Matthew 27:32–66 Jesus’ Death on the Cross

[Study Aired December 22, 2025]

Our study for today looks at the crucifixion of Jesus, His death and burial, and finally, the conspiracy of the Chief priests and the Pharisees to urge Pilate to post soldiers on guard duty at Jesus’ tomb.  

The Crucifixion

Mat 27:32  And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross. 

The significance of Simon of Cyrene bearing the cross for the crucifixion of Christ is that all humanity must come to know the fellowship of the Lord’s suffering. The Lord’s way of salvation involves completing whatever remains of Christ’s suffering, first by His elect in this age, and later, by the whole of the human race during the lake of fire age. This fellowship of His suffering is the same as taking up our cross to follow Him.

Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church: 

Php 3:10  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 
Php 3:11  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 

Luk 9:23  And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luk 9:24  For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 

Taking up our cross to follow the Lord means self-denial, total surrender of personal will, dreams, and desires to God, and accepting the sacrifices and hardships that come with discipleship, even to death, just as Jesus did.  

The reason we must partake of the Lord’s suffering is because it is through this we become like Him in His death, so that we shall be raised up from our spiritual death to sit with Christ in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 

It is worth noting in verse 32 that Simon of Cyrene was compelled to bear the cross of Christ. This is to let us know that it is the Lord who compels us to partake of the fellowship of His suffering. We do not have a choice in this. If we are to sit with Christ on thrones, then we must drink of His cup and be baptized with His baptism.

Mat 20:20  Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 
Mat 20:21  And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 
Mat 20:22  But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
Mat 20:23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. 

Mat 27:33  And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, 

It is insightful to know that the crucifixion happened at the place called Golgotha or the place of Skull. A skull is the skeletal structure of the head that supports the face and protects the brains. The skull is therefore devoid of the flesh. What this implies is that the reason why we must partake of the Lord’s suffering is that it is through this process that our flesh or our old man is destroyed or put to death. In other words, the end result of our suffering is the destruction of our flesh, so that we would not serve sin.  

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 
Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin. 
Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 
Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 
Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
Rom 6:12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 

Mat 27:34  They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. 
Mat 27:35  And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. 

Jesus being given a sour wine mixed with myrrh (gall) to drink was to relieve Him of pain, since myrrh is a narcotic, and narcotics are used as severe pain relievers. The reason Jesus refused to drink was therefore to live by the word of the Lord that He was to bear our pain. Jesus is therefore showing us that by our suffering, we are living by the word of the Lord. 

Isa 53:4  He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God. 
Isa 53:5 He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well. (CEV)

Mat 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. 

It is important to note that after Jesus was crucified, they cast lots for His parted garments. In the Book of Mark, this was how it was narrated:

Mar 15:24  And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. 

As we are aware, garments represent our righteousness. The parting of the garments of Jesus means that every unregenerated man has a different viewpoint of what the righteousness of Christ is about. That is why for example, some people think that being kind is righteous and will take them to Christ. Some also hold in high esteem peace, thinking that by being peaceful, they are righteous.  However, to the Lord’s elect, we know that we are made the righteousness of God through Jesus.

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

The fact that a lot was cast regarding Jesus’ garments means that it is the Lord who has made every unregenerated man not to have a full view of His righteousness. That is to say that it is impossible to understand the righteousness that comes with Christ in our carnal state. However, this veil of not knowing Christ’s righteousness is removed when Christ comes to us, His elect, with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. 

Pro 16:33  The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. (ESV) 

2Th 2:8  And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 

Mat 27:36  And sitting down they watched him there; 
Mat 27:37  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 

Jesus’ kingdom is spiritual in this age and He is indeed the spiritual King of the Jews. The people trying to mock Jesus by saying that He is the King of the Jews did not understand that in this age, Jesus’ kingdom is spiritual and that He is king over His elect, who are spiritual Jews. However, when He comes with His angels, the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. That will be the time when everyone will see that He is indeed the physical King of not only the Jews, but the whole world. 

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: 
Luk 17:21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.  

Rom 2:28  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Rev 11:15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.  

Mat 27:38  Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 

In the account of Luke, these two thieves were designated as malefactors. According to Strong’s Dictionary, a malefactor is an evil doer, which we all are without Christ. The two thieves who were crucified with Christ therefore spiritually represent all of humanity who must share in the Lord’s suffering as part of the process of being saved.

Php 3:10  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 
Php 3:11  that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 

The two thieves being placed on the right and the left hand of Jesus show us that there are two categories of people in this world – those who are the Lord’s elect and those who are not given to know Christ in this age. However, we were all evil doers before Christ came to us. 

Luk 23:33  And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 

Luk 23:39  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 
Luk 23:40  But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 
Luk 23:41  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 
Luk 23:42  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.  

Based on the account of Luke, the malefactor or the evil doer on the right hand knew he was sinful and that the suffering he was enduring was the result of his sins. He therefore asked Jesus to remember him when He comes into His kingdom. This thief on the right hand of the Lord therefore represents the Lord’s elect who are being saved in this age. The rest of humanity is represented by the thief on the left hand of Christ who is going to be judged in the lake of fire age. As we are aware, it is through judgment that they will also learn righteousness. 

This story about these two thieves is consistent with how the Lord will gather all nations just like a shepherd divides his sheep on his right and the goats on the left. As Jesus said, those on His right hand are those blessed of the Father and are going to inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. Those on the left, who are represented by the thief who mocked Christ on the cross, signify those who are cursed into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels.   

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 
Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

It is important here to point out an erroneous teaching based on this account of Luke, in which Jesus told the thief on His right side the following:

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.  

This verse has led to the false doctrine that immediately after we die, we go to be with the Lord in paradise. When we look at this verse carefully, we can see that where the comma was placed was wrong as it tends to suggest that we shall go to paradise immediately when we die. This is how this verse should have read:

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee Today,  thou shalt be with me in paradise.  

This makes it clear that the thief will be in paradise one day and not immediately. 

Mat 27:39  And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 
Mat 27:40  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 
Mat 27:41  Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 
Mat 27:42  He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 
Mat 27:43  He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 
Mat 27:44  The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.  

