Author: Art Davison

THE WORD OF VICTORY–JOHN 19:30

Art Davison SEVEN SAYINGS 0 Comment
THE WORD OF VICTORY
JOHN 19:30
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished.”

Introduction:

The ancient Greeks boasted of being able to say much in little – to give a sea of matter in a drop of language – was regarded as the perfection of oratory. What they were looking for is here found. “It is finished” is one word in Greek, ?????, “yet in that word is contained the ground of the believer’s assurance; in that word is discovered the sum of all joy, and the very spirit of all divine consolation.”

In Jesus’ words, “My God, my God, why has Thou forsaken Me?” we heard the Savior’s cry of desolation; in His words, “I thirst,” we listen to His cry of lamentation; now there falls upon our ears His cry of jubilation – “It is finished.” We have come from the TRAGEDY of the cross to the TRIUMPH of the cross.

I. “IT IS FINISHED.” WHAT WAS FINISHED?

A. All Scripture concerning His suffering and shame was not yet fulfilled.

1. There still remained the dismissal of His spirit, Psalm 31:5, “Into thine hand I commit my spirit:”

2. There still remained the “piercing” with the spear, Zechariah 12:10, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”

3. There still remains the preserving of His bones unbroken, Psalm 34:20, “He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.”

II. “IT IS FINISHED.” WHAT? HIS SACRIFICIAL WORK WAS FINISHED.

A. What yet remained was His death.

B. These are the primary elements of propitiation:

1. Three hours of darkness had passed.

2. The awful cup of God’s wrath was drained.

3. His precious blood had already been shed.

4. The outpouring of the wrath of God had already been endured.

III. “IT IS FINISHED.” THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL THE PROPHECIES WRITTEN OF HIM BEFORE HE SHOULD DIE.

A. Centuries before, the prophets of God had described step by step the humiliation and suffering of the coming Saviour.

1. Of the woman’s seed, Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

2. Born of a woman, Galatians 4:4, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,”

3. His mother should be a “virgin,” Isaiah 7:14, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

4. The seed of Abraham, Genesis 22:18, “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”

5. Of the lineage of David, 2 Samuel 7:12-13, “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13-He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”

6. Named before He was born, Isaiah 49:1, “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.”

7. Born in Bethlehem of Judah, Micah 5:2, “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

8. Of the tribe of Judah, Genesis 49:10, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”

9. Of His flight to Egypt and return to Palestine, Hosea 11:1, “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”

10. Of His forerunner, John the Baptist, Malachi 3:1, “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.”

11. Of His miracles, Isaiah 35:5-6, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6-Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.”

12. He was prophesied as “poor and needy”, Psalm 40:17, “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.”

13. That He would speak in parables, Psalm 78:2, “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:”

14. That He would still the tempest, Psalm 107:29, “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.”

15. Of His “triumphal entry,” Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”

16. That His person should be despised, Isaiah 53:3, “He is despised and rejected of men;”

17. Rejected by the Jews, Isaiah 8:14, “And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.”

18. That He should be “hated without a cause,” Psalm 69:4a, “They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head:”

B. Just as there is a set of prophecies regarding His first Advent, there is also a set of prophecies regarding His Second Advent

1. The first set of prophecies was literally fulfilled.

2. The Second set of prophecies regarding His Second Coming will also be fulfilled literally.

CONCLUSION

The word of VICTORY!! Jesus cries out the victory. He accomplished God’s will in order TO SAVE YOUR SOUL.

THE WORD OF SUFFERING–JOHN 19:28

Art Davison SEVEN SAYINGS 0 Comment
THE WORD OF SUFFERING
JOHN 19:28
“After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.”
Introduction:

This is the fifth word from the lips of Jesus as He hung there on the cross of Calvary. The first was the Word of Forgiveness, the second was the Word of Salvation, the third was the Word of Affection and the fourth was the Word of Anguish. Now we focus on the Lord in the climax of His suffering on the cross. We see in that suffering, the man that God chose to be our Savior. He was 100% Man and 100% God.

I. PROOF THAT JESUS IS GOD AND MAN

A. Jesus advised us, Matthew 11:27, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.”

1. Jesus knows the Father face to face.

2. Man knows the Father by faith, not by sight. Faith is the belief of the truth. The Son has revealed the Father to those who have trusted Christ as their Savior, John 1:18, “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.”

