capacity for that level of depravity within our own fallen hearts. All men are depraved, all men are fallen, the wickedness, the malice, the hate, the anger, the blindness, the hearts of those men and the hearts of all men filled with murder, envy, deceit, covetousness, pride, foolishness, the blasphemy, the verbal and physical abuse heaped upon the Lord, the scoffing, the rebellion, the selfishness, the self-indulgence, the self-will, the cowardice. That defilement lies within the heart of every man, every woman, every child, every man, every woman, every child apart from the grace of God in Christ. We're born into it. We're born sons of Adam, born sons of disobedience, sons of wrath, sons of your father the devil and these texts reveal the depths to which sinful men will sink in order to run from Christ, in order to cast off his rule. So as we look at these texts in John chapter 19, it's easy to focus our attention on the depravity of man. It's laid out clearly before us. It's also easy to focus our attention in these texts on the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ. We see him in his suffering, the pain that he must have endured, the beatings, the scourging, the humiliation, the contemptuous treatment that he received at the hands of wicked sinners, the reviling, the spitting in his face, the scorn, stripped, bare, bleeding, weakened, unrecognizable, mocked, demeaned, dishonored, nailed to a cross. So it's easy for us to focus our attention on these aspects of the gospel narrative, the depravity of man, the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it's evident from Scripture that we must consider the depravity of man. We must consider God's diagnosis, if you will, of our own condition. We have to contend with that. We must acknowledge it. We must see the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the awful weight of our sin. And the worst of it we don't see. We don't see the wrath of God poured out full strength upon him. But those realities are meant to serve a much greater purpose. Those realities, more than simply displaying the depravity of man or the exceeding sinfulness of sin, those realities are intended in our text to magnify the glory of the Son of God. That's the context. This is the context in which the Lord Jesus Christ finishes his work to save sinners. This is the context in which the Lord accomplishes his victory. God demonstrates his own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. You see how those words magnify the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, right? Magnify his work, magnify his victory. Much more than having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. It's in this context. It's in the context of man's depravity and his suffering that the Lord declares in verse 30, it is finished. That's a victory cry. That's a triumph. In the abhorrent face of man's depravity, suffering such evil indignities at the hands of sinners, it's almost unimaginable, right? Bearing the wrath of God reserved for sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ perfectly fulfills all that he was sent to the earth to accomplish. Having loved his own who are in the world, he loves them to the very end. It is finished. The depravity of man, the suffering that he endured, it all serves to magnify the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The cross of the Lord Jesus Christ then is part and parcel with his exaltation. That's why we say, why we teach, the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is a part of his exaltation. Understanding these things, if you understand the context and you understand more Paul's statement in Philippians chapter 2 verse 8, him being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Doesn't that carry more weight when you understand what he endured? Therefore, therefore, verse 9, God also has highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. It is finished. It is finished. What does the it refer to? What does the it refer to? He fulfilled all righteousness, having become obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. He conquered sin and death. He condemned sin in the flesh. He atoned for the sin of his people. He put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. He made propitiation for the sins of the people. He satisfied the just wrath of a holy and just God. He reconciled us to God through his death. How much more than having been reconciled shall we be saved by his life? He redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. He redeemed us from the guilt of our sin. It's called expiation. He redeemed us from the power of sin. He disarmed principalities and powers, made a public spectacle of them, and triumphed over them. Now shall the ruler of this world be cast out. