Title: Eight Conclusions From Calvary
Bible Book: Luke 23 : 33-46
Author: Jack Woodard
Subject: Easter; Cross of Jesus; Calvary; Salvation; Hope Lost
Objective:
Introduction
Luke 23:33-46
America has seen a steady erosion of the Christian Faith for decades. Americans are now demonstrating more skepticism and even bold denial of the great doctrines of our Faith than at any time in my life, yet, Calvary still leaves us with some conclusions that cannot be honestly denied or even questioned. Because of Calvary we must conclude;
I. ALL OF MANKIND ARE WICKED SINNERS
(Luke 23:23)
“And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there ‘they’ crucified Him, and the ‘malefactors’…” (vs.23)
The “malefactors” were not the only criminals at Calvary that day. “They” - included all that were there that day committing the ultimate crime of crucifying the sinless Son of God. That included the religious elite, the political elite, the common man, the small as well.
“There is none righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:10) No man’s hands are clean of the blood of Christ Jesus. Each time a man has willfully rejected Jesus, he has crucified Christ afresh and placed themselves in the crowd that crucified Jesus that fateful day.
Romans 3:12; 3:23
Calvary leaves us with no other conclusion than every human being, past, present, and
future, are at heart, wicked sinners.
II. GOD JUDGES ALL UNBELIEVING SINNERS
(Luke 23:35,40,41,45)
“Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou art in the ‘same condemnation’.
And we, indeed, justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds. (Luke 23:40,41)
“He saved others; let Him save Himself” (Luke 23:35)
“He ‘spared not’ His own Son, but delivered Him up for us ‘all’.” (Romans 8:32)
“For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 3:23)
All have sinned and all must account to a Holy God for their sin, or accept the substitutionary death of Jesus for the payment for their sins.
Sin’s penalty must be satisfied before a Holy and Just God and the evidence of that is the fact that God spared not His own Son.
Because of Calvary we must conclude that God judges sinners, all sinners.
III. GOD LOVES EVERY SINNER, IN SPITE OF THEIR SINFULNESS
(Luke 23:34,43)
“Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they know not what they do (Lk.42,43)
“But God commendeth (demonstrated) His love toward us, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
The love of Jesus for sinners compelled Him to cry to the Father for their forgiveness, knowing that God the Father would not overlook our sins even to spare His only begotten Son.
When we look at Calvary, we must conclude that God indeed loves the sinner!
IV. THERE IS A HELL AWAITING EVERY UNREPENTANT SINNER
(Luke 23: 42,43)
“And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee,Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Lk.23:43)
Jesus never made that promise to the unrepentant criminal to his left, that was receiving his just reward. There is no promise of eternal life awaiting those who die in their sins, only the promise of an eternity in the Lake of Fire, separated eternally from the presence of the Lord. That is the only conclusion that Calvary leaves us with, actually when you look at the sufferings of Christ Jesus upon the Cross and compare them to the sufferings of an actual man in hell, recorded in Luke 16, we see that Calvary is really a review of what hell is like.
(2 Thessalonians 1:8,9)
(Revelation 20:11-15)
V. EVERY LOST SINNER CAN BE SAVED
(Luke 23:33,43)
“…there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other
on the left.” (vs. 33)
No one could honestly doubt that Jesus would have been just as forgiving and willing to save the criminal to His left, if he too had cried out to Jesus for forgiveness and salvation.
“The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
Luke 19:10
1 Timothy 1:15,16)
When we look at Calvary we can come to no other conclusion than, every sinner who is willing to repent and turn to Jesus for salvation will certainly find it.
VI. GOD HAS ONLY ONE WAY FOR ALL TO BE SAVED
(Luke 23:34,35,38,42)
“And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into they kingdom” (vs.42)
“Neither is there salvation in any other; for their is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
It does not go without notice that the repentant thief called upon Jesus, and Jesus alone for salvation. Verse 38 tells us that the superscription was written in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. That was no coincidence, that was by divine design, as was every other aspect of Christ’s crucifixion.
The superscription that hung above Jesus’ savaged brow, was actually the first Gospel Tract, written in very language for all to read and all to heed.
The Bible makes it clear that “all must be saved” and “all must be saved the same way” and Calvary leaves us with no other conclusion than that way is Jesus and Jesus alone. He is the door, by which every man must go through if he is to enter heaven.
VII. THE SAVED GO IMMEDIATELY TO HEAVEN UPON THEIR DEATH
(Luke 23:43)
“Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (vs.43)
“We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)
“For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” (Phillipians 1:23)
There is only two places a true Christian can be; “In the body, or With the Lord,” and Calvary leaves us with the undeniable conclusion that upon our death we go immediately to be with Jesus, which we know to be in Heaven.
VIII. TODAY IS THE ONLY SURE TIME A PERSON HAS TO BE SAVED
(Luke 23:43)
“Today…” (vs.43)
“For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in a day of salvation.”
(2 Corinthians 6:2)
“He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” (Proverbs 29:1)
The repentant thief had only a short time in which to decide whether he was going to repent or die in his sins. We see the sinner on the left died in his sins and we never see another word recorded about him. The reason, is there was no more to be said, there was never to be another chance for him to be saved.
i. At death the die is cast.
The last heart beat settles a persons eternity. “
“…If the tree fall towards the south, or toward the north, in the place the tree falleth, there shall it be.” (Ecclesiastes 11:3)
ii. The Second Coming
The Second of Jesus for His Church will also shut the door of salvation for all who have previously rejected Jesus and the gospel message. The Second Coming of Christ will close the door of salvation, just as the Lord shut the door to Noah’s Ark, and then the inescapable judgment fell. (2 Thessalonians 2:11,12)
iii. The Day of Grace
A person can sin away his day of grace. “And the Lord said, My Spirit shall not always strive with man…” (Genesis 6:3)
“Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart..” (Hebrews 3:7,8)
We are left with no other conclusion than the unrepentant thief missed his day of salvation. We must not overlook the fact that the thief which was saved was also saved at his last opportunity. We also see, the last opportunity that he have to be saved was also his first opportunity. Calvary leaves us with the conclusion that TODAY is the only sure time any person has to be saved. Tomorrow may very well be too late!
