The End and The Beginning (Message 1)

Two Lessons for This Series:

The whole BOOK of Luke is based on the DEATH and resurrection of Jesus!

Although the crucifixion is the END of Jesus’ life, it is the BEGINNING of so much more!

Simon from Cyrene

Luke 23:26    As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

WHY me? The WRONG place at the WRONG time.

Cyrene was a MAJOR city in LIBYA at that time and it had strong CONNECTIONS to Jewish Christianity.

Acts 2: 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? . . . 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome
Acts 11:20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.

We know LITTLE of Simon except for his SONS.

Mark 15:21 A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.
Rom. 16:13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

The Mourners

Luke 23:27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then “ ‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ 31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

DEAR me. We were hoping that this man would SAVE us!

These women were probably professional MOURNERS although there would have been TRUE followers in the group.

Jesus spoke DIRECTLY to the mourners, telling them to weep for themselves because of the FUTURE of Jerusalem.

The Crowd and the Religious

Luke 23:32    Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 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. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35    The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

SHOW me. PROVE that you are the Messiah.

Many of the religious leaders who had unjustly TRIED Jesus were now SNEERING at Him.

They used STRONG language to TAUNT Him. Christ (Χριστός Christos) and Chosen (ἐκλεκτός eklektos).

Jesus asked the Father to FORGIVE the people which included the soldiers and the crowd. This DOESN’T mean that they would be SAVED!

The Soldiers

Luke 23:36    The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38    There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

GAG me. We think you are a big JOKE!

The soldiers did the following:

GAMBLED for His clothing.

MOCKED Him as He HUNG on the cross.

Offered Him a “ROYAL drink” to taunt Him.

Asked Him to SHOW that He was a King.

Placed a SIGN which was to HUMILIATE Him.

The Unrepentant Criminal

Luke 23:39    One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

HELP me. If you help me, I MIGHT follow you.

Even the non-religious knew who Jesus CLAIMED to be and this criminal was pleading for HELP with his last breaths.

The Repentant Criminal

Luke 23:40 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.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

REMEMBER me. I BELIEVE that You are the Christ.

This thief had also been INSULTING Jesus. But at some point something CHANGED.
Matt. 27: 44 In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

Please note that this thief had a better GRASP of Who Jesus was than His disciples often SHOWED. He was not asking for physical help but for spiritual HOPE.

He started with a “FEAR of GOD.”

He understood that Jesus was without GUILT.

He believed that Jesus would FULFILL His Kingdom plan.

He asked to be INCLUDED in that Kingdom.

— And Jesus did WELCOME this criminal into His Kingdom!

Our Response:

With which person/group do you most relate? (Why me, Dear me, Show me, Gag me, Help me, Remember me)

If a dying criminal can be accepted by Jesus, then there is a place for each of us! — (This is the beginning of hope!)

For Discussion

Which was your favorite person or group (aside from Jesus) in this story and why?

With which person or group do you most relate and why?

What did you learn about the two criminals that was helpful?

Explain the value of the theology of the repentant criminal. Why does each person need to come to this place?