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. He wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to his cross. He was pierced through for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. He stood in our place as our substitute, the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. He purchased the new covenant in his blood. He himself is our peace. It is through him that the world has been crucified to me and I to the world, and he has secured for us an eternal inheritance, incorruptible and undefiled that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for us. It is finished at the cross. And now by the grace of God, by the grace of God, if you're in Christ, if you have had enough of living life for yourself, if you've turned from your sin, if you have turned from your sin and put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, then now by the grace of God, you and I, we've been crucified with Christ. It is no longer you who live. It's no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. John chapter 19 verses 17 through 30 isn't the historical account of a tragic defeat. John chapter 19 verses 17 to 30 is the record of the victory of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a triumphal victory. It is finished. As we work through our passage, as we look at these verses together, we want to consider together the final hours in the life of our Lord. And I want us to consider in those final hours, his triumph, his victory in terms of five headings. Let me give you an outline for this series of sermons from this text. Beginning in verses 17 and 18, we'll see it is finished at the cross. It is finished at the cross. In verses 19 to 22 on your notes, it is accomplished by the King. Verses 23 and 24, it is affirmed by the word. Verses 25 through 27, it is motivated by love. Verses 28 through 30, it is proclaimed in victory. Finished at the cross, accomplished by the King, affirmed by the word, motivated by love and proclaimed in victory. Let's begin with point one on your notes. It is finished at the cross beginning in verse 17, where John records that he, bearing his cross, went out to a place called the place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side and Jesus in the center. Now these first two verses, verses 17 and 18, John makes reference here to the setting of the events that follow. And in the setting, he mentions the path, the place, and the penalty. The path, the place, and the penalty. First, the path in verse 17. And he, bearing his cross, he went out. On verse 16, in verse 16, Pilate hands Jesus over to the Roman soldiers and they lead him away. These Roman soldiers would be responsible for seeing him to the place of execution, led away, as Isaiah says, as a lamb to the slaughter. As was customary at this time, the prisoner, bearing his guilt to the place of execution, would be forced to bear his own wooden cross beam. The upright section of the cross would have been prepared on site. The prisoner would have bore the weight of the wooden cross beam to the place of execution. So already now, having been scourged, they would have laid the heavy cross beam across the torn flesh of his lacerated back and they would have lashed it to his arms with ropes. Verse 20 tells us that the place of execution was outside the city, but near. It was near the city. So in very simple, very straightforward terms, John explains in verse 17 that he, bearing his cross, went out. He went out of the city along a path to the place of a skull. Now further details are provided for this in the synoptic gospels. Turn with me to Luke, Luke chapter 23. Luke chapter 23. We want to grasp the setting and we want to look at the setting's significance. Luke chapter 23. Look with me beginning at verse 26. Luke chapter 23 beginning in verse 26. You'll see the details that Luke adds here. Verse 26. Now as they led him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon, a Cyrenian. Cyrenea was an area north of Africa where Libya is today. That's the part of the world where Simon was known to have come from. And Simon was in town for Passover. He was one of the Jews that was coming into Jerusalem for Passover. He was coming in, it says here in verse 26, from the country. And on him, on Simon, they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. So now we know from John, from the synoptics that the Lord carries the cross beam himself for a time until he was simply unable to do so. And here the soldiers having ultimate authority over the people, the soldiers, yank Simon out of the crowd, a Cyrenian, and they recruit him to carry the cross for Jesus Christ. Matthew adds that they compelled him or they forced him to carry the cross. Now imagine with me the scene, the setting. Jesus hasn't had anything to eat or drink since dinner the night before with his disciples. He's been repeatedly beaten, brutally scourged, suffered blood loss, the mental anguish that he suffered. It was customary that along the path the flogging would continue. And so they continued to beat him, continued to flog him. They would flog him all the way to the execution site. And so he was severely weakened to the point that he just likely couldn't keep up the pace. The street too, the street would have been crowded with onlookers. Thousands, thousands had been packed into Jerusalem for Passover. And although there were thousands of Jews likely lining the path along the way to Golgotha, no Jew would have dared stoop to help him. He was a cursed of God in their eyes. He was a cursed. The Roman soldiers certainly would not have helped him. So what do the soldiers do? The soldiers enlist or recruit Simon. Simon here becomes forever a picture if you will of saving grace. In