35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered … “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”
Jesus did not respond.
36-37 The soldiers also came up and mocked him… and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
Jesus did not respond.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
Jesus did not respond.
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus responded.
As I read passage today I found the various peoples responses to Christ amazing.
The Ruler – Judgment
Look first at the ruler’s sneering response. Their responses were based in judgment. They felt superior to Jesus.; He was messing up their long standing traditions and the status and clout they had attained through their lineage. I wrote about my struggle with judgment in a previous blog called “Bumper Stickers.” Judgment = Pride
The Soldiers – Doubt
Next look at the soldiers response. Their mocking was based in doubt of who he said he was… “If you are the king of the Jews…” In Matthew 4, Jesus is tempted by the devil during his 40 day fast. Two of the three temptations specifically begin with “If you are the Son of God…” The devil is certainly consistent. We see in Genesis while engaging in conversation with Eve, his tactic is creating doubt about what God really said and what he would really do.
Genesis 3:1-5 (NIV) Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
The enemy never changes… He the the original FUD machine (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) and he never shys away from throwing it onto our pride. How does Pride relate to doubt, you ask? When we doubt what God says (what He says about who and what we are, what He says that He will do, what He says about He is, …) then we think we are smarter and know more than Him… Doubt = Pride.
The 1st Criminal – Selfish Motives
This passage does not differentiate between the crimes of the two criminals. All we know is that they are both going to be executed with Christ. I think this speaks volumes about us. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done. There is no “little sin” or “big sin”. Sin is Sin. It is all unholy and putrid to the nostrils of God. The only differences we see in the criminals, in this passage, is the attitude of their hearts.
Jesus said in Matthew 12
33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
The first criminal was only concerned with getting out of the mess he had gotten into. He was getting his just rewards and deserved consequences. He wasn’t truly confessing that Jesus was the Christ, he was double-dog-daring him to prove it! He was only being selfish.
I know I’m guilty of throwing up the “flare prayers”, as I call them. “God… please, please, PLEASE get me out of this mess I have gotten into! I know I should have (listened to you, heeded the warning signs, prayed about this first, fill-in-the-blank), but I didn’t and I need you to bail me out… AGAIN!”
James 4:3 “When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives…”
Selfishness is an easy attitude for us to take… Selfishness = Pride.
The 2nd Criminal – Humility
James 5:16 says we are to “… confess your sins to each other…” and 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” In his rebuke of the first criminal, the 2nd Criminal confesses is guilt and unworthiness. He cries out for mercy hanging from the cross. And Jesus responds.
Take aways:
- Am I exhibiting pride in any form of judgment, doubt, or selfish motive?
- What is overflowing out of my heart? What words are coming out of my mouth?
- Will I be acquitted or condemned by the words I speak? What am I speaking without my mouth?
- Is Jesus responding or is he not responding?
Running After Papa…