In Luke 23, the account of the two criminals crucified with Jesus has obvious application to our observation of the Lord's Supper this morning. But you might wonder, what difference is this going to make in my life this coming week? Of course, we approach every passage of Scripture with a confidence that all God's word is profitable for correction, for reproof, for instruction, for training in righteousness. But the two criminals, what do they have to teach us about the challenges that we are going to face? Well, let's picture it this way. In this passage, we are considering two men that are in their time of greatest need. They are both in the same desperate circumstance. And both men have opportunity to look at Christ, who is in between the two of them, and to observe that He was in His time of greatest weakness. What could He do? How could He possibly help? Jesus hanging on the cross at that moment seems to be a helpless victim with nothing He can do for anybody else. But here's the irony. Yes, that was Christ's moment of greatest weakness. But even then, for those two men, He was their only hope. This passage then tells us that both those men turned to Christ and asked Him for help, each in his own way. Christ only answered one of them. Only one received the help that he needed at that moment. So our question is, what makes the difference? How can two men in exactly the same circumstance with access to exactly the same person, how is it that one receives the help he needs and the other one gets nothing. Well, this passage answers that question. And it's an answer that you need to know just in case you find you face some trials this coming week. Because it only increases the desperation of a circumstance to ask for help and get nothing for it. our requests for help must be such that we can be confident Christ will answer. When we look into this passage this morning, to see here that Christ, in fact, is able to save sinners. Even at his weakest moment, Christ is able to save sinners, which means you must turn to him but you must do so following the pattern of the second man that we consider this morning. Start with the first one, the first one that Luke identifies as having just told, Luke just told us in the previous few verses about the jeering crowds and all the horrible things they have to say, increasing the pain and agony that Christ was feeling physically Verse 39 of Luke 23, he tells us that one of the criminals who were hanged railed at him saying, are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us. That one verse points out for us that Christ died with sinners. This man in his very expression, very tone that he railed at him is demonstrating again that he's a rebellious individual. He is here doing what many sinners do. Out of unbelief, they revile their only hope. Jesus Christ in our world is the object of derision. as sinners today continue to do what this one is voicing at that moment, reviling their only hope. He is questioning his identity, but he does so, this is part of the irony of this passage, he does so with the assumption that this individual hanging right next to him really is the Messiah. He asks a question, are you not the Christ? And the way he phrases that question, it has the expected answer of yes. Yes, of course, I am the Christ. That's what he thinks that Christ would answer should he voice his own response. Are you not the Christ? Of course you are. Then save yourself and us. Actually, his question is questioning Christ's identity. He's doing so, and the word translated here, reviling, means that he was literally blaspheming. He's slanderous, he's bitter. This is faithless sarcasm. He doesn't believe Christ really can do anything. It's also questioning Christ's ability. He says, save yourself and us. Save yourself. Where does that come from? That tells us he's been listening to the crowds. That's what they were saying. Prove that you really are the Messiah by coming down from the cross. Save yourself and we will believe on you. Save yourself, the criminal says. and us. Save yourself and us. You see that this is a selfish, hypocritical demand of Christ. It's not prompted by faith, it's actually prompted by selfish unbelief. Save yourself and us. Let's just focus on that last part. Save me. That's really what he's demanding here. As if he deserves that benefit? Does he have any basis for such a demand? And yet he is boldly insisting that Christ do something to change his own unpleasant circumstances. What he wants is escape. If he can have escape from his circumstances at that moment, he doesn't care about anything else. And here demands that Christ meet his need. Now the other criminal speaks up and gives us some insight by his comments to the first man, some insights about what that first man was really saying. What he was doing was ignoring the price of his own sin. In verse 40, the other rebuked him saying, do you not fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation, and we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds. Don't you see you deserve what you are experiencing right now? And in that, this individual is expressing remarkable insight that has application to every individual on the face of the earth. What you deserve for your sin is eternity in hell. They were getting just a taste of that at that moment as they were hanging on the cross. And the honest expression of this man is it's exactly what we deserve. And it's time to admit that. to see the wickedness of your own heart. The last comment that man makes in verse 41 is, but this man has done nothing wrong. In stark contrast to our sinfulness is one individual who is completely sinless. He's done nothing wrong. No sin that he had to pay for, which leaves us and the two criminals with the obvious question to strive to answer, what is he doing here? Why is he on the cross? We know why we are here. We don't understand why he is facing the same penalty. Why is that? First, the answer we now know, it's clear to us because God's word has gone on to tell us he was there to pay for our sin. He endured not just the pain on the cross. He endured the full payment of all of our sin. He had more suffering to go through. There are still a few hours left. The hours of darkness are still to come. But all of this time, he's paying for sin and feeling the full weight of the penalty of God's wrath. He had no sin of his own. He was there for one reason. We have sin. Now, what is remarkable is that this second man, the one who expresses these truths, apparently before this moment, was in exactly the same frame of mind as the first man. The other gospel accounts tell us that both of them railed against him. Luke is the only one