a sense, in a sense, think about it with me, in a picture, right, in a picture, Simon bears the weight of guilt, bears the weight of guilt to Calvary. Possibly unknown to Simon at that point in time that that guilt was his own. But then at Calvary, he transfers that weight to Christ, who bears it for him in death. You know, it's interesting that Mark adds that Simon was there with his sons, Alexander and Rufus. And we know from Scripture that Rufus later becomes a leader in a church. And there was a church planted in Cyrenea. As we continue in Luke chapter 23, look at verse 27. Luke adds that along the path in verse 27 that a great multitude of the people followed him, followed Christ and women who also mourned and lamented him. So it would have been a great multitude, a great multitude. Curious onlookers, those that just wanted to see this thing through, those that maybe stood in the courtyard of the Praetorium as he was accused and as he was charged, and now wanted to see him crucified. And there would have been some of those in the crowd sympathetic to him. Messianic hopes were high. Messianic expectations ran high. And so there were many, no doubt, that were disappointed or wanted to see what might happen. However, in verse 27, those women who mourned and lamented him likely referring to the ceremonial or official mourners that would have been their duty to follow him and mourn after him. It was their duty to mourn and lament. The word there for mourn means to beat your breast. They literally would, you know, walk through, bine, wailing out loud. That's the lament. It's a verbal wailing. They would wail and beat their breast. Look at verse 28, though. Jesus, though, turning to them said, daughters of Jerusalem, the daughters of Jerusalem refers to unbelieving Jews, unbelieving Jews. Turning to them, he said, daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. Stop weeping for me. I'm no victim here. I don't need your sympathy. He rebukes them essentially for their misplaced sympathy. And he says to them, weep for those who could really use your sympathy, yourselves and your children. Weep, tears of sorrow, tears of grief. Why? Why? Verse 29, judgment is coming. Judgment is coming. Verse 29, for indeed the Lord says, the days are coming in which they will say, blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore and breasts which never nursed. It was considered a curse in that day not to have children, to be barren. The Lord Jesus Christ is saying, judgment is coming. They're going to be saying, blessed are those who don't have children, wombs that never bore, breasts which never nursed. They will begin to say in verse 30, to the mountains, fall on us, to the hills, cover us. In other words, you would rather die than endure the sufferings that you'll experience in that day. Hosea said these words. Hosea said these words in reference to the judgment of the northern kingdom under the Assyrians. Here Jesus uses these same words, thinking ahead to the destruction of Jerusalem in 8070. They will begin to say to the mountains, follow us into the hills, cover us. Verse 31, for if they do these things in the greenwood, what will be done in the dry? It's a proverbs of sorts. It essentially is saying, if everything goes this bad when the circumstances are so good, what happens when the circumstances go bad? In other words, if the Romans do these things when you are blessed having me with you, having me among you, what will the Romans do to you when I have left you desolate and dry? It refers to the coming destruction in 8070. These very words used again in Revelation for the final coming judgment, the consummation of all things. The Lord Jesus Christ would say the same thing to you today. There are many that look at these texts, specifically here John chapter 19, Luke chapter 23, and they look upon the suffering of Christ with compassion. They look upon the suffering of Christ with pity, and yet they have never turned from their sin. They have a heart that otherwise is devoid of the things of God, no interest in the things of God. They're heartless and cold toward the things of God, but when they see the passion of the Christ, they'll weep. When they consider the suffering of Christ, they may weep. There have been many among the daughters of Jerusalem here that would have been sympathetic with the suffering that they saw the Lord Jesus Christ enduring, and yet they have never turned from their sin. They don't follow after Christ, and the Lord rebukes them. Your sympathies are misplaced. If you're here today, maybe this has been your experience from time to time. Maybe you've considered the suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ. You've considered the treatment that He endured at the hands of sinners, and it's moved your heart. Maybe you thought to yourself, wow, look at what He endured. Maybe you've shed a tear. We can have that kind of a sympathetic reaction, right? But if you've not ever turned from your sin to bow the knee to Christ, the Lord rebukes you this morning. He says that your sympathies are misplaced. Consider your condition. Put your sympathy where it needs to be on your self. Weep for yourselves. Judgment is coming. Paul would say, behold, you despisers, marvel