We can see from these verses that the way of salvation is evil spoken of when our understanding becomes darkened, and we are alienated from the life of God. We were just like these people who were mocking Jesus at a certain stage of our walk with Christ. In his letter to Paul, a type of the Lord’s elect, Paul expressed his darkened mind before Christ came to him as being a blasphemer, a persecutor and injurious.    

Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 
Eph 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 

1Ti 1:12  And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; 
1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 

The Death of Jesus

Mat 27:45  Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. 
Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 

The number six is the number of man and that of nine signifies God’s judgment. Therefore, the sixth hour being dark up to the ninth hour means that man in his natural state is in total darkness with regard to our relationship with Christ, and it is not until Christ comes to us with His judgment through the spirit of His mouth and His brightness that the light of Christ, who is the sun, begins to shine in our lives. 

Gen 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 

Gen 1:31 And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 

2Ki 17:6  In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria (judgment), and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 

2Co 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 
2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

It was on the ninth hour that Jesus cried with a loud voice of God forsaking Him. This all shows that Jesus was as human as us during this period of His trial. We think the Lord has forsaken us during periods of our trial. Indeed, the Lord does forsake us, but for a moment.  

Isa 54:7  For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 
Isa 54:8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer. 

Mat 27:47  Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias. 
Mat 27:48  And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink. 
Mat 27:49  The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him. 

We must understand that if we refuse to pay heed to the truth of the Lord’s words, the Lord will send a strong delusion to deceive us. Jesus was talking about how God has forsaken Him for a moment, and the people thought in verses 47 and 49 that Jesus was calling for Elijah to come and save Him. 

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Again, we can see here in verse 48 that Jesus refused to drink of the sour wine. As explained earlier, Jesus’ refusal to drink of this sour wine was because He did not want to lessen the pain of the cross so that He will live by the word of the Lord that He was to bear our pain.

Isa 53:4  He suffered and endured great pain for us, but we thought his suffering was punishment from God. 
Isa 53:5 He was wounded and crushed because of our sins; by taking our punishment, he made us completely well. (CEV)

Mat 27:50  Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 
Mat 27:51  And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 
Mat 27:52  And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 
Mat 27:53  And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 
Mat 27:54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 

It was necessary for Christ to die to demonstrate God’s love for all humanity even when we were drowned in sin. Although He was sinless, He became sin for us, so that we could become righteous in God. 

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 
Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 

In verse 51, we can see that the death of Jesus resulted in the veil of the temple being divided into two from the top to the bottom. It symbolized that Jesus’ sacrifice, through the shedding of His blood, was a sufficient atonement for sins. It also indicates that the way into the Holy of Holies was open for all people, for all time, both Jew and Gentile. 

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 

To understand the significance of the earth quaking and the rocks splitting after the death of Christ, let’s take a look at 1 Samuel 13:6. Here we are told that the Israelites hid in caves, holes (earth) and rocks when they were in trouble from their enemies. 

1Sa 13:6  When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns,

The Lord is therefore telling us that His death is able to set us free from every circumstance that we find ourselves in.  

1Ki 19:11  And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

In verses 52 and 53, the graves being opened and the saints coming out of their graves occurred at the Lord’s resurrection. This demonstrates the power of the Lord’s resurrection which is able to raise us up to sit with Him in heavenly places. 

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 
Eph 2:6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 
Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 

1 Co 6:14  And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 

Php 3:10  that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 
Php 3:11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 

In verse 54, the centurion, together with the people with Him, after seeing what had happened, acknowledged that Jesus is indeed the son of God. We know from the word of the Lord that acknowledging that Jesus was the son of God does not mean one is saved, as propagated by the church system of this world. Salvation is a process which is attained at the very end and not at the beginning. 

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

It is important to clarify an issue about the death of Christ. In 1 Peter 3:18-20, we are given the following:

1Pe 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1Pe 3:19  By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 
1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 

These words by Peter have been misinterpreted by the church system of this world to mean that when Jesus died, He went straight to hell to preach to those who were there. This is false doctrine of the highest order. This is what has led to the false doctrine that when we die, we go straight to heaven. What this interpretation is suggesting is that Jesus did not die. As indicated in the Book of Job, when we die, we do not rise from death until the Lord’s appointed time in which He will call and we will answer. The same applies to Jesus. He was in the grave for three days and did not go to hell to preach any gospel, until the Lord called and He answered. 

Job 14:12  So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 
Job 14:13  O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! 
Job 14:14  If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. 
Job 14:15 Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands.  

To understand what the Lord was saying to us in 1 Peter 3:18-20, we need to know that we represent Christ here on earth, and during Noah’s time, he represented Christ. The people in Noah’s time were the spirits in prison, and it was Noah who represented Christ and preached to the people.  

2Pe 2:4  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 
2Pe 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 

Mat 27:55  And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him: 
Mat 27:56  Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s children. 

These women represent the church of the firstborn or Jerusalem which is above. The women ministering unto Jesus means that the role of the church is to minister to one another and as we do so, we are ministering to Jesus. This ministration is therefore through what every joint supplies. 

Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

The fact that the women were looking at the Lord afar off shows the transition stage of the church of the Lord’s elect. When we are worshiping the Lord through the law of Moses, then we are worshiping or looking afar off. That is the same as worshiping the Lord with a veil, just as Moses wore a veil to cover the fading glory. 

Exo 24:1  And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.

2Co 3:13  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 
2Co 3:14  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 
2Co 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

To us His elect, this veil has been removed from us as the church of the firstborn are now worshipping the Lord in truth and in spirit. 

2Co 3:16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. 

Jesus is Buried

Mat 27:57  When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus’ disciple:
Mat 27:58  He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. 
Mat 27:59  And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 
Mat 27:60  And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. 
Mat 27:61  And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre. 

Jesus died among thieves but His burial was like that of a rich man. This is to let us know that it is through the death of our flesh that we become rich in Christ. 

Isa 53:9  And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.
Isa 53:10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 

2Co 8:9  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 

It is instructive to note that when Jesus died, His body was wrapped in a clean linen cloth (verse 59). It is through the dying of our old man or flesh that we resurrect to this new life of having the righteousness of Christ represented here by the clean linen cloth.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. 

