Luke 23:39-43

The highest mountain in all the world
• Mount Calvary is not actually a mountain at all; neither of the presumed sites for the crucifixion of Jesus is on a literal mountain.
• Spiritually, however, Calvary is the highest point in all of history, as it is the place where decisions are made that determine the destiny of individuals in all eternity.
• In John 12:32, Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to Myself,” indicating that He would be “lifted up” above everything and everyone:
(1)He was lifted up on the earth: the Crucifixion.
(2)He was lifted up out of the earth: the Resurrection
(3)He was lifted up from the earth: the Ascension.

The cross of rejection
• The thief on the left teaches us how easy it is to miss Jesus.
• He thought he could negotiate with God Himself; his plea grew out of his felt need that Jesus would save him from his circumstances (on a cross and about to die).
• This thief demanded that Jesus save Himself; however, it was only through His death on the Cross that Jesus could become the Savior of the world.

The cross of repentance
• The other gospels indicate that both thieves hurled insults at Jesus. But the Gospel of Luke contains this amazing scene in which the second thief has an eternity-changing encounter with Jesus.
• The second thief makes the hardest confession of all when he acknowledges that he is getting what he deserved.
• From the cross, this thief asked Jesus to remember him when He “comes into His kingdom.”
• The first thief demanded, “Save me,” while this second thief simply asked Jesus to “Remember me.”
• The cross of this second thief became the cross of redemption as Jesus responded, “Today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

The message of Calvary
• In the greatest transaction of all, Jesus paid the debt we owe and bore the penalty for our sin that we might receive forgiveness.
• Through His act of love, Jesus took upon Himself the full impact of the sin of the world.
• The cross has become the symbol of Christianity, because it was on the Cross that Jesus took upon Himself what we deserve so that we might “be free and clean forever and forever.”

Think it over.
• Why does Dr. Young refer to Mount Calvary as “the highest mountain of all?”
• How could the two thieves see the same Jesus and one choose to mock Him and the other choose to have an encounter with Him that led to his redemption? What made the difference?
• Max Lucado writes of the second thief: “In the end all his bad choices were redeemed by a solitary good one.” Reflect on your personal testimony for a moment. What difference has it made that you made that “good” choice to follow Jesus?