Lesson 2 Study Notes

Stay with me for a second. Listen, these taunts are making the other condemned. Listen, uh uhuh very uncomfortable. The word blasphemy, listen, can refer to reviling humans, but listen, also to speak in reverently, disrespectfully or about God. Listen, the second bandit may be condemned to death, but he has not lost his faith. to stand by and participate in such unrighteous act as to execute an innocent man in a impudence sinful act.0:58Let me stop there for one second. Be careful my brother and sister. Be careful when we hanging out with the crowd because we can listen, cause up other folks to sin based on just hanging out with us. Now, let me tell you, you need to hang out with saved folk. I didn't say you don't have to witness the unsaved folk, but in these times, listen, it's either going to draw you or drive you when you're hanging out with saved and unsaved people. Listen, the second man refuses to deserve his sense of right or wrong. Can I help you? You know right from wrong. We are all born in sin, shaped in iniquity. And1:58one thing I didn't have to teach my children to do was lie. They learned that all on their own. Listen, but I did need to teach them right from wrong. Listen, remember me in your kingdom. That's what the other thief said. Then he said, Jesus' disciples have fled or linger. They were disillusioned that dark Friday at the margins of the crowd. Their hopelessness is echoed by the men on the road to Emmaus. They crucified him, but he had hope that he was the one who was going to be redeemed by Israel Glory to God but here on the cross a fellow condemned man3:01life and bedding out of him looks to the center of the cross and Sees not another dying man but the Messiah himself. Somehow he understands that Jesus is not an imposter and that he will still receive the kingdom that belongs to the Messiah. I can recall Joseph saying something similar to Pharaoh's cupbearer, prisoner to fellow prisoner when Joseph predicted that the cup bearer would be released from prison. It's some people that are associated with Jesus that when3:51you give in his presence you know exactly who he is. When all goes well with you remember me and show me kindness. Mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. Listen, how can this quality of faith exist at such a dark time? Already the darkness is falling over the whole land and yet a dying thief believes. Listen my Listen, my brothers and sisters, you can accept Jesus and don't have to be dying. Listen, there are going to be some people saved in those dying breaths. But listen, all you got to do, he did confess his sins, yes? We are punished justly, for we are getting our deeds deserved.4:49That's what this thief is saying. Listen, does he repent? Not verbally, but yes, I think he did repent. He repentance and hope was prompt in his plea for mercy. He said, remember me. Is the thief saved? But was he saved? Listen, Jesus commanded baptism in the longer ending of Mark's gospel. But Jesus said, whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. I don't want to get into the whole theological belief, but let me help you. I'll drop it. I won't drive it right now. And that is, listen, the moment you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are saved right now. with Christ-like people. But things don't always follow the prescribed order. At5:58the house of Cornelius, for example, the Holy Scripture falls upon Gentiles who believe the words Peter sang to them. So Peter baptizes them after the Holy Spirit comes upon them. Stay with me. Glory to God. The key here is faith. The thief on the crop believes that his prayer to Jesus is bursting with faith. He has more faith that day than any other human observing this gruesome scene. So, as far as adults are concerned, nearly all Christians would agree that baptism accomplishes faith and should follow faith as soon as appropriate. At least it seems to in all the examples we see in the New Testament. But I could contend that baptism itself does not save you. Paul writes this, for it is by grace you have been saved through faith. Well, I got to slow down again because I get excited. You and I are saved by grace through faith. You7:28came by your way in. You didn't do enough to earn it. All you can do is accept it or reject it. And then the scripture furthermore says, and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. You can't buy your way in. It's a free gift by grace, through faith. All you can do is accept it or reject salvation. Can I help you? Let me give you another example. I was married, Esther and I, 41 years ago, and we got about five crock pots in our wedding gifts. All we could do was accept them or reject them. It was a free gift. God is giving us salvation as a free gift. We could multiply8:33references to the primary of faith such as, whosoever believes in him, your faith has saved you and many others. The thief on the cross gives an illustration of saving faith that is instructive to us as we seek to understand the mystery of our salvation. Listen, how about deathbed conversion. And so it is. I don't doubt that the thief has attended one of Jesus's outdoor teachings and come to some sort of faith there. And so many who repent and confess Jesus on their deathbed,9:32listen, the difference between some sort of faith and saving faith is true repentance and the commitment to Christ that repentance implies. My brothers and sisters, listen, don't wait to die to try to become a missionary. We see that the rich man and Lazarus, he wanted to become a missionary when he was in hell. Well, no, he could have accepted Jesus while he was living. Listen, it is possible, I believe, to be saved at one's deathbed. But I've seen too many people who say, I'll follow Christ later. For now, I want to have some fun. Some of them don't get a chance to repent on their deathbed. They die in accidents or from heart attacks Never having a chance to repent at the end of their days. Yes10:35Yes deathbed Salvation is possible the thief on the cross Salvation is possible the thief on the cross Indicates this and it may even be real but God only knows the heart, but it must not be relied upon.

Divine Promise: Exploring Jesus’ Inaugural Words from the Cross Lesson 2

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