The Message of the Three Crosses

 

Have you ever wondered why there were three crosses that fateful day and what was the significance of each? I hope you'll never look at the three crosses the same way again after today. 

 There was a hill just outside the city of Jerusalem known as Golgotha, which is often translated today as Calvary. Long ago the Roman soldiers raised three crosses on this hill and what happened next changed the world! 

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”-Luke 23:32-34a

Most people like to focus on the center cross, but today, I'd like us to focus on all three, for each is very significant. 

“Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.’ But the other, answering rebuked him, 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.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you today you will be with Me in Paradise” -Luke 23:39-43

The First Cross was The Cross of Rejection 

"...one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If you are the Christ, save yourself and us.’

IF!? 

Such a small word, but so powerful here in this statement, for it holds the power to destroy a soul. It's clear in this thief's statement that his sins did not bother him even though he is about to die. He wasn't sorry for all he had done, but was simply searching for a way out of his predicament.  

Jesus, Himself was very clear when He said, "  “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6)

John once admitted in his gospel that there was plenty of evidence to point to Jesus as being the Messiah,  “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30,31) Yet men still reject Him in spite of the evidence even today. 

Max Lucado once wrote:

“You don’t turn your back on Christ, but you don’t turn toward him either.
You don’t curse his name, but neither do you praise it.”

Rejecting Jesus can seem very subtle at times, but The Bible is very clear- we are either for Jesus or against Him. We either believe or we don't believe. There has never been any middle ground. 

The Second Cross was The Cross of Repentance 

"But the other, answering rebuked him, 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.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ 

Notice this thief's faith and reverence in Jesus' presence in spite of all the pain he is in. He begins by recognizing Jesus as who He is,  “Do you not even fear God?”

• And then immediately admits his own guilt when he says, “We receive the due reward of our deeds.”
• He expresses his belief that Jesus was suffering “wrongfully”. But “this Man has done nothing wrong.”
• He then openly confesses Jesus' deity when he calls Him “Lord.”
• And lastly, we see genuine repentance and humility, “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

Here on this second cross is the perfect picture of repentance, for repentance is simply a change of heart. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says it best: “For godly sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation..." (AMP)

The Third Cross was The Cross of Redemption 

"'And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you today you will be with Me in Paradise'” 

Someone once said that the greatest thing about this day is that there wasn't any miracles preformed that day. Jesus took on the weight of all our sins and died; paying sin's penalty for each of us. Here we have the picture of redemption. 

Jesus our Redeemer dying for the sins of the world. By His blood only we can be brought back to God. Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

It was a cross of suffering. Isaiah 52:14 tells us, "Just as many were appalled at Him—His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man, and His form was marred beyond human likeness" (emphasis mine)

A cross of shame and reproach reserved for the vilest of criminals, and Jesus suffered the mocking and verbal abuse of the people who had come to witness His crucifixion that day.

Our Lord was under no obligation to pay our debts for all we have done. Someone had to suffer for sin, so he was willing. Peter reminds us, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the un-just, that He might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit”- 1 Peter 3:18

Why would Jesus choose to give up all the glories of heaven to come down to this sinful earth to die for our sins? 

I believe John said it best in  1 John 4:9-10, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

Each one of us must choose the cross we will look to, for along with the two criminals on either side of Jesus, we too must choose between two eternal destinies:

• Eternal separation from God.
• Or Paradise with Jesus

I pray you too will hear your Savior say, "One day you shall be with Me in paradise."

Blessings, 

Sue