SOLEMN GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE - APRIL 21, 2000

St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church - Watertown, WI

REMEMBERED ! Luke 23:39-43

Do you like to be remembered? Most of us appreciate it when someone remembers our name and is able to call us by name when they see us. But being remembered is more than someone being able to recall what our name is. When someone remembers your anniversary, your birthday or some other special and important occasion in your life, it often means that they do something for you. They may send you a card, give you a gift or do something special for you. When we ask someone to remember us when we are looking for a job, we mean that if they are able to do something to help us find a job, they will.

Many times as we go through life, we feel forgotten and alone. We come to the conclusion that no one cares, no one is interested, no one remembers us. The good news that I want to share with you on this solemn Good Friday is that you are REMEMBERED! As we in spirit stand at the foot of three crosses on the hill outside of Jerusalem called Calvary we hear I) Two Requests from two dying men. We then hear another dying man's response. We hear II) Jesus' Answer. Let's take a few minutes to examine each of those requests and then consider Jesus' answer to them.

TWO REQUESTS

There are three men being executed - Jesus, the teacher from Nazareth, and two other men who are convicted thieves. These two thieves have been hearing what people have been saying about Jesus, as the people hurled insults at our Lord. The one thief picks up on what he has been hearing. He shouts at Jesus, "If you are the Christ, rescue yourself and us." (v. 39) This thief is looking for an instant fix. He doesn't want to die this slow painful death by crucifixion. He knows that it usually takes several days to die and his death is not going to be easy. It will be slow and painful. If this Jesus really is the Messiah, he wants Jesus to get him off this cross, rescue him from the pain and the punishment that he is going through.

Does this sound familiar? We Americans are great in looking for instant fixes, in claiming that things aren't fair, in attempting to solve all problems with our hard work and with laws and rules. That is exactly what this thief is doing. He wants a quick fix to his problem and he figures if Jesus really is this supposed Savior of Israel, he should get him off the cross and fix his problem.

This past several days we have been reminded of some terrible tragedies that have happened in our nation. There was the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City five years ago which resulted in the death of 168 people. There was the shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado one year ago yesterday which resulted in the deaths of 15 people. People look for someone to blame. People look for a solution to what happened so that it will never happen again. And they look in all the wrong places. They blame the parents of the two boys who went on that shooting spree. They blame the music the boys listened to and the list goes on. In some ways we are a lot like that thief, crying out to God, "rescue me, I don't deserve what is happening to me."

There is, however, another man being executed there who has a different perspective. He scolds his fellow thief saying, "Don't you fear God, since your are under the same sentence? We are punished justly for we are getting what our deeds deserve." This man admits, "we should be executed. We are criminals. We are getting what our sins deserve."

When things go wrong in our lives, is that our response? Do we recognize that this is what we deserve for our sinfulness and our sins? Or are we screaming and complaining, "this isn't fair." "I don't deserve this to happen to me."? As we get older and our strength begins to decline, our hearing is not as sharp, our eyesight becomes dimmer, do we complain? Do we become depressed because we aren't as sharp as we used to be? Or do we recognize this as evidence of the truth, "The wages of sin is death." Each and everyone of us is dying and it's not natural, it's not pleasant. But it is the result of sin in our lives. When we have troubles in our marriages, with our children, with the people we work with, do we acknowledge this is because of sin, my sin and the sins of the people that I live with. Why are there so many problems in our marriages? Why do we have so many difficulties in raising our children? Why are there so many problems at work? It is because of sin. We are imperfect and we live in an imperfect world. What we are experiencing are the consequences of sin. As the apostle said, "We must go through many hardships to enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22b) Why do some of us have heart attacks and strokes? Why do some of us contract cancer? It's sin. Why those tragedies in Oklahoma City and Littleton, Colorado? It is sin. All those incidents just point to the basic selfishness that lives in everyone of us. The second thief acknowledged that they were getting what they deserved. It is only because of the grace and mercy of God that you and I don't get everything that we deserve for our sinfulness and sins.

There were two requests that were made from those crosses that day. The first was save me. The second is totally different. The second thief said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." (v. 42) What's he mean? This man recognized who Jesus was. He knew that he was an innocent man. He knew that Jesus was the Christ, the promised Savior. He asked to be remembered when Jesus entered his kingdom. That's not just don't forget me but do something for me. This thief recognized he could do nothing for himself, but he believed that Jesus could do something for him. This man also knew that there was life after this world. He wanted eternal help. He did not want help for what was happening to him right now. He wanted help for eternity.