and perish, for I work a work in your days, a work which you will not by no means believe, though one were to declare it to you. God describes the judgment that is coming in the Old Testament as one that would cause the ears of those who heard of it to tingle. Put your sympathy where it belongs on your own self, on your own heart, on your own soul. If you don't repent, turn from your sin and entrust yourself to Christ. If you don't trust Him, then you will perish. Judgment is coming. Even here as the Lord walks along the path toward His own crucifixion, He's thinking of the judgment that will come upon these people in just a few short years. Don't weep for me, the Lord says. Weep for yourselves. John chapter 19, verse 17, we see that setting along the path, His path to Calvary, those following after Him, those mocking Him, Simon carrying His cross. Next, consider with me the place, the place in verse 17 again. John chapter 19, verse 17, the place. He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the place of a skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha. The place was called the place of a skull. Likely refers to the topography of the place. Smooth, rounded hill, shaped like a skull. Interesting, the Latin word for skull is Calvaria. It's Calvaries. Where we get our English transliteration, Calvary. We refer to Calvary, we're referring to the place of a skull. The place. Finally, in verse 18, the penalty, verse 18, they crucified Him. It's a simple, indicative statement. Notice there's no description, no adjectives. They crucified Him, two others with Him, one on either side, Jesus in the center. When they arrived at Golgotha, Matthew and Mark add that Jesus was offered a drugged drink of wine mixed with myrrh. It was a known analgesic at the time. It would have doled the pain by doling his senses. The soldiers, so far we've seen this to be true, aren't known for their acts of sympathy or their acts of compassion during this process. So it's likely that the only reason the soldiers used this was to make their job easier. It subdued the person, which meant that there would be less resistance as they nailed Him to the cross. Jesus, by the verb used in Mark, repeatedly refused to take it. He repeatedly refused to take it. Nothing, nothing would be allowed to diminish the cup that He would drink. The Lord Jesus Christ embraced the cross. Nothing would be allowed to undermine His resolve. Nothing would be allowed to dampen His awareness. There was important work left to be done, important words left to say. John simply states in verse 18 that they crucified Him. It's interesting to note crucifixion was said to be developed by Darius the Mead. We've looked at him in our study of Ezra during small groups. Upon conquering Babylonia, Darius the Mead was said to have crucified 3,000 Babylonians. When Titus conquered Jerusalem just 40 years from now in 8070, we don't have an exact number of the crucifixions, but he crucified so many Jews in Jerusalem that they ran out of trees and ran out of locations for the crucifixions. John simply states that in verse 18 they crucified Him. Jesus coming to His crucifixion would be stripped bare once again, stripped. One said stripped of His honor as much as He was stripped of His possessions. The upright stake would have been about 10 feet long with a groove cut at the top of it to hold the cross beam. This means that the one crucified would hang just above the level of the ground, not far above the eye level of those who would be mocking and jeering and taunting, heaping scorn upon Him. The nails were five to seven inch spikes long enough to pass through bone and then deep into the wood to hold the weight of the body. The one crucified would hang and suffer there until released by death, and death often came slowly and usually by asphyxiation, they just couldn't breathe. The weight of the body hanging pressed air out of the lungs, made it very difficult to breathe. And so they were forced to raise themselves up in order to get air into the lungs. They were forced to raise themselves in order to catch a breath. But that small act of raising up was rendered extremely painful by the nails. It was a horrible death and excruciating death. If the death were too slow, it was often hastened by clubbing, stabbing, or poison. Roman practice at the time was for anyone to be crucified, their body would hang on the cross until it rotted. They're accessible to animals, insects, birds. But according to Deuteronomy chapter 21 verse 23, the Jews were required to bury their dead the same day to prevent the land from being defiled. Here we see the cross of Christ, stumbling block to Jews, foolishness to Gentiles, right? Foolishness to the Greeks. John adds that in verse 18 that they crucified two others with him, one on either side and Jesus in the center. These were two criminals, likely murderous insurrectionists like Barabbas. Mark adds in chapter 15 verse 27 that with him they also crucified two robbers. It's the same word used to describe Barabbas. Two robbers, two zealots, two insurrectionists, two murderous insurgents. One on his right and the other on his left. Mark continues in verse 28, so the scripture was fulfilled, which says, and he was numbered with the