B. Paul speaks of the MYSTERY OF GODLINESS, 1 Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh,…”

1. There is no “controversy” here.

2. God has manifested Himself in human flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ.

3. Paul calls this the “mystery of godliness.”

C. The Deity and Humanity of the Savior.

1. He was “the Branch of the LORD,” Isaiah 4:2, “In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.”

2. He was Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

3. He was a Prophet like Moses, Deuteronomy 18:18, “I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.”

4. He was “the man of sorrows,” Isaiah 53:3a, “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:” See also Micah 5:2; Mal. 3:1; Gen. 3:15; 2 Sam. 7:12-13; Isa. 42:1.

D. The One born in Bethlehem was the Divine Word.

1. The “Logos,” the incarnate Word of God, John 1:1, 14. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14-And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

2. Proof of His Sinless Humanity.

a. He entered this world as a babe, Luke 2:7, “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

b. He grew in “wisdom and statue,” Luke 2:52, ” And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

c. As a man He experienced fatigue, John 4:6, “Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.”

d. He experienced hunger, Matthew 4:2, “And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.”

e. Jesus suffered “thirst,” (our text).

II. THE INTENSITY OF HIS SUFFERING.

A. In previous messages we have seen that Jesus began to suffer the most excruciating agony in the garden of Gethsemane. His Soul was exceeding sorrowful.

1. He was brought before Caiaphas in the middle of the night.

2. Then He was brought before Pilate for a lengthy trail.

3. He was sent to Herod and suffered at the hands of the Roman soldiers.

4. He was returned to Pilate again for another weary delay and a beating.

5. He was sentenced to death and carried His cross to Golgatha.

6. There His hands and feet were nailed to the cross.

7. For three hours He hung there is the blistering sun until midday.

8. At midday God turned out the lights of heaven and there was total darkness upon the earth until 3:00 PM. God could not look upon His Son because He bore my sins.

9. At last He cried, “I thirst.” “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.”

III. CHRIST’S DEEP REVERANCE FOR THE WORD OF GOD.

A. Jesus was the “Blessed Man” that meditated in God’s Law “day and night,” Psalm 1:2, “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

1. The written Word was the basis for:

a. The forming of His thoughts.

b. That which filled His heart.

c. That which regulated His walk.

2. The Scriptures were His delight.

a. His defense against temptation.

b. His authority in regard to His teaching.

c. His appeal was ever to the Law and Testimony.

d. In His death-hour His mind dwelt upon the Word of Truth.

B. Jesus Examines Prophecy Concerning Himself.

1. He finds one prophecy remaining to be fulfilled.

a. Jesus was completely self-possessed, that is, in full command of his faculties, feelings, and behavior.

b. After 6 hours on the cross His mind and memory were unimpaired.

2. Jesus says, “I thirst.” Psalm 69:21, “They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”

a. Jesus had refused a drugged drink, Mark 15:23, “And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.” (Myrrh, a plant’s sap having anesthetic properties.)

IV. JESUS’ SUBMISSION TO THE FATHER’S WILL.

A. In Death as in Life, the Scripture was to the Lord the Authoritative Word of God.

1. Jesus came “that Scripture might be fulfilled.”

2. Here he shows Himself in active obedience to the Father.

B. Jesus went the whole distance to fulfill the Word of God.

1. He was denied cold water and given vinegar.

2. Here we see Him suffering yet.

CONCLUSION

“I thirst” were the words that fulfilled the last of the prophecies regarding the suffering of Jesus on the cross. Our Lord carefully looked to the Word of God so as not to leave anything undone.

I am so glad that nothing was left undone, for my salvation is based on what Jesus did for me on that day.

What did he do for you on that day? Have you received the salvation that He gave His life for on Calvary? Don’t you think it is time you made that decision to trust Christ?

THE WORD OF FORGIVENESS–THE WORDS OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS–LUKE 23:13-16, 21-24, 33-34.

Art Davison SEVEN SAYINGS 0 Comment
THE WORDS OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS
THE WORD OF FORGIVENESS
LUKE 23:13-16, 21-24, 33-34.
Introduction:

Man has done his worst! “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” (John 1:11). Christ made this world and breathed the breath of life into man, but man rejected Christ as his Savior.

Man, blinded by sin, does not see in Him the beauty that he might desire to know Him as Savior.