So many today do not think about what is going to happen after life here. In fact, we are being desensitized to death as we continue to murder the unborn and now are taking aim at the elderly, sick and disabled. We are told that we are just like the rest of the animal kingdom and we need to get out of the way when we become a burden to others and to our economy. There is more than our years on this planet. There is an eternity waiting for us. Where will we spend it? What will we experience after the separation of our soul from our body?

JESUS' ANSWER

Jesus' answer to the thief are some of the most refreshing and renewing words ever spoken. Jesus promised this man, "I will remember you." I will do something for you. Jesus assures this man, "I tell you the truth, Today, you will be with me in paradise." (v. 43) This man is not going to receive what his sins truly deserve, eternal punishment in hell.

What this thief should receive is to be banished from God forever in the torments and suffering of eternal damnation. In fact, that is what everyone of us, the entire human race deserves. We don't like to hear that. We have been told that we are good people. We are living in a time when no one is wrong. Everybody is ok. Any type of action or life style is perfectly acceptable. We are not to call anything wrong. Why? Because we will destroy someone's self-esteem. If my self-esteem came from my accomplishments, my abilities, my words, deeds and thoughts, then I wouldn't feel very good. But our self-esteem does not come from within us. It comes from what God has done for us. He has remembered us. He has freed us from sin's control and the punishment that we have earned because of our imperfection. He has set us free from fear - the fear of eternal punishment in hell, the fear of death, and the fear of living in this world. For you see Jesus in his great love has remembered us. He has rescued us.

How? Today we are commemorating one of the great works that Jesus did to rescue and save us. He suffered the torments of hell and eternal damnation for us. For those three hours when darkness covered the earth from noon until three o'clock Jesus suffered what we deserve. He experienced the wrath and anger of God. He suffered that so that we might never have to experience being separated from all of the blessings of God forever. The other great work that Jesus did is mentioned by the thief, "This man has done nothing wrong." (v. 41b) Jesus did what we can't do. He was holy. He lived a perfect life. Never had an evil thought. Never said an unkind word. Never did anything which was contrary to the will of his heavenly Father. He did this for you and me. So that when he was offered as a sacrifice on that cross, he was not

suffering for his own sins. He had none. He was suffering for your sins, mine and the sins of every human being who will ever live on this earth.

Why did Jesus do this? Because he loves you. He loves me. He loves the entire human race. But we have done nothing to deserve this love. That's right. That is what is so marvelous about God's love. It is totally undeserved and unearned. Yet God who is rich in mercy and love sacrificed his Son, Jesus, for us so that we might be with him forever in paradise.

What comfort these words of Jesus were to that thief. He would be with the Lord in heaven that very evening. He did not receive what his sins deserved. He received instead, the free gift of eternal life with God in glory. What comfort these words are to you and me. When our last hour comes we have the same assurance, that very day we will be with Jesus in paradise. We will be there not because we were such good Christians; not because we tried so hard to live a decent life. We will be with the Lord because Jesus Christ lived for us, suffered and died for us and rose triumphant from his grave.

The good news is: God has remembered you.

Amen

Heavenly Father,

We have paused in our lives this afternoon to come to your house and to ponder. We are here to think about what you have done for us. We are here to remember and realize that we nailed Jesus to that cross by our sins. Impress upon us the seriousness of sin, our sin. Cause us to see the terrible punishment that we rightly deserve for our imperfection. But do not leave us without hope. Help us to see and hear Jesus words, "I remember you." May your great love for us fill us with peace - the peace of knowing that our sins are washed away in the blood of Jesus. Fill us with the certain peace that on our last day we will enter paradise to be with you and all the saints forever. Hear us for Jesus' sake. Amen.

Holy Jesus

We cannot fathom nor understand how you could love us so much that you would lay your life down for us. We might be willing to lay our life down for someone who loved us and we truly loved, but to willingly die for those who hated you and despised you is beyond our understanding. Yet that is what you did and we can never thank you enough. We praise you for freeing us from fear - the fear of punishment for our sins, the fear of death itself and the fear of living. As we leave your house this afternoon, let us leave with that peace of knowing that on the day when you will call us from this world, we will like that thief, be with you in paradise forever. Help us Holy Savior to share that good news with our families and friends, so that all of us may spend eternal life with you in glory Amen

Remembered

I. Two requests

A. 1st thief - immediate fix

1. our requests & demands for immediate solutions

B. 2nd thief - eternal help

1. our need to recognize the consequences of sin

2. the request - remember me

II. Jesus' Answer

A. I will remember you

B. What the thief & we also deserve

C. What God does

D. How did God do that?

E. Why did God do that? - Love

F. The comfort for the thief & us