THE CRUCIFIED THREE
By ROBERT GOVETT.
Amidst the
circumstances of our Lords crucifixion, the account of the two dying robbers*
stands conspicuous. We will give it in the Evangelists
own words:-
[*They are commonly called the two thieves, but this gives
a mistaken idea of their crime. It was
open armed robbery; and the translators have, in some instances, rendered it
robber. Now Barabbas was a robber. So John 10: 1, 8. (Thus our Lord was actually executed with
armed bandits, or what we now call gunmen, or gangsters. - D.
M. Panton.)]
And one of
the malefactors which were hanged, railed on him, saying, If
thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost
not even thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving
the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou
comest in* thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto
thee, to-day shalt thou be with me in paradise (Luke 23: 39-43)
[* (See the Greek.) Not into
but in thy kingdom,
as it is rightly translated in Matthew 16: 28.]
The impenitent robber is first
presented to our notice. He taunts the crucified
Jesus with his weakness. If thou be the Messiah, save thyself and
us. With the rest of his,
countrymen, he expects that the Messiah should at once display himself in his
royal majesty and power. He argues, that he, therefore, is no Messiah, who could submit
to such treatment. How can you be the long-expected King, and tamely submit to
your foes? Have
not the prophets foretold Messiah as the Mighty One treading the winepress in
his, fury, and stained with the blood of his enemies? Who then can believe that thou art aught but
an impostor, if thou so weakly submit thyself to death?
The man of unbelief knows no higher
salvation than rescue from the death of the world. His eye is upon this life only, and could he
escape from the grasp of punishment now fixed upon him, he would be
content. Unchanged of heart, he would be
off to his den and his ambush, his oaths and dice, his quarrels and debauchery,
and midnight carousals again. Death is
before him, and heavy guilt upon him, but neither awes him Pain and anguish are
eating into his soul, but he will jest in
despite of them, and his jest shall be at the expense of a fellow-sufferer.
He was brought into a situation the
most thrilling and subduing that could be devised. Death was assailing him, on the one hand, and
the Messiah, the Lord of Life, was on the other - the one frowning him into
terror, the Other inviting him with the meekness of
mercy. In what more startling,
challenging position could the soul of man be placed? He stands like a mariner on a narrow rock,
the breakers dashing over him their spray, ready with lion-leap to drag him
down to the deeps of ocean; but reined in a moment to spare him on his slippery
foot-hold, to see if he will step on board the gallant vessel alongside, that has breasted the storm to save him. He spurns it away with his foot, and sinks
into the billows!
Trust not, sinner, to a death-bed
hour! Pain has no power to change a man,
nor death to convert. As the robber
lived, he died. Jesus is close to him, Gods
well-beloved Son. But he demands of him
a proof never to be given, before he will believe in him. If thou be the Christ. He avows his unbelief, and perishes. He that believeth not, shall be damned!
But turn we
joyfully to the penitent, or rather the believing robber. Let us listen to
his reproof of his comrade. If the multitude around us, who are better men than we are,
and in no danger of death, can afford to reproach Jesus the Nazarite,
yet ought not you nor I. A sense of the
nearness of judgment and of death should at least restrain your tongue. Experience of the agonies
which you are suffering, should teach you compassion toward one in like case. Fear you not the wrath of God too much to
utter reproach? When Death knocks at the
door, is it a time to jeer at another?
Doth he not say Look to yourself Such is the tenor of his speech. In it we may observe,
First - The fear of God; Dost not even thou
fear God?
Secondly - Confession of guilt. He was a sinner, and he knew it: he was a
great sinner, and he confesses it. We are receiving
the due reward of what we have done. Here is no excuse for his sins, no attempt to
diminish his guilt: he had deserved death, and he acknowledges it.
Thirdly - There is also an assertion of
the innocence of Jesus. This man hath done
nothing amiss. All around
were reviling the Lord of glory, but the robber defends his character. Pilate
had condemned him on the charge of sedition, Caiaphas on the charge of
blasphemy, but the believing robber affirms his purity. It was needful. Only a spotless sacrifice can atone for
crimson crimes. Only a High Priest
untainted with sins of his own, can enter the presence of the Majesty on high,
to be accepted for us.