who gives us the additional insight that at some point, the second man changed his mind. That is always the path of forgiveness. Somebody starts in rebellion, and that's where we all start, but at some point changes his mind and decides, but I don't want to have to pay for my sin. Think of what that man had the opportunity to observe at that moment. And it could be that by God's grace, he was putting some factors together here. Wait a minute, if this man has no sin to pay for on his own, maybe he's paying for mine. For what I'm feeling right now and knowing that hell will be far worse, I don't want to have to pay for my own sin as much as I deserve it. The man next to me is making it possible for me to be forgiven. You see, what that man came to understand in those moments was that the very one who was dying with sinners was at the same time dying for sinners. And so now he has his own form of request. Notice that Christ never said anything to the first man. Now the second man turns from the other criminal to address Christ himself, and he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Remember me when you come into your kingdom." What he's doing here is setting the pattern for all who would ever follow, who could also, by God's grace, draw the conclusion, he had no sin of his own, he was paying for my sin. Now, the next step is to express your faith in that very thing. And so he does so in a remarkably simple way. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Two important parts to that. First of all, he is asking for mercy, but he's not demanding it. He is not looking for escape from his predicament. What he is looking for here is for Christ to just do what he wants. I place myself at your mercy, he is saying. Remember me. That's not very specific. He's not just though asking for Christ to think nice thoughts about him throughout eternity. The word remember means not just think about me, but take action, but it tells us nothing about what that action should be. You see, he is leaving, in faith in Christ, he is leaving the actual response of Christ up to Christ himself. You decide how to respond. I am satisfied just to have you know I believe in who you are. and what you are doing at this moment. And he believes one more thing, as he says, remember me, when you come into your kingdom, he's hanging on a cross at that moment. What kingdom could be in the future for this man? See, this statement does not reflect observation. It reflects the penetration into the future of a heart of faith. based on what he knew from the Old Testament, that the Messiah would rule. He knows Christ has not ruled yet. It must be in the future. The man hanging next to him, he knew was one day going to be the reigning king. How he could think that could take place, he probably had no idea, but he believed. Remember me when you come into your kingdom. He's not only asking for mercy, he is trusting in Christ's triumph. Because I know you are going to win this battle, I am content if you will just remember me when you win that victory. Christ has a response that is also equally simple. He said to him, truly I say to you, that was one of Christ's characteristic statements preceding something that nobody has any basis to doubt. Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. Now he's giving a promise here. But you see how far this exceeds the expectation of the man on the cross next to him? He might have been thinking this could be a long time in the future before this kingdom happens. Christ says, you won't have to wait that long. I am ready to meet your need today. Christ is giving a promise. and is with this simple statement sharing his future with this man who is placing his simple trust in him. I have a kingdom, Christ says, I share it with you. I welcome you to be a part of that and to go to live with me forever. You see, you put all of this together, and the point is that at Christ's weakest moment, He is able to meet the greatest need of every individual. Well, He's not in His weakest moment anymore. Christ is on the throne today. There are not any inhibitions. Nothing could stop him from meeting this need and fulfilling this promise. Even then, there's surely nothing stopping him today. So we have two men in the same desperate condition. Both turned to Christ, but one does so in bitterness and in anger, and in defiance, and he demands immediate deliverance. The other man responds in humility, faith, and submission. However you want to do it, whenever you want to do it is fine with me. I am content just to know you care. He is satisfied to leave his condition in God's hands. One man died, one man lives. They both experienced the same physical death. But you see, the lesson for us is that the one who demands, here is what God has to do, and if he doesn't do it my way, if he doesn't deliver me on my terms and in my timing, then he's failed me. The other one says, I just let him work in his time. I want him to have his way. I just trust Him." It should come as no surprise then that that's the one that Christ promises to answer. He can deliver. He does respond to faith and submission. Today, if you don't know Christ as your Savior, The second man is your example. Oh, but I can't see Christ. I can't see that he's on the throne right now. That's why it's faith. Faith says, I believe he really can pay for my sin. He really died in my place. I ask him to save me. And then the same Savior continues to be available to meet every additional need. This week, all week, the rest of your life, He is ready to demonstrate His power for those who place themselves under His care. Not over Him demanding how and when, but under him in submission, I am satisfied to let you work in your way. Now, each one of us need to respond to God's word today. If you've never trusted Christ as Savior, Christ is ready to save you today. If he's already your Savior, Here's the pattern to get the help you need. Humility, faith, submission. That's the pattern. Christ is the answer. I urge you at this moment, turn to Him in faith. Let's bow for prayer. Father, we marvel at such a Savior, at such a simple pattern, for a horrible thing that one man was so close to the help that he needed, but lost it all because he would not respond in faith and submission. Father, we look forward one day to meeting the man that did join our Savior in paradise that same day. But in the meantime, we're grateful for his testimony, for the pattern that he set. We ask, Father, for your help to trust our Savior as he did, not just for saving grace, but for deliverance from every trial according to your plan. Father, help us as we submit ourselves to you and to your word today. For Jesus' sake, amen.