The Guard at the Tomb

Mat 27:62  The next day, which was the day of worship, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together and went to Pilate. 
Mat 27:63  They said, “Sir, we remember how that deceiver said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will be brought back to life.’ 
Mat 27:64  Therefore, give the order to make the tomb secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may steal him and say to the people, ‘He has been brought back to life.’ Then the last deception will be worse than the first.” 
Mat 27:65  Pilate told them, “You have the soldiers you want for guard duty. Go and make the tomb as secure as you know how.” 
Mat 27:66  So they went to secure the tomb. They placed a seal on the stone and posted the soldiers on guard duty. 

From these verses, we can see the scheme of the people was inspired by the devil to keep Jesus in the grave. We know from the word of the Lord that Jesus came out of the grave on the third day and revealed Himself to many of His disciples. These verses of scripture above are therefore to let us know that no matter the opposition or the obstacles which confront us in our everyday lives, the Lord is able to do exceedingly beyond what we can think of, or imagine, as He overcomes these obstacles on our behalf, since we are the apple of His eyes, just like Jesus. That is why we are admonished to enter into His rest as He carries us on His eagles’ wings to Himself, just as He carried the people of Israel to Himself.

Exo 19:4  Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself. 

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 

May His Name be Praised. Amen!!

Oba 1:5a  If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? If the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave grapes?

[Study Aired January 3, 2024]

Oba 1:5  If^H518 thieves^H1590 came^{H935 (H8804 Qal)} to thee, if^H518 robbers^{H7703 (H8802 Qal)} by night,^H3915 (how^H349 art thou cut off!)^{H1820 (H8738 Niphal)} would they not^H3808 have stolen^{H1589 (H8799 Qal)} till they had enough?^H1767 if^H518 the grapegatherers^{H1219 (H8802 Qal)} came^{H935 (H8804 Qal)} to thee, would they not^H3808 leave^{H7604 (H8686 Hiphil)} grapes^H5955

H518 – Eem, if, no, not, if…if, whether…or, whether…or…or, when, whenever, since, but rather, a primitive particle

H1590 – Gannab, thief, from a primitive root H1589, Ganab, to steal, steal away, carry away, be stolen, steal away, be stolen away, be brought by stealth, go by stealth

H935 – Bo, (Qal) to enter, come, go, come in/with/upon, fall or light upon, attack, come to pass, attain to, be enumerated, a primitive root

H518 – see above

H7703 – Shadad, (Qal) to violently destroy, devastate, despoil, assail, devastator, despoiler, a primitive root

H3915 – Layil, night, protective shadow, from H3883, Lool, staircase, winding stair, shaft or enclosed space with steps or ladder, (Used once in OT) from an unused root meaning to fold back

H349 – Ake, how, prolonged from H335, Ahee, where, whence, which, how perhaps from H370, Ahyin, where, whence, probably identical with H369, Ayin, nothing, not, nought, have not, without, for lack of, as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist 

H1820 – Damah, (Niphal) to be cut off, be undone, a primitive root

H3808 – Lo, not, no, nothing, without, before (of time), a primitive particle

H1589 – Ganab, (Qal) to steal, a primitive root

H1767 – Dahee, sufficiency, enough, for, according to the abundance of, out of the abundance of, as often as, of uncertain derivation

H518 – see above

H1219 – Batsar, A primitive root; to clip off; specifically (as denominative from H1210) to gather grapes; also to be isolated (that is, inaccessible by height or fortification): – cut off, (de-) fenced, fortify, (grape) gather (-er), mighty things, restrain, strong, wall (up), withhold.

H935 – see above

H3808 – see above

H7604 – Shahar, (Hiphil) to leave, leave/keep over, spare, have left, a primitive root

H5955 – Olelah, gleaning, act part of a primitive root H5953, Alal, to act severely, deal with severely, make a fool of someone, be severely dealt with, busy oneself, divert oneself, deal wantonly, deal ruthlessly, abuse, practise practices, thrust forth, glean, act or play the child, insert, thrust, thrust in, thrust upon. A primitive root; to effect thoroughly; specifically to glean (also figuratively); by implication (in a bad sense) to overdo

We will look at two Hebrew words of this verse:

[1] Thief [H1590]
[2] Grapegatherer [H1219]

[1] Thief

As with all applications in scripture, there is both a positive and a negative. Here is the negative application of thief.

Joh 10:7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them
Joh 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly

Here is the positive application:

1Th 5:2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night

Rev 3:3  Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 

Rev 16:15  Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Christ comes to us in the night, as in the night of our understanding while we are still in the darkness of Babylon.

Zec 1:8  I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.

The Bible is Christ-centric, and man (the translators) have made it man-centric to fit with early Christian church doctrine. To the earthly flesh, a thief will always have a negative connotation. A thief does indeed come to steal, to take away. However, as the elect of Christ, we are given to see the positive application of the word. We are indeed grateful Christ is coming “as a thief” to chasten and purge us of the carnal mind. It is to be seen in the positive light that Christ is a “thief” and that the night is not really night for him, both darkness and light are alike to Him:

Psalm 139:12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

Mat 24:40  Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:41  Two shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Mat 24:42  Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Mat 24:43  But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Mat 24:44  Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Mat 24:45  Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Mat 24:46  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
Mat 24:47  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

It is Jacob who supplants Esau. One remains and the other is taken away. Just so, in our lives, the New man remains as the old man (Esau/Edom/the carnal mind) is taken away. It is the faithful and wise servant who remains, not of his own volition, not because he had the power and foresight to know when the thief was approaching, but simply because he remains by the grace of God.

No man knows the hour the thief (Christ) comes because Christ comes by stealth. This is compared and juxtaposed with a time when Christ will come with “a great sound of a trumpet” where people will “see the Son of Man coming in the clouds” (Matthew 24). However, the timing of this coming not even Christ himself knows:

Mat 24:36  But of that day and hour knoweth not, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Mar 13:32  But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

[2] Grapegatherer

The parallel passage of Obadiah 1:5 is found in Jeremiah 49:9-10

Jer 49:9  If grapegatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? if thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.
Jer 49:10  But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself.