But the best part of his words has yet
to be noticed. He had rebuked his
fellow, and maintained to him the character of Jesus. But many can set others right, who go wrong
themselves: many know the way of life, who
perseveringly walk the broad road of destruction. But the believing robber turns to Jesus:
turns to him in prayer. Lord, remember me when thou
comest in thy kingdom! Thus does he acknowledge Jesus to be Messiah,
the King of
But what answer did this appeal draw
from the Lord Jesus?
Caiaphas and his witnesses had accused, and Jesus was silent. Pilate
had questioned, and Jesus held his peace.
He had jestingly inquired - What is truth? but no answer was given. The unbelieving robber scoffs, and Jesus is
mute. But faith speaks, and Jesus cannot forbear. Faith prays, and the reply comes
instantly. Do you pray, reader. Have you ever prayed? You may have said your prayers, but have you ever prayed to the
sufferer on the cross of
And Jesus
said unto him, To-day shalt thou he with
me in paradise.*
[* The
You have
asked me for a distant blessing, you
have requested mercy when my kingdom comes, and I shall shine forth in the
clouds with my saints. An unknown time
must elapse before that. But I promise
you a place with my saints and with myself this very day. To-day
your soul will have left the body: the executioners hammer
will hasten your death before the usual term of the decease of the crucified. Thus is the robbers petition more than
answered: paradise [in Hades] his portion at death, and eternal life when resurrection unites the soul
and body.
Behold in this picture the mercy of
God: willingness to save to the uttermost.
That none might doubt the power of Jesus to pardon sin, this dying
robber was forgiven. He was one trebly
condemned: condemned first by the law of Rome, as seditious and a murderer;
condemned next by the law given to Noah Whoso sheddeth mans blood, by man
shall his blood be shed; condemned, thirdly, by the law of Moses,
and now under its very curse, for Cursed is every one that hangeth on
a tree. Here is one too bad
for human society. Though earth be full
of evil, here is one too bad for earth. Sinner,
let the dying robber speak to you a burning, thrilling word on Gods readiness
to forgive the worst that comes to him through Christ Jesus! The gore-dyed bandit is saved at the last
hour. In the morning a murderer, by noon
a reviler of the Saviour,* before eve an accepted
saint, at midnight in paradise.
[* Matthew
27: 44; Mark 15: 32.]
The Saviours forgiveness is instant
his promises are immediate To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise. He does not, with the Romanist, bid him
faintly hope, that by the fire of
purgatory, his sins might perhaps, after some hundreds or thousands of
years, be purged away. No perhaps,
no if, no conditions dim the
glory of the pardon. He believes, he is forgiven! No more is needed for forgiveness. JESUS
ATONES. Gods justice is satisfied in
him. To him
that believes mercy is free, frank,
instantaneous. And
when he saw their faith, he said unto the
sick of the palsy, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee!
This mercy is not such as man would
have proclaimed. Had the moralist been
in Jesus place, his reply would have been far different. Would he not have said, Forgive you, vile ruffian, with the purple stain of murder
upon your breast? You, grim outlaw, that
have mocked at justice, till it has overtaken you with its richly merited
arrest of death? Mercy were outraged by such
a grant! Or if we suppose one of
milder mood, a preacher who thinks that man is to be accepted before God by his
deeds, could he, on his principles, have given such an one any hope? Here was no time for reformation, no opening for recovering the bandit
to virtuous
habits, and the slowly won
respect and confidence of his fellows, by an amended life. Here was no opportunity for reparation; no
good works, as a set-off in his favour, were here. Slow justice has at length fixed on him her
stern death-grip. Blood for blood! Who shall wrench him from her iron hand? from
the grasp of a death-warrant signed and sealed both by God and man?
Many a one that bears the name of
Christian, had he been consulted, would have besought the Lord to leave him to
his fate Nay, Lord, save not such a ruffian! Keep thy mercy the respectable of society,
for the kind and gentle, the generous, the warm-hearted. This sinner, Lord, is too great! Forgive him not, lest thy mercy be presumed
upon, and transgressors are emboldened thereby to sin. But Jesus halts not. The mercy of God is not mans narrowed
thought. It is high above ours, as the
heaven above the earth.
With such
an example before you, sinner, say not My sins are
too great. I am all unworthiness. True, you are so, but you could not be saved,
if you were not unworthy. Christ came not to call the righteous. Is not
worthiness out of the question, when a gibbeted felon at his last hour is
saved?