transgressors. All of this in fulfillment of scripture, right? Unbeknownst to those who were carrying out this heinous deed, scripture all the while being fulfilled, numbered with the transgressors, seen as just another criminal. The center here, he was placed in the center. Center was usually considered to be the place of honor, but here at his crucifixion it was considered the place of the greatest shame. Crucifixion was also a crude public spectacle. Crowds would have flocked to the crucifixion, mocking and taunting the one crucified. Look at Mark chapter 15 with me. Mark chapter 15, stripped bare, nailed to the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ hung there before the taunting, jeering, mocking, blaspheming crowd. Mark chapter 15, look at verse 27. With him, Mark says, they also crucified two robbers, one on his right and the other on his left, so the scripture was fulfilled, which says, and he was numbered with the transgressors. Those who passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying, aha, you who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross. If you think about this in its context, right? The scorn, the blasphemy, heaped upon Christ beginning with the Jews in the middle of the night, the night before, is still going on. It still continues. They are still at it. The blasphemy, the scorn, the humiliation, the shame, the mocking, the jeering, the taunting has been going on now for hours, for hours it's been going on. This is relentless, obsessive hatred. They continue to hurl insult at him, or hurl abuse at him. He goes on in verse 31. Likewise, in addition to these, the chief priests also mocking among themselves and not just the chief priests with the scribes. They said, he saved others himself. He cannot save. Let the Christ, the king of Israel, descend now from the cross that we may see and believe. They're just piling on, right? The mocking. His claims are absurd to them. They're ridiculous. They're willfully refusing to even consider them. And their desire, because of the hate that is in their hearts, fueled by envy, they desire to level against him as much contempt as they possibly can. They can't pour on him enough hatred, enough ridicule. The Lord is accused of blasphemy, and these people are the blasphemers. You know, one of the ways that you consider the text like this, and you consider what's going on in the setting, one of the ways in which the Lord Jesus Christ is glorified is in his restraint, right? He could call down fire from heaven and consume the adversaries, right? He could call 12 legions of angels. God could consume them in a moment. The Lord's patience, the Lord's patient perseverance, not willing that any should perish, that all of his own should come to repentance. Why doesn't he rain down fire upon them? Because he's taking raining fire upon himself. Let the Christ, the king of Israel descend now from the cross that we may see it and believe. You know, he does descend from the cross. He is taken down. He's put in a grave and three days later, he is raised from the dead. Do they believe? I have five brothers. Send someone back to them, right? Surely they'll believe if someone is raised from the dead, they have Moses and the prophets. If they don't believe them, they're not even going to believe the one were raised from the dead. Mark in chapter 15 records then something astounding regarding the two robbers crucified with him at the end of verse 32. Where he says here that even those who were crucified with him reviled him. Now think about that for a moment. All the jeering, all the taunting, all the mockery, all the scorn finally reaches even them. Listen, scorn, hate, mocking, all that is extremely contagious, obviously. It's like tuberculosis, kind of contagious. It reaches even them and they're so debased, so depraved. Imagine the scene. They're hanging on a cross, nailed there themselves for crimes that they themselves have committed and they're taunting him. They're jeering at him, blaspheming him. We can assume that they too have been scourged. They too have been beaten. Human wretchedness is contagious. This is shocking. It's deporably hateful. Every single group he's surrounded, dogs, he says, have surrounded me. Deporably hateful. Look with me at Luke chapter 23. Luke chapter 23. Such treatment at the hands of sinners. Such restraint, such grace, such mercy. It's shocking here, these two crucified robbers join in. Amazing. Look at chapter 23, Luke 23, verse 32, verse 32. There were also two others, criminals. They were 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 know, they do not know what they do. Just the grace and the mercy. And they divided his garments and they cast lots. Verse 35. And the people stood looking on, but even the rulers with them sneered that word is a word meaning they turned up their nose, right? They scrunched their you imagine the facial expression, right? They sneered at him. It was a nose gesture saying he saved others. You just hear the sarcasm in their voice, right? The contempt dripping off their lips. He saved others turning their nose up. 