The Fellowship of the Cross- Luke 23:39-43

20^th century literary genius J. R. R. Tolkien is responsible for one of the most memorable and compelling works of fiction ever produced—the Lord of the Rings. Its many incredible creatures, fantastic worlds, and epic story of good vs. evil has solidified its prominent place in the literary landscape. The first installment of the trilogy—The Fellowship of the Ring—introduces the problem and the people that assemble to solve it. A powerful ring that tempts its possessor with powers untold and unnaturally lofty visions of grandeur has found its way to a hobbit named Frodo. His friend Gandalf, a wizard, learns of its existence and demands that Frodo destroy it the only way possible—journeying to Middle Earth (a place of great darkness, danger, destruction, and certain death) and throwing it into a volcano. To help in this mammoth task, Gandalf assembles what ends up being called the "fellowship of the ring"—a disparate group of elves, dwarfs, men, and more hobbits. This unusual fellowship acts as a support staff and, unfortunately at times, proves to be a cause for great concern. Though the characters couldn’t be more different, they are eventually united by one cause—ridding the world of this ring, even in the face of certain death.

As we examine an even greater epic over the next two weeks, I could not help but draw some connections between Tolkien’s story and what we read in Luke 23:39-43. There, we see an even greater problem than the ring of Lord of the Rings—sin. One man—the God-Man Jesus—has been commissioned to rid the world of its mysterious and far-reaching implications in the only way possible—giving up his life on the cross. This he does, at least in this episode of the epic, alongside a very peculiar fellowship of men—the two criminals hanging on either side of Christ on their own vehicle of torture. The three couldn’t be more different from each other and yet they are united in at least one way—they are facing the ultimate consequence of sin (death) and they are wrestling with the question of how they are going to respond to their precarious situation. Let’s pick up the story and learn from a strange interaction between three parties of a most unusual fellowship that meets above Golgotha in Luke 23:39-43.

I. PARTY #1: THE HARDENED CRIMINAL-23:39

Crucifixion was viewed by ancient writers as the cruelest and most barbaric of punishments. Recent historical and archaeological studies have helped bring a more realistic sense of crucifixion’s horrors. Bone fragments of a crucified individual were discovered in 1968 and revealed that his feet were each nailed laterally to the beam. In many cases, both the feet and wrists were nailed to the crossbeam the victims carried. This would have taken place after the victim was stripped of his clothes to increase the humiliation. After being nailed to the crossbeam, it would be raised high enough for the victim’s feet to clear the ground and then placed on a stake. Most guess that Jesus’ cross stood about 7 feet high. This method of execution was designed for one thing, a slow and tortuous death.  Death by crucifixion was a result of loss of blood, exposure, exhaustion, and suffocation, as the victim tried to lift himself to breathe. Sometimes, victims would linger for days in agony! This horrific spectacle even inspired words like “excruciating,” which derives from the Latin excruciatus, “out of the cross.”

Though many tend to focus their attention on Jesus in the center of the Golgotha scene (for good reason), it is important to remember that Christ was one of three currently facing this unthinkable horror. Though the problem of sin had nailed all three to their crossbeams, for Jesus, it was the sin of others, not his own, that had led to this current situation. The same could not be said of the hardened criminal that we hear from first in verse 39ff.  Given the nature of their current predicament, it is no wonder that one of the guilty thieves speaks up and in his rage hurls abuse in the midst of his ever-shallow breaths (Lk. 23:39)—“one of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him.”

Though ill-advised in retrospect, one might understand how such a voice could be heard in the midst of agony. The first thief’s voice illustrates one of choices everyone has in a difficult/painful situations—rage.  This is not a voice coming from a heart of brokenness, but a voice offered from a hardened heart bent against God.

In many ways this first thief represents a large sector of humanity. Those who in the face of suffering shake an angry fist at the God they do not even believe in find a sympathizer in this hardened criminal and might even be caught saying what he says here, “Are you not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” (23:39). “Doesn’t God care?” “Why am I hurting down here?” etc.

In the last moments of life and in the midst of incredible pain, people will reach for anything to provide relief, even that which they blaspheme. However, instead of looking to Jesus in real hope of real salvation, this hardened criminal sarcastically questions who Jesus is.

