Criminal Certainty:
Luke wrote an introduction to his gospel account. In this introduction Luke comments on the reason for this undertaking, “It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable friend of God (theophilus), so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed” (1:3-4).
Luke’s goal in writing to the “most honorable friend of God” was so that they would “know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.”
All four gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) indicate that Jesus was crucified with two others. Three of the accounts indicate that those two men were criminals. Two gospels indicate they were a specific type of criminal, i.e. marauders:
Matthew 27:38 “Two marauders (λῃσταί) were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.
John 19:18 “There they crucified him, and with him two others--one on each side and Jesus in the middle.”
Mark’s gospel account notes in 15:32b, “Even those who were crucified with Him were taunting Him,” but in Luke’s gospel we read that one was insulting Jesus while the other rebuked the slanderer saying in 23:40-41, “Don’t you fear God… since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Some have mistakenly taken this as contradictory evidence.
Remember that Luke is writing to the “most excellent friend of God,” not an individual, but a title Luke is giving to those whose approach to the idea, person, and work of Jesus is hospitable and friendly. Luke’s goal at the onset is to provide the “most excellent friend of God” with a certainty regarding the things “about which you have been instructed.”
Luke’s gospel is not intended to merely impart more information, but to provide the “friend of God” with a strong level of certainty about their faith in the person and work of King Jesus, our LORD and Savior.
So how does a criminal’s theology provide you with certainty regarding Jesus as God and Savior?
SIN & PUNISHMENT: Many people today - even those in Christian churches - have a non-biblical idea about sin and punishment. Many do NOT believe in: 1) the absolute corruption of humanity from our conception (Psalm 51:5), 2) our TOTAL inability to remedy that situation apart from divine intervention (Ezekiel 37), and 3) that God’s perfect standard of justice requires perfect payment (in Christ) or eternal punishment (Matt 25:46) for that sin.
Sadly, many people believe that God will forgive all of us and all we have to do is “try to live a good life.” They wrongly believe that “because God is love, He will forgive my sin and welcome me into heaven.” People emphasize the love of God and ignore the reality of His perfect standard of righteousness and His justice.
What did the criminal say in Luke 23:41-42? “We are punished justly, for we are getting what we require. But this man has done nothing wrong… Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
The criminal was not talking about a just punishment for his marauding, but for his attitude of rebellion and utter rejection of God. That’s what Paul was talking about when he wrote, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).
In a matter of a few hours this marauding criminal went from heaping insults on Jesus with the other criminal - to revering Him as the promised Messiah of God! That recognition is always accompanied with immediate and intimate immersion in identification!
This criminal was indistinguishable from his counterpart only moments before. But there on the Cross he heard Jesus pray for those who were crucifying Him saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
This ugly, broken, flawed, dysfunctional, deficient, and sin-riddled man was confronted with the reality he had denied and despised his entire life. This sinner who had selfishly sought independence and personal gratification his entire life was indistinguishable from the other criminal, but then he rightly recognized “we are getting what we require.”
The first thing that God does when we encounter Jesus Christ is to graciously confront us with REALITY: Sin & Punishment. We are all wretched selfish criminals from the moment of conception - blindly clinging to hope by the skin of our teeth. We are one blink of an eye from “getting what we require,” i.e. eternal punishment. One criminal was given the gift of faith to see that - and he was instantly convicted, castigated, converted and cleansed!
IDENTIFICATION: In that gracious moment of clarity, which came as a gift from God, one criminal called out to God as Messiah and Savior and said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”
Jesus’ response was emphatic, “I assure you! Today you will be with Me in paradise.” Much has been made of what “with me in paradise” means - and we miss Jesus’ emphatic point: “Today you will be with me…”
It matters not what you call the location: paradise, heaven, utopia, nirvana, etc.; what matters is that when that moment of clarity comes and we call out to Jesus - He hears us and assures us that from that moment on we will be forever be with our God and Savior!
We all, like the two marauding criminals, are hanging crucified alongside King Jesus our Savior. We are all sinful from the time of our conception. Along the way we can either hear His words of life and love that graciously awaken our souls to reality - or we can continue in sin and end up “getting what we require.”
Jesus has already asked the Father to forgive you for your sin and He paid the perfect price with His perfect life that the Father’s justice demanded. All that is left for you to do is respond in faith and, like the criminal, ask Jesus to remember you.
The reason for Christmas has always been so that He could emphatically respond, “I assure you! Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
As Luke intended, allow the words of our LORD and Savior, King Jesus, bring you certainty and unshakable assurance in Christ this Christmas season!
Merry Christmas!
-Kevin
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