I want to direct us to a certain statement made at the crucifixion about undeserving. The truth became so real; at first I wasn’t sure exactly what I was seeing. Now I hope to make it clear to us all.
Luke 23: “35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar….39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. 44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.”
Tomorrow is a national holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr., a great pioneer for equal rights. Everyone deserves what the constitution promises. We live in a county like that. Some things we may not like, but the same constitution that allows other religions to operate is the same that allows our freedom. Today, January 16, is a little known holiday, set aside each year by proclamation of the President, to commemorate President Jefferson’s efforts for religious freedom. Some nations legislate religion. America gives us the freedom to choose.
In our text we see society largely represented. This takes place right after Jesus was lifted upon the cross. Calvary was not an isolated hill. Its elevation is higher than the walls of Jerusalem. Even from the city, one could look north and see Golgotha. The people could see three crosses, each person dying a slow death. Thieves occupied two of the crosses; the man in the middle was Jesus.
The crowd was a vast assortment of people and personalities. One would think the scene would invoke great sympathy for the innocent. The already tortured one was found guilty of being the Son of God. Deep down they knew it was true but chose not to believe it. This is a picture of today. It should humble us to see the suffering. One thief recognized his deserving punishment. Jesus had done nothing. Some of he crowd was made up of government officials and Roman military soldiers. Religious leaders were disturbed at the truths Jesus said against their religion. In fact, they were the ones who opposed Jesus so much. There were different classes, the upper class consisting of Pharisees and priests, the lower consisting of the everyday person. All bonded together against Jesus. It was said that if he was the Christ he should save himself. Even the most ferocious bond together at times. The devil bound them to destroy Jesus and take him out of the public eye.
But we see a few believers. Mary, John, Mary Magdalene, and several other women risked their lives to be there. While other spat on Jesus, the pitiful few recognized how valuable their lives were without this man. They knew their own life and soul were worth nothing. They couldn’t buy their salvation and escape from hell. With this man, the nobodies who had nothing became somebody.
Calvary is about deserving and undeserving. The believers recognized the worth of this man called Jesus and their lack of unworthiness. They deserved retribution, but Jesus was not deserving of the punishment and hurt. In all of history, only this man had done nothing amiss. The only undeserving reward for sin was this man, and he came to save the ones who deserved it least.
When the thief made his declaration “dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss” he cut straight to the point. He couldn’t shift his blame on someone else. He acknowledged who he was and that he deserved what he was getting.
Do we comprehend this? What do you feel you deserve? What do you feel you don’t deserve? Most all of us feel that because of good we do that we don’t deserve it when things happen. “Why is this happening to me?” Do we feel there is nothing bad in us? The Bible says no one is good, “no not one.” We’re bad right down to our soul. This is precisely why Jesus came. He knew no sin but became sin for us when he bore our sins on the tree.
We are sinners by nature and then by choice, but we can receive what we don’t deserve—mercy and grace. By trusting Jesus we can be like the repentant thief and the pitiful few. Jesus told the thief that not only would he remember him in paradise, but that he’d be with him there that very day. Did he deserve it? No. It shows us God’s love. That’s Jesus in the eyes of a just God. We don’t deserve good, but God offers to withhold judgment.
Nothing in us is deserving of good, but God didn’t see it that way. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.” We don’t have to get what we deserve. We can have everlasting life. It’s time for us to see how undeserving we are and examine our worth. He who didn’t deserve what he got took it for us. It should have been us on the cross, but Jesus took it for us. The one most undeserving took the suffering for those most deserving of it—for us.
Adwolfe Freewill Baptist Church 