He's with Me — E.A. Johnston

The Crucifixion at Calvary

I want to pick out our narrative today, friends, in the Gospel of Luke. You may turn in your Bibles there now. We will be in chapter 23, beginning in verse 33. And it is here, in this striking passage of Scripture, that we have the account of our Lord's crucifixion.

But something transpired in this narrative of the cross, which can bring hope to us today. Here now is the Word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord attend the reading of His Holy Word. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the male factors, one on the right hand and the other on the left.

Let me pause here, friends, to say, picture in your mind that terrible scene on Calvary's hill. I'm sure you've seen paintings of artist's renditions of those three crosses there. The two condemned criminals alongside Jesus, one on His right hand, the other on His left.

They were guilty of their crimes and deserved punishment for them. But the man in the middle, the Christ on the cross, was not guilty of any crime. He was falsely accused, wrongly tried, and cruelly treated for being an innocent man.

Yet, he is there, wedged between two common criminals. He's stripped naked as the other two. He's crucified in the same grisly manner as the other two men, but he wears a crown of thorns. Above him is a sign that reads, This is the King of the Jews.

It was a terrible scandal to be crucified. The shame of it was public humiliation, and the pain of it was the most excruciating death. It was scandalous to all who beheld that scene. Let us return to our text.

Jesus' Prayer for His Enemies

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they parted as raiment and cast lots. Let me say this, friends. These base Roman soldiers, who had driven the nails into his tender hands and feet as they fastened him to that cross, now are engaged in a game of craps, gambling for his garment, if they only knew who it was that hung there above them, the Son of God himself, who has power to save.

Human Sinfulness and Christ's Substitution

It's a portrait of fallen man in his worst posture, for man is born with a ruined nature and a bent toward sin. Job declares, How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drank at the iniquity like water.

That simply means man can't get enough of sin. But here on the cross is the sinner's substitute, who becomes a curse for us by taking our filthy rotten sins on him. Listen, friend, I know I am a sinner, and I need a substitute for sin.

And so do you, friend. So do you. Well, let's continue to look at this amazing scene of Christ on the cross. And the people stood beholding, and the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others, let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.

The Mockery of Jesus by Religious Leaders and Soldiers

Well, here is made mention of the Jewish religious rulers. They're the ones who falsely accused him. They're the ones responsible for putting him to death. And what do these religious leaders do? They mock him.

They taunt him. They ridicule him. There's nothing worse than a lost religious man full of self-righteousness and full of the devil. But they weren't the only ones mocking Jesus. And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew. This is the king of the Jews. And one of the male factors, which were hanged, railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

Do not only do we have the Jewish religious leaders mocking Jesus and the Roman soldiers mocking Jesus, even the condemned man hanging beside him is mocking Jesus as well. It's as if all hell has come against him.

But do you know what, friend? The world today mocks him as well. You just go out in public today and begin to share your faith in Christ and try to tell someone about Jesus. And many will mock you as well.

You try living as a godly Christian in a hell-bent society and you'll face persecution as well. Satan still hates the name of Jesus. And so does this sinful world. But here is where the narrative takes on a personal tone that I want us to see today, friends.

The Repentant Thief and the Fear of God

Notice the next verse. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Does not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this man hath doth nothing amiss.

So this thief on the cross rebukes his fellow sufferer. He says, So much in effect. What's wrong with you, man? You're in the same predicament as this Jesus. Why don't you have any fear of God in you since you're facing a criminal's death?

We deserve to be here for our crimes. But this man is innocent. Where's your shame? Have you lost your mind mocking him? Now, look, friends, what happens next in our text? He said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

And Jesus said unto him, I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. I will stop there. I am reminded of a story about a man traveling through the city of St. Louis, and it's a Sunday, and he's a Christian.

So he parks his car at a downtown church and goes inside to worship. Once he's in there, he realizes he's the only white person in an all-black church. So he takes his seat on the back row. Up on the platform is the well-dressed elderly pastor who is speaking on a subject for that Sunday morning.

His subject is heaven. He begins his sermon by saying, some folks call heaven paradise. Other folks call it Abraham's bosom. I like to think of heaven this way. Here is Jesus, just returned from his earthly ministry.

He stands there at the pearly gates, and old Gabriel greets him. Hello, Jesus. Sure is good to see you, Jesus. We sure missed you up here, Jesus. Sure is good to have you home, Jesus. But wait, who's that with you?

Is that that thief from the cross? Oh, no, sir. We can't have no thieves up here. He's not welcome here. Jesus replied, never you mind, Gabriel. Never you mind. And just then, Jesus put his arm around the thief and declared, he's with me.

I like that story, friends. Don't you? It's so true that there's nothing in me good enough to get me into heaven. My best works are but dirty rags in the sight of a holy God. My only hope is to behold that blessed Savior on that cross and believe on him.

Salvation Through Christ's Blood

It's when Christ's life is laid down and applied to me, then my sins are washed in his blood. When Jesus can say to the Father, he's with me. Look at that man on the cross, friend. Look at that bloodstained Savior from sin as he's hanging there with his arms outstretched, beckoning you to come to him and believe on him.

Look at that blessed man on the cross, friend. When all is against him, his love flows out to a world of guilty sinners. The cross is the place where wicked men sought to get rid of him. But by his death, it becomes the place where his saving power flows out to all who come in repentance, confessing they are sinners and own him as Savior and Lord.

If you've not trusted this blessed Savior, receive him now. But before it's too late, soon he will come in judgment on this world when his anger shall burn as an oven, and then you shall meet him as your judge.

The Gospel Invitation to Come to Christ

Repent before it's too late, friend. The gospel is for the hungry, the weary, and the thirsty. Are you hungry for God? Are you weary of your sins? Are you thirsty for Christ? Then come to him and believe on him.

Jesus is the pearl of great price. We're selling all for Jesus. He's the only remedy and refuge for sin. Listen to this call. And the spirit and the bride say, come. And let him that heareth say, come.

And let him that is a thirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Would you be free from the burden of sin? There's power in the blood, power in the blood. Would you or evil a victory to win?

There's wonderful power in the blood. There is power, power, wonder work, and power in the blood of the lamb. There is power, power, wonder work, and power in the precious blood of the lamb.