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 verse 39. One of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed him saying, if you are the Christ, save yourself and us. It's blasphemy, sarcasm, but then something absolutely miraculous happens in the power and grace and mercy of God. One of the thieves that had at first mocked him with all the rest. Look at verse 40. But the other answering rebuked him, rebuked that other thief 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. Miraculous. Think about it with me for a moment. This took place over a period of hours and at the beginning you have Mark reporting that both thieves taunting and jeering and mocking, heaping insults, blaspheming with all the rest. But here in Luke, at some point, the thief on the cross is converted. Listen, there's absolutely no other explanation for it. The thief on the cross convert, his heart was changed by the power, this is the power of the cross, right? The power of the cross. Jesus Christ having come to die for sinners. And here is a wretched, blaspheming, wicked sinner saved by the grace of God in Christ. It's astounding, right? Astounding. The conversion of a blasphemer conversion is a miracle of God. Conversion isn't a decision that you make. It's not a prayer that you pray. It's not an act that you perform. Conversion is a miracle of Almighty God where God takes the heart of stone, that blaspheming, wicked, hateful, spiteful, scornful heart, that rebellious heart that you've had in your chest, your whole life. God takes that heart of stone, that heart of concrete, that heart wrapped in barbed wire. He takes it out of your chest, and he gives you a heart of flesh, a heart of compassion, a heart of love, a heart that looks on Christ as precious, a heart that loves the Lord Jesus Christ, a heart here that sees the Lord Jesus Christ as innocent. Having seen the Lord Jesus Christ as innocent, it's a heart that acts on that understanding. He rebukes that other thief. Do you not even fear God? You're under the same condemnation. We deserve it. It's a heart that sees and acknowledges your own sinfulness, a heart that mourns and grieves over your guilt, that acts in accord with that. You acknowledge your guilt. He acknowledges his guilt. He rebukes that blaspheming thief. He acknowledges the innocence of Christ. Then look at verse 42, then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Having turned from his own sin, having turned from blaspheming the Lord, now to acknowledging the Lord as a Lord, as a Lord of glory. Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus said to him, oh, what grace, what mercy. Jesus said to him assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise. Consider those three crosses with me for a moment. Lord Jesus Christ in the center, two thieves, two corrupt, blaspheming, wicked, sinful, depraved thieves on either side of him, sinners, rank and file sinners, mind you, the same depraved heart in them that every man, every woman, every child is born with in Adam. Jesus Christ in the center, both thieves mocking, both thieves blaspheming, both thieves heaping insults, heaping abuse, both thieves rebelling against the Lord Jesus Christ, both thieves hell bent on living their own lives, both thieves destined to perish, both thieves bound for hell, both thieves knocking on the door of death, where their time is coming to an end, both thieves about to close their eyes in this life and then the judgment. Jesus Christ between them, both thieves by nature sinners, both thieves born of their father Adam, born sons of wrath, both thieves corrupt, defiled, offensive in the eyes of God. Lord Jesus Christ in the center, holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, perfect, righteous, having obeyed God and his just demands, fulfilling the just requirements of God's law to the point of death, even this ignominious death of the cross, all the way to the end, perfect, sinless, never sinned, not one sinful thought, not one sinful word, not one sinful deed, these two thieves reeking of sin, their sins stacked up to heaven, a stench in the nostrils of God, a stench to all those around them, a stench to us as we see their sin on the pages of scripture. And the Lord Jesus Christ, perfect, righteous, holy, just, undeserving of this treatment, perfect, both thieves on either side of the Lord Jesus Christ, guilt hanging over their head, the condemnation of the law, hanging upon them, everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law are cursed, they will die, spiritually dead, physically dead, one day fully cast into the lake of fire, which is the second death, guilt. They're merely awaiting their death, awaiting final execution, the guilt for their sin as a judgment, as condemnation hangs over their head, Jesus Christ on the cross in the center, no guilt, no condemnation, innocent, the only, the only innocent one, the only innocent person, the only innocent man to have ever lived born of a virgin, perfect, sinless, no guilt, no guilt, and something miraculous takes place. One of the thieves, one of the thieves acknowledges his sin, he acknowledges I am wretched and deserving of death, I'm deserving of everything that's coming upon me, I've done these things, I am guilty, guilt now hangs upon my head, condemnation now hangs over my cross, I will be judged by God, I'm going to go to hell when I die, he acknowledges his