The old man, despite his own high opinion of his crafty ways and his tendency to try and hide himself in high and lofty places, is no match for Christ. The old man is not able to hide himself from the thief or the grapegatherer. In the Song of Solomon the elect is referred to as the dove who is in the “clefts of the rock” hiding in the “secret places of the stairs” (the shadows):

Song 2:13  The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Song 2:14  O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
Song 2:15  Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

The dove (the bride) is instructed to come away from these secret places to be refined. Just as the wheat and tares cannot hide themselves from the farmer at harvest, so, too, when the grapegatherer appears, the work is completed thoroughly (overdone) so nothing will be left in the gleaning process of refinement.

Jer 6:9  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall thoroughly glean^{H5953 H5953} the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.

H5953 עָלַל
‛âlal [aw-lal’] A primitive root; to effect thoroughly; specifically to glean (also figuratively); by implication (in a bad sense) to overdo.

Isa 1:25  And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge [H6884 A primitive root; to fuse (metal), that is, refine] away thy dross, and take away all thy tin.

Mal 3:2  But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s<supH6884 fire, and like fullers’ soap:

Conclusion

God is building His temple “thoroughly.” It is done through the process of the refiner’s fire. The refiner’s fire teaches us to forsake ungodliness and chastens and scourges us. We are the temple being built, and so, too, we are the “weakness” of God, but still privileged to be considered an heir of the “grace of life”. 

1Co 1:25  Because the foolishness of God (the elect) is wiser than men; and the weakness of God (the body of Christ) is stronger than men.

1Pe 3:7  Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life.

All this is done so that no flesh (None of Esau/Edom/ the old man) can glory in His presence:

1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord

Spiritual Principle: All words in scripture have a positive and negative application.

Audio Links

Awesome Hands – part 69

“The ten commandments” part 2

November 19th, 2014

I finished up the last study with quoting Matthew and what that means concerning all that Moses and the prophets wrote about in the law.

Mat 22:36  Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38  This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Anything we are going to cover with the ten commandments is going to hang on the two commandments mentioned above.

It may seem like a trivial word to mention, but the word “hang” provides as an insight on what we can conclude about the ten commandments, what they mean to us and how they apply to our Christian lives today.

Mat 22:40  OnG1722 theseG5025 twoG1417 commandmentsG1785 hangG2910 allG3650 theG3588 lawG3551 andG2532 theG3588 prophets.G4396

The Greek word G2910 is found just a few times in the Greek:

G2910

kremannumi

Total KJV Occurrences: 7

hanged, 4

Mat 18:6, Luk 23:39, Act 5:30, Act 10:39

hang, 2

Mat 22:39-40 (2), Act 28:4

hangeth, 1

Gal 3:13

Mat 18:6  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Luk 23:39  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

Act 5:30  The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

Act 10:39  And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

Act 28:4  And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.

Gal 3:13  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

The ten commandments, the law and the prophets hang down from and are summed up from two commandments given to us by Jesus.

In other words, these two commandments are just as important to us, when we consider how we live these commandments out today, as the CROSS is to who Jesus was.

As we ended the study last week we had some discussion as we always do and Steven Lozo mentioned Deuteronomy 6 in connection with the study.

Deu 6:1  Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:
Deu 6:2  That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
Deu 6:3  Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
Deu 6:4  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deu 6:5  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Deu 6:6  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
Deu 6:7  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Deu 6:8  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
Deu 6:9  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

It should be clear that the Lord wants us to keep his commandments, statutes and judgments. When we keep them we must realize that we are talking about the same commandment no matter what the “detail” is of that angle of the commandment.

“The last ‘five’ of the ten commandments”

For example, “love God with all your heart, soul strength and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself” is the same thing as saying “thou shall not kill”.

6) You may be thinking that they can’t possibly be the same, but let us examine that idea a little closer.

Exo 20:13  Thou shalt not kill.

Here is the new man and new testament way of dealing with this commandment:

Mat 5:20  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:21  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Mat 5:23  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
Mat 5:24  Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

1Jn 3:14  We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
1Jn 3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

When you compare what eternal life IS to what the law and prophets are, you will find how it is we can enter into life aionion.

Joh 15:12  This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

2Jn 1:5  And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
2Jn 1:6  And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

What all of these commandments simplify down to is that if you love God and your neighbor, thereby having eternal/aionios life dwelling in you, then you will NEVER murder your neighbor, you will honor your father and mother, you will not have any other gods before the One True God the Father, etc.

It is good to get down to the specifics of how we can apply these spiritual lessons to our lives today, but the “secret” hidden from the foundation of the world is that Jesus Christ encompasses all of this commandments and any of His body that He is dwelling in will have these “great” commandments LIVING in them as well.

7)  Adultery is just like the other commandments in both having a physical and outward application and also having a spiritual one.

Exo 20:14  Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Mat 5:27  Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Jesus mentioned specific roles in Matthew 5:27 and 28, but this applies just as much to women as it does to men. More importantly, this spiritual admonition applies to those “other women not our wives” who are ALSO not the “TRUE BRIDE” of Christ.

When we lust after any church or any “body” which is not the bride of Christ, then we are committing spiritual adultery against our Husband.

Simply put, we all do this in our time, but some of us are redeemed by the Lord and brought back to Him. If you think you are not one who is guilty of committing spiritual adultery, then you are excluding yourself from needing to live out the Revelation of Jesus within you.

The fellow servants of Jesus “keep the things written therein” (Rev 1:3, Rev 22:9).

Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Rev 2:5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

8) It may seem fairly straight forward what “thou shall not steal” means for us and it is in the physical sense. However, we know there is more than meets the eye with all of these commandments.

Exo 20:15  Thou shalt not steal.

So, how do we apply this spiritually?

Joh 10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:8  All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
Joh 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Anyone that came before Jesus is a thief. Anyone that doesn’t come through the door is not of the fold.

The spiritual application of not stealing is to not be a thief and a robber who speaks through a forked tongue, as they speak doctrine which was not spoken by Christ. These doctrines kill and destroy and hinder those going through to know the way, truth and life.