This hellacious cry echoes throughout the generations among those who fail to believe in Jesus Christ. Seeing no way of escape from their death or agony, instead of reaching out to Jesus in faith for salvation, they question Him, His love, His sovereignty, and in their unbelief grasp only at straws.  Calvin says of this raging blasphemer, “this objection is directed against God Himself; just as wicked men, when they do not obtain what they wish, would willingly tear God from heaven. They ought indeed, to be tamed to humility by strokes; but this shows that the wicked heart, which no punishments can bend, is hard like iron.” The voice of rage says, “There is no God, look how much I’m hurting! If there was a God, why would he allow me this pain?” Such people accurately identify the problem of sin, but don’t recognize the hero that has been sent to provide salvation from its grip.

II. PARTY #2: THE REPENTANT SINNER-23:40-42

As we continue to observe the unexpected fellowship taking place in this scene, there is a second voice screaming 7 ft. above the ground. The second thief cannot put up with the insistent blaspheming of Jesus while on the cross and instead of holding his tongue or saving his breaths for himself as he too reals in pain on his own cross, he openly rebukes the statements being made on the other side of the skull rock. 

In what this second criminal says, the reader is made aware of another way, the proper way, to view one’s own predicament before Christ. Though in the hardened criminal’s response to pain and agony (brought on by his own sin) one can hear the voice of a raging blasphemer, here the surprising and yet unmistakable voice of reason is heard from a repentant sinner.   

The first words offered by this repentant sinner involve a statement of rebuke. “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?” (23:40). In this question, the second thief is hoping that the first recognizes that death is coming soon and it is probably not the best time to be blaspheming an innocent man and the hero sent to save them. Though their present predicament was desperate and difficult, it would not compare to what they would feel before God in judgment. Though they were now experiencing the results of being condemned by the Roman government, they would soon discover what it would feel like to be condemned by the Lord Himself!

Though this rebuke was designed to put the fear of God into this man, there is no evidence that suggests it was successful. Instead, the first criminal’s hard heart was hardened and unfortunately this is the same for many in our world today. Instead of fearing God many distance themselves from him, are hardened, and fall into condemnation.  Any reasonable person would understand that they should most fear the God who can kill body and spirit (Matt. 10:38). However, these are blinded by rage in response to pain and suffering.

On the other hand, the repentant sinner understands that what they are experiencing is exactly what they “deserve.” He acknowledges here that the punishment which was common to all the three was “justly” inflicted on him and his companion. However, the hero in the middle had been dragged to the punishment of death, not by his own crime, but by the cruelty of his enemies and by the sins of the world, -“…And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’…” (Lk. 23:41). This second thief reasonably concludes, in light of his crime, that the punishment he is suffering at present is natural and expected, not surprising or unjust. In fact, failing to be punished in the manner he was currently experiencing would have been a gross injustice. Unlike his companion thief, who believed God was unjust and/or unreal, this man recognizes that the real injustice is being exercised on the man in the middle—the very Man who was sent by God to free people from the grip of sin and the death that it brings.

As alluded to earlier, this man might represent all who reasonably conclude that their present sufferings, agonies, and even anticipated death are a natural result of their own sinful choices, mankind’s depravity, and extant wickedness that infects the entire fallen world. IN many ways, our entire earth is like Tolkien’s Middle Earth—filled with danger, death, and destruction. The difficulty we face in life and the hardships around us ought to be understood as the product of sin in our lives, the lives of others, and in creation itself.  Therefore, what we are experiencing and will experience after death without Christ is not understood as unjust, but the proper penalty assigned to each of us. The only thing we can do in light of this is call upon the Lord in brokenness and desperation and trust that he can and has put an end to the mysteriously powerful ring of sin that is tightly fixed to us all.

After recognizing that Jesus is his only hope, the repentant sinner calls upon Christ saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”  (Lk. 23:42). In this phrase readers everywhere are given one of the most remarkable and striking examples of faith ever recorded! This thief had not been thoroughly educated in the ways of Christ. Instead, he had given himself over to a life of sin and endeavored to rid himself of any sense of right and wrong by endorsing a life of thievery. However, here he suddenly rises higher than all the apostles and other disciples whom the Lord himself had taken time to instruct and adores Christ as King and asks to be invited to His kingdom! This he does while bleeding out and gasping for air on a cross! All credit for such a display of faith must go to the Holy Spirit, who, upon this man’s understanding of his sin and the necessary implications thereof, supplied the grace necessary to make this quantum leap from sin to saving faith.