Yes,
mighty were thy sins, thou man of blood and rapine! But was not thy Saviour mightier? Foul the stains of thy inky breast, but the
Lamb of God - didst thou not find him able to purge them away? Innocent blood cried out against thee for
death; what could silence the accusing voice? what but the blood that speaketh
better things than Abels?
But do
you ask, How was he saved? This scene informs us well, both how he was not saved, and how he was.
1. It is
evident that he was not saved by works. Up to his last hour he was stained with guilt. Till his hands were nailed, his feet knit to the
cursed cross-beams, he had used his members only for evil. If God judges men, as many fancy, according
to their works, putting the good deeds in one scale, the evil in another, the
bandit before us could not be saved. He
received eternal life then, not from his merits. His deserts were far different. The wages of sin is death, but the [free]* gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[* Rom. 6: 23, R.V.]
2. Again,
some will tell you, that salvation lies in the mysterious virtue of the sacraments. At
baptism, they say, the new life is imparted; and the Lords Supper, duly
received, fans the sacred flame. Before
baptism, no one is regenerate and born anew; after it, when administered in due
form and order, all are. How, then, was
the unbaptized robber rescued from eternal death? How
did he take his place among the saints, who
had never tasted the sacrament of Christs body?
3.
Others, again, think, that by repentance we are saved: meaning, thereby, great
anguish and sorrow for sin. They suppose
that it makes up a part of the reason why God forgives, and that, till it is
paid, the sinner is not fit to come.
Where do you find it here? None
can be saved without repentance, in the Scripture sense, of a changed
heart and mind,* but here,
and in the Philippian jailor, behold one saved by
faith, without any recorded anguish for sin; and, therefore, I prefer calling
him the believing robber, to
the title usually given him the penitent thief.
But while
we have seen how he was not saved, we can behold, in this mirror of God, how he
was saved:‑. He was saved by faith, manifesting
itself in prayer For, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And he called upon the name of the Lord, and
found the Holy One true.
2. He is
saved by faith in Jesus as the Messiah Whosoever
believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: 1 John 5: 1.
He was saved by faith in the resurrection of Jesus, and confession of him
- the terms mentioned by Paul If thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved: (Rom. 10: 9).
Mark, I
beseech you, that Jesus is the turning point of salvation: to receive him (in
whatever weakness) is life, to reject him is eternal death. The Saviour was presented to both alike, but one
only was saved. One only looked to
the brazen serpent, and was healed.
Before both the ark of mercy stood open, but, though the floods of death
were out, and the curse begun, but one entered in. But one waked
the joy of angels.
How,
then, do you stand? Do you most resemble
the believing robber or the unbelieving one?
How do you regard Jesus? This is
the core of the matter. Is he your hope
- your mediator with the Father - your door of entrance the Most High? I am the door, through me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved. Have you ever, like
the saved bandit, turned to him in
prayer? Having neglected to do it hitherto, ARE YOU WILLING TO GO NOW? A prayer, as short and simple as the
robbers, will suffice Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Who is
this that thus forgives crimes uncounted; that while himself
numbered with the transgressors, and under the heavy pall and darkness of the
curse, dispenses pardon? It is the Son of Man, made a little lower than the
angels, for the suffering of death, that he, by the grace of God, should taste
death for every man. It is the Son of God, that opens and none
shuts, that has the key of hell and of death, that even on earth hath power to
forgive sins. Did Jesus save while on
the cross, when the dark shadow of sins eclipse was covering the orb of the
Sun of Righteousness? At the lowest
point of his humiliation, does he dispense pardon to the most guilty? Then how much more, now that fully acquitted
of the Father, he is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high! Here is a Saviour able to deliver, though
justice had pierced with her nails the forfeit body of the culprit-robber, and
clenched with indignant hammer his guilty members to her stern weapon of death.
Here is one that saves, not only without merit, but against it, that plucks
from the very grasp of the strong and holy law. Here is one that saves, not after years of
sorrow, and amended life, but at the first lispings
of the returning prodigal. Sinner, will
you venture? Will you try his mercy? Is not this the Saviour that you
need? The Son of man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost.
Good news, sinner! Will
you trust it? The plank is nigh thee, drowning mariner! Wilt thou cast thyself upon it, ere the flood
engulf thee? The avenger is behind thee! Lo, the gates of the city of refuge! Is not safety within its walls? Enter and rejoice!