Luk 11:48  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
Luk 11:51  From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
Luk 11:52  Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

9) Bearing false witness against your neighbor certainly is not showing that aionios life is dwelling in you.

Exo 20:16  Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

As with all the commandments we have mentioned already, the physical application applies, but what does it mean to bear false witness in the spirit? To answer that, I will use a parable that Jesus gave us.

Mat 15:13  But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
Mat 15:14  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
Mat 15:15  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.

If you already have the desire and intent in your heart to break one of these commandments physically, then you have a dirty cup on the inside which needs cleansing.

Mat 15:16  And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
Mat 15:17  Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
Mat 15:18  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
Mat 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
Mat 15:20  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

Of course one of the best examples of bearing false witness came against Jesus Himself.

Mar 14:55  And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
Mar 14:56  For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together.

To bare false witness spiritually is to again have false doctrine which DOES NOT agree together with Jesus, His Word and His deeds/works.

If we don’t believe the words, we must believe the works because they bear fruit which can be seen and which shows us what is on the “inside of the cup”.

Joh 10:37  If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.
Joh 10:38  But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Joh 14:11  Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

10) Though shall not covet is a very important commandment that is often missed in spiritual application.

Exo 20:17  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.

If we look at all the list of the things we are not to covet and then take those same things and apply them internally, then we are able to understand that these are spiritual GIFTS given to us by the Father.

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Rom 12:4  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
Rom 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Rom 12:6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Rom 12:7  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
Rom 12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Rom 12:9  Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Rom 12:10  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Rom 12:11  Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Rom 12:13  Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Rom 12:14  Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
Rom 12:15  Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Rom 12:16  Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

I could have continued to read the rest of Romans 12, but you get the picture. The items listed above are things which we ALL BENEFIT FROM if we are one mind and one body. Isn’t that abundantly clear?

How can we covet our neighbor’s spiritual house if our neighbor is loved as we loved ourselves? We should be seeing any gifts given to any individual as gifts given to the body of Christ and to be used for the body of Christ.

If we see them in this way, then we will not covet things given to another part of the body any more than we would want more than two feet or two hands.

Why covet something that the Father has determined is to be used for the body and has also supplied adequately enough so that the body will be in a healthy balance by what is supplied?

We are the house and temple of God. When we are one with Jesus and the Father, there is no purpose or need to covet another house.

Indeed, we are cleansed BY THE WORD, which is the contrast of all the things which occupy our heart and cause us to be a lawless and disobedient people.

The laws and commandments given to us in the ten commandments were given to us because we are all first naturally lawless and disobedient people.

1Ti 1:8  But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
1Ti 1:9  Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

For the “righteous new man” in us, we can take the same law and use it lawfully, knowing that when we do, we will bear much fruit and glorify the Father.

We will know we are doing all that we do to glorify the Father when we bear much fruit in our actions and works.

Joh 15:3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Joh 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Joh 15:8  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Joh 15:9  As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

If we keep His commandments, then we are keeping His words, we are cleansed and we will have profit via fruit that glorifies the Father. These are the things which will remain when the fire comes to consume all it can.

Otherwise, we will suffer loss.

Jer 7:4  Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.
Jer 7:5  For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;
Jer 7:6  If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
Jer 7:7  Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
Jer 7:8  Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.

Being a “Crook” I thought this topic would be something I could speak on boldly.

Oftentimes, we see three crosses depicted together signifying the two thieves who hung on two different crosses on the sides of Jesus Christ who was being crucified with them at the time.

What is not readily spiritually seen in this depiction is just what Christ told the thieves while He was hanging in tremendous pain, agony and suffering.

As with all things Christ spoke, there is a great mystery and spiritual lesson hidden just below the surface of what Christ says “in the letter” or in “plain English” as I use to hear in my Baptist upbringing.

In this study today, I hope that we will be given eyes that see and ears which hear what Christ tells each and every one of us, and the spiritual message He gives as He also told the thieves while hanging on the cross.

Indeed, at our appointed time we are all thieves and robbers, but there is One who has the solution to this “death sentence”.

“Thou shall be with me in paradise”

In starting this study, we will begin with Christ’s own words. Unless otherwise noted, I will be quoting from the KJV, but for this passage I will be quoting from the ESV (English standard version) for clarity.

Luk 23:36  The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine
Luk 23:37  and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
Luk 23:38  There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
Luk 23:39  One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
Luk 23:40  But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
Luk 23:41  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Luk 23:42  And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Luk 23:43  And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Luk 23:44  It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,
Luk 23:45  while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
Luk 23:46  Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

After coming to know Christ the way I have, and continuing to grow in Him daily, Lord willing, I often hear a recurring theme from those who think I am just plain crazy.

Is it any wonder though, because if it happened to Christ it WILL happen to us. We claim to be sons of God, but according to what almost all of Christianity teaches, this should place us in such a good position with God that He wouldn’t possibly do such a thing as hang us on a cross!

Look at how Christ is mocked and ridiculed.

“If you are the ‘king of the jews’, save YOURSELF…”

What most of us are taught initially is that we ARE the ones who save ourselves simply by saying a “ten-second sinner’s prayer”. So, it isn’t any wonder that those who mock ‘the Christ’ are the ones who expect us to save ourselves. After all, we are sons of God, no?

Not only that, but we are often mocked with the concept of us wanting to be something we are not or that we think we are better than those with whom we are speaking simply because we claim the inheritance that has been promised to us instead of “selling it for a bowl of pottage” like Esau did.

Of course, we do all initially sell our inheritance for things of this world, and that is exactly what this whole topic is about.

Whatever Christ admonishes one thief on the cross, does not apply to the other in type and shadow, but what exactly do I mean by that?

Well, one thief is accusing Christ, and the other is fully admitting and accepting of the truth that he is on this cross BECAUSE of what has been worked in His life. Of course, we aren’t addressing that the thieves have no concept of God’s sovereignty.

One thief tells the other unrepentant thief, “you are under the same condemnation, but you don’t fear God,” and his end point really brings home the truth of, “we are receiving due reward for our deeds”, but Christ Himself has done nothing wrong.

Being that this is a familiar story for us all, I hope we can bring out a few practical points on what it is we are being told and what and how we can apply it to our everyday lives.