Yet Christ died on the cross as the sacrifice for man’s sin, praying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

I. CHRIST FULFILLED THE PROPHETIC WORD IN ISAIAH 53:12.

A. This does not refer to the ministry of Christ in the present.

1. It is true that He is able to save souls as is said in Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”

2. This speaks of what Jesus is doing now for those who have trusted in Him.

B. Isaiah 53:12 refers to the gracious act at the time of His crucifixion: “and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Note the list of 10 things regarding His suffering in this passage:

1. “He is despised and rejected of men; v. 3.

2. “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:” v. 3.

3. “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” v. 5.

4. “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth:” v. 7.

5. “And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” v. 7.

6. Not only did He suffer at the hands of men, but was “smitten of God,” v. 4.

7. “he hath poured out his soul unto death: v. 12.

8. He was buried in the tomb of a rich man, Luke 23:51-53.

9. “He was numbered with the transgressors;” v. 12.

10. “And made intercession for the transgressors.” v. 12.

II. WE SEE JESUS IDENTIFING WITH HIS PEOPLE.

A. “Father, forgive them;” vs. 28-31.

1. Never before this occasion had Jesus invoked the forgiveness of the Father for others.

2. Before He pardoned the sinners.

a. The paralytic, Matthew 9:2, “And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.”

b. The woman who wash the feet of Jesus with her tears, Luke 7:48, “And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.”

B. Why did Jesus ask the Father to pardon those folks instead of Him pronouncing them forgiven?

1. Forgiveness of sin is a divine privilege. In Mark 2:7 the Pharisees asked: “who can forgive sins but God only?”

2. Jesus could not execute his powers on the cross.

a. He had power on the earth, Matthew 9:6, “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.”

b. But on the cross He was lifted up from the earth, John 12:32, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”

c. Jesus was acting as the substitute, identifying with His people, Isaiah 53:12, “And made intercession for the transgressors.”

III. HERE WE SEE THE ESTAMATE OF SIN.

A. Ignorance is no excuse.

1. Those of the Old Testament, who were guilty of a transgression of the Law through ignorance, brought a sin-offering, Leviticus 5:15-16, “If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering: 16-And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.”

2. The Psalmist prayed in Psalms 19:12, “Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.”

B. Sin is always sin in God’s eyes. Ignorance is not innocence. “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

C. Man needs forgiveness.

1. The thief recognized his need, Luke 23: 40-42.

2. Man is without excuse.

a. Because of the life of Christ, John 7:46, “The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.”

b. Because of His message, Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

c. Because of His prayer, “Father, forgive them;” Jesus prayed for all of us, John 17:20, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;”

CONCLUSION

Jesus prayed for you on that cross! It was for your forgiveness for which He prayed. He was intervening on your behalf before the God of Heaven.

You say, Preacher, I was not there. I did not crucify Jesus Christ! Yes, but your sin did! Now Jesus is asking the Father to forgive you that you might receive Jesus as your Savior.

THE WORD OF CONTENTMENT–LUKE 23:46

Art Davison SEVEN SAYINGS 0 Comment
THE WORD OF CONTENTMENT
LUKE 23:46
“And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”
Introduction:

Jesus, having finished the work that the Father gave Him to do, is now back in full communion with the Father. In this scene we see Jesus as perfectly yielded to His Father. Herein is also revealed the absolute uniqueness of our Savior.

I. BACK IN FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER.

A. The cup of God’s wrath had been drunk, John 18: 11, “Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”

1. The Lord had prayed to the Father about this cup, Luke 22:41-43, “And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42-Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43-And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”

2. The determination to do the Father’s will, v. 42b, “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”

3. The angel of the Lord strengthen Him, v. 43, “And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.”

B. Now Jesus, having fulfilled the Scriptures regarding His suffering, was again in full fellowship with the Father.

1. Jesus had suffering at the hands of men.

2. Jesus had suffered at the hand of God.

3. But now “It is finished.”

a. The cup had been drained.

b. The awful storm of God’s wrath had spent itself.

c. The darkness was passed.

d. The sword of divine justice was sheathed.

e. The wages of sin had been paid.

f. The prophecies of His sufferings were all fulfilled.

g. The Cross had been “endured.”

h. Divine holiness had been fully satisfied.