sinfulness and what does he do, what does he do, he turns from it, right there on the cross, turns from his sin, repents of his sin, I've done everything I've done is deserving of this death, Lord Jesus Christ has done nothing, he's innocent, no guilt, no condemnation, he's perfect, blameless, holy, what happens as the thief on the cross acknowledges his sin, despising the situation that he now finds himself in because of his sin, the thief on the cross turns to the Lord Jesus Christ, he turns to Christ and in faith, trusting Christ and in trusting himself to Christ he says, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom, he has absolutely no other hope, he has absolutely no other recourse, he has absolutely nothing else that can be done, he simply trusts himself to the Lord Jesus Christ and trusts Christ as his only hope of salvation, puts his faith in Christ, says Lord, Lord, he submits to him as Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom, what is that on the cross, that is repentance and faith displayed by the thief on the cross, Jesus said to him the promises of God, God faithful to his promises, Lord Jesus Christ says to him assuredly I say to you today, upon your death today, you will close your eyes in this life and you will be with me in paradise, you have the conversion of a blasphemer, what happened when that thief turned, he acknowledged his sin, he turned from his sin, he had a heart from God to despise his sin that evoked sorrow out of his wretched heart for his sin and when that thief turned from his sin and put his faith and trust in Christ, the guilt, the judgment that hung above his head, that hung above his cross was moved, at guilt moved then upon the Lord Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ as he hung there holy, innocent, harmless, undefiled, the Lord Jesus Christ bore the guilt, bore the punishment, do that thief and he took it upon himself and he paid that to the full, he took the handwriting and the requirements that were written against him that was contrary to him and he nailed it to the cross, propitiated or satisfied the wrath of God against him, the Lord paid his penalty and when that thief died there that day that thief was in glory with the Lord, it's amazing, amazing, it's a picture of true conversion, a picture of what happens when someone turns from their sin and puts their faith in Christ, what about you, what about you, where do you hang, if you've never turned from your sin, if you've never entrusted yourself to Christ, you know this morning where you're hanging and you know the judgment, the condemnation of sin still hangs above your head, if you've never mourned your sin, if you've never despised that filth that will send you to hell, if you've never turned from that to trust Christ alone and trust yourself to him, to submit to him as a Lord, if you've never turned to him then you know where you hang and the guilt of condemnation hangs above your head, doesn't have to be so, behold the mercy and grace of God in Christ to this wretched blasphemer, anyone here to whom the Lord has been gracious, anyone here who's been saved, they would attest they too were once blasphemous, guilty, wretched, defiled, corrupt, depraved, and that reality magnifies the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in his sacrifice here on the cross for sinners, it is finished at the cross, if you're here today and you're a genuine brother, you're a genuine sister, the Lord has done a work in your heart, you've seen a work of grace in your heart, you've turned from your sin, you've been converted like this blasphemous thief and how should we respond? Let me give you a text to consider, 1 Peter chapter 1 beginning in verse 17, to us Peter would write, and if you call on the Father who without partiality judges according to each one's work, then conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, knowing, knowing brothers, knowing sisters, that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but you were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, he indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for you who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory so that your faith and hope are in God, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear, we've been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, amen, amen, all glory, honor and praise to him who died for sinners, let's pray. Father in heaven, Lord thank you for this glorious account, this sacrifice that we see the Lord Jesus Christ make here on behalf of wretched deplorable depraved sinners, we praise you God for your grace and for your mercy, help us Lord to see it or give us fresh and more full understanding of these things that we as Peter would exhort us to do might conduct ourselves in a holy reverence and a holy fear of you live for you knowing that we weren't redeemed with corruptible things, things that pass away like silver or gold but we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, we love you Lord it is indeed to us precious, we praise you and thank you for your sacrifice upon Calvary for sinners, we love you Lord help us to leave here not merely being hearers of your word but doers for your glory God in Jesus' name amen