170430 AM A Question from John the Baptist
| We Are Saved Like the Thief on the
Cross Jonathan Caldwell Many people are curious about the “thief on the cross.” The question is sometimes asked, “Can I be saved like the thief on the cross?” I used to be annoyed by this question and would answer, “No. You are not dying on a cross next to Jesus.” But it recently occurred to me that we are all saved like the thief on the cross. This man was a sinner. In Luke 23:41, the thief admits guilt to his crimes while noting Jesus’ innocence. There is nothing he can do to undo or fix his sins. He is completely reliant on the grace of Jesus Christ. We, too, are all sinners (Romans 3:23). There is nothing we can do to undo or fix our sins. We are completely reliant on the grace of Jesus Christ. Where we differ from the thief is in the knowledge of the conditions scripture lays down for those who would receive the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior. We must believe that Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 16:16). But this does not enable us to fix our sins. We must repent of our sins (Acts 2:38). But this doesn’t fix our past sins. We must be baptized (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). But physically, baptism is just getting wet. None of these things fix our problem of sin without the grace of God. So we must understand that we cannot simply say, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” To do so would be to ignore the rest of the New Testament’s teaching on salvation and our response to God’s love. But the same grace that saved the thief on the cross is what we so desperately need. It is that grace that makes our belief, repentance, and baptism effective. If you consider some of Jesus’ other statements, then you will recognize that we are the sinner with a cross. We are all sinners. And Jesus said that if we wish to go with Him, we must take up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23). By the grace of God, I can follow Jesus. By the grace of God, I can receive the forgiveness of sins. And by the grace of God, I can be with Him in eternity. TO DAYS OUTLINE A Question from John, the Baptist Matthew 11 :2-6; Luke 7: 18-23 Introduction: * Do you ever have moments of doubt? Body: 1. John, the Baptist A. Johns ____________ 1. Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 4:5f B. Johns ____________ 1. Matthew 3:1-12 C. Johns ____________ 1. Matthew ______ 2. Matthew ______ 3. Matthew ______ II Johns Question A.”Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” B. Didn’t John know the answer to this question? C. Why did John ask this question? 1. Isaiah ______ D. John was in a time of crisis III. Jesus’ Response A.”Go and tell John what you _____ and ____ _ B. How is this an answer to John’s question? 1.____ 29:18 2.Isaiah____ C. Note the beatitude D. Jesus response to John’s question is basically, “Scripture is being _____ … don’t lose _____ ! Conclusion: |