II. JESUS CHRIST WAS PERFECTLY YIELDED TO THE FATHER.

A. Jesus was always about the Father’s business, Luke 2:49, “And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”

B. He lived by the Word of God, Matthew 4:4, “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

C. He was not moved to action by natural affection, but by the Glory of God, John 11:4, “When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”

D. His purpose was to do the will of the Father.

1. See Him in the morning in the presence of the Father, Mark 1:35, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

2. See Him anticipating every great crisis and preparing Himself for it by pouring out His heart in supplication.

3. See Him spending the very last hour before His arrest on His face before God.

E. He left us an example in everything He did.

III. THE ABSOLUTE UNIQUENESS OF THE SAVIOR.

A. The Lord Jesus died as none other ever died, Luke 23:46, “…Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit:”

1. His life was not taken from Him.

2. He laid down His life of Himself, John 10:17-18, “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18-No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

B. “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit.” Here the Holy Spirit uses three different Greek words in the Gospels to describe the Lord’s death.

1. Jesus dismissed His spirit (this speaks of His authority), Matthew 27:50, “Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.”

2. Jesus “breathed out His spirit.” This shows His passive endurance of death. Mark 15:37, “And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.” Luke 23:46, “And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.”

3. As One who has power over death, Jesus “delivers up” His spirit to the Father, John 19:30, “When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.”

C. Jesus’ uniqueness was manifested in:

1. His birth. Born of a virgin.

2. His life. Lived without sin.

3. His death. In “laying down” His life, His death was differentiated from all other deaths. He died by an act of His own volition!

CONCLUSION

“The head that once was crowned with

Thorns, is crowned with glory now;

A royal diadem adorns the mighty Victor’s brow.

The King of kings and Lord of lords,

and Heaven’s eternal Light.

The Joy of all who dwell above,

The Joy of all below,

To whom He manifests His love, and Grants His name to know.”

THE WORD OF ASSURANCE–LUKE 23:35-43

Art Davison SEVEN SAYINGS 0 Comment
THE WORD OF ASSURANCE
LUKE 23:35-43
Introduction:

The first word of the Lord Jesus on the cross was the Word of Forgiveness. He prayed for the pardon of those who were crucifying Him. Now the Lord speaks again from the cross. This time he responds to the plea of one of the two thieves crucified with Him. “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

Jesus responded by pledging, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” Let us look into what is involved in this second word from Jesus on the cross.

I. THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION.

A. The Issues of Life were before this thief.

1. Life and death were before him, Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”

2. Heaven and hell were before him, Deuteronomy 30:19, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”

3. Blessing and cursing were before him, Deuteronomy 11:26-28: “Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27-A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28- And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.”

4. Judgment and peace were before him, Ephesians 2:17: “And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.” Romans 5:18, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.”

B. The Thief’s Request, v. 42, “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

1. He knew that he was justly judged for his crimes; he recognized his sinful state, vs. 39-41, “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.”

2. He had listened to the prayer that Jesus prayed, Luke 23:34, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.”

“He saw the reality of his own sin…. Sin is seen only in the light of God’s love. Then we know sin for what it is. ‘I saw how much God cared, and then I saw how little I cared.’ So wrote one whom Calvary brought to God. Thus the thief.” (Ralph G. Turnbull).

3. He read the inscription written by Pilot, v. 38, “And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

a. This is the King of Glory, Psalm 24:7-8, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. 8- Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.”

b. This is the King of Kings, Revelation 19:16, “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

4. He appeals to the King, “Lord, remember me…”

C. The Pledge of Jesus, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” v. 43.

1. Simple, plain assurance of salvation, John 10: 28, “And I give unto them eternal life;

2. The ABSOLUTE assurance of salvation. “and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

3. God’s SEAL set upon the promise of Jesus, Ephesians 1:13, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,”

II. THE ASSURANCE OF LIFE.

A. The Fact of Eternal Life. “Paradise” comes from a Greek word meaning “a place enclosed by a wall.”

1. Paul spoke of one who was caught up to the third heaven: 2 Corinthians 12:2-4, “I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3- And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth); 4- How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”

2. The Tree of Life is in the paradise of God, Revelations 2:7, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

3. Where Jesus is, there is life. Jesus said that the thief would be “with me in paradise.” John 14:2-3, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3- And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

a. “Mansions,” Jesus has prepared a place for us that we might be with Him.

b. “A place for you” in His presence.

CONCLUSION

To the thief this promise of “today” brought the reality that Jesus meant the blotting out of the sins of the past so that the memory of his stained past would haunt him no more.

The Paradise of God is the state without sin, without sorrow, without crippling things of this sin-blighted life. That is Heaven!

The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:9, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”