Those who understand their sin and its effects are those who are broken enough to understand their dependency on Jesus for their salvation. Like this contrite convict, those who place their faith in Jesus Christ are reaching a reasonable conclusion. Jesus is the only means of escaping the sting of death and entering into eternal life. These conclude, “I am responsible for my actions, expect the consequences, and desperately need Jesus to save me.” Such brokenness before Jesus demands the attention of God.

III. PARTY #3: THE AVAILABLE REDEEMER-23:43

Do not forget that Jesus is suffering under the same excruciating pain these two thieves are experiencing. He too is hanging seven feet above Golgotha and this available redeemer is the third party in the unique fellowship taking place overhead. In His response to what has been said, it is significant to note that Jesus only addresses the second thief and ignores the first. Jesus responds to brokenness and ignores blaspheming rage. In his response to the former, Jesus provides a message of redemption.

To the repentant sinner Jesus says, “truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (Lk. 23:43). This promise reveals that Jesus, though presently humiliated before the onlookers, was still the same powerful Savior of the world who was capable of bringing life out of death and defeating the overwhelming power of sin. The second thief could expect life after death that very day with Jesus in Paradise.

As “paradise” is synonymous with heaven, Jesus makes it clear here that death is not defeat for those who repent and trust in him—it is the beginning of life with God in a more profound way. This is what the second thief could expect following his last breath. In fact, anyone who turns to Jesus, even in the last moments of his/her life, is granted fellowship with Christ for eternity thereafter.

Romans 10:13-“Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Jesus has always been about bestowing grace in response to faith. Here, he provides the grace of eternal life in heaven to a repentant convict at his execution. This same grace is available today to all who call upon Him, expecting to hear the voice of redemption. The voice of redemption says, “This world and its sufferings is not all that there is. Call upon me and know eternal life.”

Interestingly, Jesus is able to offer grace for the thief and the remainder of the world because of His own brokenness. Jesus’ heart broke so much for this dying world destined for hell that He decided to embark on a quest. His quest involved leaving heaven and entering into the mess of this world. Though he endured the darkness, danger, and death for some 30 years or so, he lived a perfect life and as such was a perfect hero. However as with many of the greatest epics, the hero is made to give his life for the sake of others. Jesus’ story is no different, serving as the sacrifice for sin, Jesus gave up his life and died a horrific death so that sin might be dealt a final death blow. As a result, Jesus alone is able to provide salvation and give life to all who turn to him in faith.

So What?

The unusual fellowship of the cross witnessed in this passage illustrates several important things that we ought to consider this Palm Sunday. Like these three, we are on an epic journey that, because of sin, ends in certain death in a dark and dangerous Middle Earth. This predicament affords us two choices. The first is represented by the hardened criminal. To those who speak of God in rage, who do not believe in God or can’t for the life of them believe that anyone would trust in a good God while there is so much pain and suffering, I say this: consider that Jesus’ own heart breaks for the world’s situation. His heart breaks so much that he was willing to journey to the cross and experience the most horrific death imaginable to redeem you out of this mess and into eternal life. He died in the worst possible way and did not deserve any bit of it! We suffer because we are sinful. He suffered though He sinned not!

The second choice is represented by the repentant sinner who realizes his/her guilt and turns to the Lord Jesus in faith for salvation. Oh that you would call upon the Lord this day if you haven’t already!

Those who learn about the cross and her many implications are given the opportunity to join a new fellowship--the fellowship of Jesus Christ. Those of this fellowship identify with Christ's cross and join his quest to bring the message of salvation to the Middle-Earth that we face all around us! To those who have been broken before Christ and in response have reached the reasonable conclusion that only Jesus can give hope in the darkness, I hope and pray that your heart might again break for the world around you as Christ’s does. If our hearts do not break for the world we will not reach the people that need to know Jesus Christ. This is what it means in Luke 9:53 when Jesus says, "and He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me'." If we fail to, like Christ, selflessly give our ourselves and willing enter the mess around us, this city will not receive the truth it desperately needs and this world and the people therein will continue to suffer under the grip of sin.