Luk 23:42  And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Luk 23:43  And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Knowing that the kingdom of God is within us, how then can the doctrine that we die and go to heaven or hell apply to the thief being told that He would be with Christ today in paradise if indeed the dead know not anything?

Ecc 9:4  For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Ecc 9:5  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

The short answer is that Christ was NOT telling the thief he would see Christ in heaven, out on a rock in space, that very day.

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Luk 17:22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
Luk 17:23  And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
Luk 17:24  For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
Luk 17:25  But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

Christ told the thief he would be with Christ in paradise today, so how does that connect to the kingdom of God?

There are three times that the word paradise is mentioned in the New Testament, and they reveal a lot about what we are learning today, but they only tell part of the story. We’ll see what we can glean from that part and then move on from there.

Luk 23:43  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

2Co 12:4  How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Rev 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.

The first example we are talking about is, of course, what we have read in Luke. The second example is in 2Co 12:4, so I will read from the ESV again and in context of what is being said by Paul.

2Co 12:1  I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2Co 12:2  I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven— whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.
2Co 12:3  And I know that this man was caught up into paradise— whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows–
2Co 12:4  and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
2Co 12:5  On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses–
2Co 12:6  though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.
2Co 12:7  So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

Here is how the KJV states 2Co 12:7:

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Contrast that with the only other place the Greek word G5229 is mentioned in scripture:

2Th 2:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2  That ye be NOT soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Almost everyone hearing this message has had that son of perdition revealed to them, and if not, that day is coming.

“The Tree of Life in the middle of Paradise”

The third example of “paradise” being used is found in Revelation.

Rev 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.
Rev 2:8  And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Rev 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

Notice, it is in the middle of two men that Christ is hanging on a cross.

Luk 23:33  And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

n type and shadow, what we are seeing is that Christ is hanging between the old and new man.

Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

ne man is starting as a babe in Christ to speak to Christ in Truth, “for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

The other man simply wants to be preserved, “”Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

The crux of what we are talking about today is what is happening to the people of God as we experience this same scenario in all the situations, experiences and lives which we are caused to influence as God works everything after the counsel of His own will.

In the Garden of Eden, from the very start, mankind has been presented with TWO trees which are placed in the middle of the “paradise of God.”

If we are given eyes to see and ears to hear, we’ll notice that they are BOTH showing us in type and shadow that the kingdom of God is “planted” in the same earth!

Gen 2:8  And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Gen 2:9  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The reason I named this study, “Thieves and Robbers,” is that in all of our lives we will certainly be presented to the Lord, via His will in our lives, as the “thief” who contends with Christ and God and challenges Christ to PROVE who He says He is by SAVING the “thief” which has no repentance.

Likewise, for a FEW NOW, we will start off and Lord willing continue, to address Christ with a repentant heart which looks towards Christ and sees Him as He is…

… a Saviour who brings salvation from DEATH which our physical life has NO HOPE of receiving but that our NEW MAN has HOPE to GAIN.

“Who are thieves and robbers?”

The phrase “thieves and robbers” is found in various places in scripture.

Since we are focused on the two thieves hanging on the right and left of Christ, we’ll search the Word to see how they are defined.

First, let’s confirm in the Word that we are talking about the same “thief” in the Greek.

Mat 27:38  Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

Mar 15:27  And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

In the Greek, the Word mentioned in the gospel of Matthew and Mark is G3027.

G3027
ληστης
le ste s

Total KJV Occurrences:15
thieves, 8
Mat_21:13, Mat_27:38, Mat_27:44, Mar_11:17, Mar_15:27, Luk_10:30, Luk_10:36, Luk_19:46

thief, 3
Mat_26:55, Mar_14:48, Luk_22:52

robber, 2
Joh_10:1, Joh_18:40

robbers, 2
Joh_10:8, 2Co_11:26

The Strong’s Concordance defines “lace tace” as “From ληιζομαιle izomai (to “plunder”); a brigand: – robber, thief.”

Joh 10 starts to paint a wonderful “Word” picture on just who we are talking about.

Joh 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief (G2812 – a stealer) and a robber (G3027).
Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3  To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Joh 10:6  This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Joh 10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
Joh 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

The word used in the Greek to describe those with whom Christ was hung is better understood when you understand that there are thieves who impulsively steal things of which we typically think of as a “crook”, and then there are thieves which are a different sort.

These other thieves are those who not only steal, but also KILL and DESTROY. In other words, these are the plunderers between whom Christ is hung. They are those who are considered brigands.

To bring home this point and to see the magnitude of what this means, let’s see what the “sum of the Word” says on the matter with what we can say within the timeframe of this study.

The same Word “lace- tace” is found here:

Mat 21:10  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
Mat 21:11  And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Mat 21:12  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My houseshall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Mat 21:14  And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
Mat 21:15  And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
Mat 21:16  And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Where is it written “my house shall be called a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves?”

Jer 7:1  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 7:2  Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.
Jer 7:3  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
Jer 7:4  Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.
Jer 7:5  For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;
Jer 7:6  If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
Jer 7:7  Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
Jer 7:8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
Jer 7:9  Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
Jer 7:10  And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
Jer 7:11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
Jer 7:12  But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.
Jer 7:13  And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
Jer 7:14  Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
Jer 7:15  And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.
Jer 7:16  Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.

You, my friends, are the thieves hanging beside Christ! Don’t you know that YOU are the TEMPLE of God, and the Spirit of God DWELLS in YOU?

1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

At one point in our walk, we are the plunderer who challenges “the Christ” to save himself or herself and me with Him.

If God wills, we are also told by Christ, enter into the door and become the shepherd, the watcher of the Gate, the plunderer who comes to “KILL all the LIES” that dwell in the temple, all with a Head at the helm leading us.

Indeed, our very walk with Christ now consists of being the “porter who openeth the door”, “pillars in the temple of God” who are used to bring others to Christ.

Jer 7:2  Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.

Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3  To him the porter^G2377 openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

G2377
θυρωρος
thuro ros
Thoo- ro- ros’

From G2374 and ουροςouros (a watcher); a gate warden: – that kept the door, porter.

The way we watch the gate is with the Word of God. The way we “amend our ways” is to worship God in Spirit and Truth.

Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Christ is the Way, Truth and Life and in this Life, we must be those who are hanging on the cross WITH CHRIST, acknowledging that He is the Christ, and asking Him to “remember me”.

This can only come from a repentant heart which knows that the old man will receive the reward of death for the sin that dwells in his members, but also realize that with DEATH COMES LIFE.

We must rebuke the old man in ourselves and others and “claim the paradise” that Christ tells us we will join Him in now as the blessed and first, in down-payment form now and later in the holy resurrection, Lord willing.

The paradise to which we now have access through Christ is that we sit with Christ in the heavenly mind that is of His Father.

We die daily, and in doing so, we rise unto the Life of Christ daily by picking up our cross and following Him.

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

When others condemn us for being “the Christ”, we MUST realize that it is not of their own doing or our own doing that we are hanging on a cross with Christ, but that it is the will of God to bring about the new man in us, the great mystery of Christ in us our hope and glory.

Nevertheless, we must always speak the Truth to those enemies of the cross both within ourselves and within others.

Php 3:16  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Php 3:17  Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Php 3:18  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Let us continue on toward the mark of the prize of the high calling and mind not the earthly things which keep our walk in this life separate from that of the Life in Christ.

We must seek first the kingdom of God where Christ dwells with God the Father.

Luk 23:40  But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
Luk 23:41  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Luk 23:42  And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Luk 23:43  And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Thieves and Robbers

Being a “Crook,” I thought this topic would be something I could speak on boldly.

Often, we see three crosses depicted together signifying the two thieves who hung on two different crosses at the sides of Jesus Christ who was being crucified with them at the time.

What is not readily spiritually seen in this depiction is just what Christ told the thieves while He was hanging in tremendous pain, agony and suffering. As with all things Christ spoke, there is a great mystery and spiritual lesson hidden just below the surface of what Christ says “in the letter” or in “plain English” as I use to hear in my baptist upbringing.

In this study, I hope we will be given eyes that see and ears that hear what Christ tells each and every one of us and the spiritual message He gives as He also told the thieves while hanging on the cross.

Indeed, at our appointed time we are all thieves and robbers, but there is One who has the solution to this “death sentence”.

“Thou shall be with me in paradise”

In beginning this study, we will start with Christ’s own words. Unless otherwise noted, I will be quoting from the KJV, but for this passage I will be quoting from the ESV (English standard version) for clarity.

Luk 23:36  The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine
Luk 23:37  and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
Luk 23:38  There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
Luk 23:39  One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”
Luk 23:40  But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
Luk 23:41  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Luk 23:42  And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Luk 23:43  And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Luk 23:44  It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,
Luk 23:45  while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
Luk 23:46  Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

After coming to know Christ the way I have, and continuing to grow in Him daily, Lord willing, I often hear a reoccurring theme from those who think I am just plain crazy.

Is it any wonder though, because if it happened to Christ, it WILL happen to us. We claim to be sons of God, but according to what almost all of Christianity teaches, this should place us in such a good position with God that He wouldn’t possibly do such a thing as hang us on a cross!

Just look at how Christ is mocked and ridiculed.

“If you are the ‘king of the jews’, save YOURSELF…”

What most of us are taught initially is that we ARE the ones who save ourselves simply by saying a “ten-second sinner’s prayer”. It’s no wonder that those who mock ‘the Christ’ are the ones who expect us to save ourselves. After all, we are sons of God, no?

Not only that, but we are often mocked with the concept of us wanting to be something we are not or that we think we are better than those we are speaking with simply because we claim the inheritance that has been promised to us instead of “selling it for a bowl of pottage” like Esau did.

Of course, we do all initially sell our inheritance for things of this world, and that is exactly what this whole topic is about.

What Christ admonishes one thief on the cross with, does not apply to the other in type and shadow, but what exactly do I mean by that?

One thief is accusing Christ, and the other is fully admitting and accepting the truth that he is on this cross BECAUSE of what has been worked in His life. Of course, we aren’t addressing that the thieves have no concept of God’s sovereignty.

One thief tells the other unrepentant thief, “You are under the same condemnation but you don’t fear God,” and his end point really brings home the point of, “we are receiving due reward for our deeds,” but Christ Himself has done nothing wrong.

Being that this is a familiar story for us all, I hope we can bring out a few practical points on what it is we are being told and what and how we can apply to our everyday lives.

Luk 23:42  And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Luk 23:43  And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Knowing that the kingdom of God is within us, how then can the doctrine that we die and go to heaven or hell apply to the thief being told that He would be with Christ today in paradise if indeed the dead know not anything?

Ecc 9:4  For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
Ecc 9:5  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

The short answer is that Christ was NOT telling the thief he would see Christ in heaven, out on a rock in space, that day.

Luk 17:20  And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Luk 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Luk 17:22  And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
Luk 17:23  And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
Luk 17:24  For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
Luk 17:25  But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

Christ told the thief he would be with Christ in paradise today, so how does that connect to the kingdom of God?

There are three times the word paradise is mentioned in the new testament and they reveal a lot about what we are learning today, but they only tell part of the story. We’ll see what we can glean from that part and then move on from there.

Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in.

2Co 12:4  How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

Rev 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.

The first example we are talking about is of course what we have read in Luke. The second example is 2 Corinthians 12:4, so I will read from the ESV again and in context of what is being said by Paul.

2Co 12:1  I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.
2Co 12:2  I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows.
2Co 12:3  And I know that this man was caught up into paradise-whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows-
2Co 12:4  and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.
2Co 12:5  On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses-
2Co 12:6  though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.
2Co 12:7  So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

Here is how the KJV states 2 Corinthians 12:7:

2Co 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Contrast that with the only other place the Greek word G5229 is mentioned in scripture:

2Th 2:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2  That ye be NOT soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2Th 2:4  Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

Almost everyone hearing this message has had that son of perdition revealed to them, and if not, that day is coming.

“The Tree of Life in the middle of Paradise”

The third example of “paradise” being used is found in Revelation.

Rev 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.
Rev 2:8  And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;
Rev 2:9  I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

Notice, it is in the middle of two men that Christ is hanging on a cross.

Luk 23:33  And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

In type and shadow, what we are seeing is that Christ is hanging between the old and new man.

Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

One man is starting as a babe in Christ to speak to Christ in Truth, “For we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

The other man simply wants to be preserved, “”Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

The crux of what we are talking about today is what is happening to the people of God as we experience this same scenario in all the situations, experiences and lives that we are caused to influence as God works everything after the counsel of His own will.

In the Garden of Eden from the very start, mankind has been presented with TWO trees which are placed in the middle of the “paradise of God.”

If we are given eyes to see and ears to hear, we’ll notice that they are BOTH showing us in type and shadow that the kingdom of God is “planted” in the same earth!

Gen 2:8  And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Gen 2:9  And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The reason I named this study “Thieves and Robbers” is that in all of our lives we will certainly be presented to the Lord, via His will in our lives, as the “thief” who contends with Christ and God and challenges Christ to PROVE who He says He is by SAVING the “thief” which has no repentance.

Likewise, for a FEW NOW, we will start off and, Lord willing, continue, to address Christ with a repentant heart which looks towards Christ and sees Him as He is… a Savior who brings salvation from DEATH which our physical life has NO HOPE of receiving but that our NEW MAN has HOPE to GAIN.

“Who are thieves and robbers?”

The phrase “thieves and robbers” is found in various places in scripture.

Since we are focused on the two thieves hanging on the right and left of Christ, we’ll search the Word to see how they are defined. First let’s confirm in the Word that we are talking about the same “thief” in the Greek.

Mat 27:38  Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

Mar 15:27  And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

In the Greek, the Word mentioned in the gospel of Matthew and Mark is G3027.

G3027
λῃστης
lēstēs
Total KJV Occurrences: 15
thieves, 8
Mat 21:13, Mat_27:38, Mat_27:44, Mar_11:17, Mar_15:27, Luk_10:30, Luk_10:36, Luk_19:46
thief, 3

Mat_26:55, Mar_14:48, Luk_22:52

robber, 2
Joh_10:1, Joh_18:40

robbers, 2
Joh_10:8, 2Co_11:26

The Strong’s concordance defines “lace tace” as “From ληΐ́ζομαι lēizomai, plunder”); a brigand: – robber, thief.”

John 10 starts to paint a wonderful “Word” picture on just who we are talking about.

Joh 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief (G2812 – a stealer) and a robber (G3027).
Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3  To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
Joh 10:6  This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Joh 10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Joh 10:8  All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
Joh 10:9  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
Joh 10:10  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Joh 10:11  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

The word used in the Greek to describe those who Christ was hung with is better understood when you understand that there are thieves who impulsively steal things of which we typically think of as a “crook”, and then there are thieves which are a different sort.

These thieves are those who steal, but also KILL and DESTROY. In other words, these are the plunderers who Christ is hung with. They are those who are considered brigands.

To bring home this point and to see the magnitude of what this means, let’s see what the “sum of the Word” says on the matter with what we can say within the timeframe of this study.

The same Word “lace-tace” is found here:

Mat 21:10  And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
Mat 21:11  And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Mat 21:12  And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13  And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Mat 21:14  And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
Mat 21:15  And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
Mat 21:16  And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Where is it written “my house shall be called a house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves?”

Jer 7:1  The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 7:2  Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.
Jer 7:3  Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
Jer 7:4  Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.
Jer 7:5  For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour;
Jer 7:6  If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
Jer 7:7  Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.
Jer 7:8  Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.
Jer 7:9  Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;
Jer 7:10  And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
Jer 7:11  Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.
Jer 7:12  But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.
Jer 7:13  And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
Jer 7:14  Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
Jer 7:15  And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.
Jer 7:16  Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to me: for I will not hear thee.

You my friends are the thieves hanging beside Christ! Don’t you know that YOU are the TEMPLE of God and the Spirit of God DWELLS in YOU?

1Co 3:15  If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

At one point in our walk, we are the plunderer who challenges “the Christ” to save himself or herself and me with Him.

If God wills, we are also told by Christ, enter into the door and become the shepherd, the watcher of the Gate, the plunderer who comes to “KILL all the LIES” which dwell in the temple, all with a Head at the helm leading us.

Indeed, our very walk with Christ now consists of being the “porter who openeth the door”, “pillars in the temple of God” who are used to bring others to Christ.

Jer 7:2  Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD.

Joh 10:2  But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
Joh 10:3  To him the porter (G2377) openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

G2377
θυρωρός
thurōros
Thoo-ro-ros‘
From G2374 and οὖρος ouros (a watcher); a gate warden: – that kept the door, porter.

The Way we watch the gate is with the Word of God. The way we “amend our ways” is to worship God in Spirit and Truth.

Joh 4:22  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Christ is the Way, Truth and Life and in this Life, and we must be those who are hanging on the cross WITH CHRIST, acknowledging that He is the Christ and asking Him to “remember me”.

This can only come from a repentant heart which knows that the old man will receive the reward of death for the sin that dwells in his members, but also realize that with DEATH COMES LIFE.

We must rebuke the old man in ourselves and others and “claim the paradise” that Christ tells us we will join Him in now as the blessed and first, in down payment form and later in the holy resurrection, Lord willing.

The paradise we now have access to through Christ is that we sit with Christ in the heavenly mind that is of His Father.

We die daily and in doing so we rise unto the Life of Christ daily by picking up our cross and following Him.

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

Mat 16:24  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

When others condemn us for being “the Christ” we MUST realize that it is not of their own doing or our own doing that we are hanging on a cross with Christ, but it is the will of God to bring about the new man in us, the great mystery of Christ in us, our hope and glory.

Nonetheless, we must always speak the Truth to those enemies if the cross both within ourselves and within others.

Php 3:16  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Php 3:17  Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Php 3:18  (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
Php 3:19  Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
Php 3:20  For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Let us continue on toward the mark of the prize of the high calling and mind not the earthly things that keep our walk in this life separate from that of the Life in Christ.

We must seek first the kingdom of God where Christ dwells with God the Father.

Luk 23:40  But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
Luk 23:41  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
Luk 23:42  And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Luk 23:43  And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

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