Our journey through the Week that Changed the World is nearly complete. We come to that dreadful Friday afternoon when Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, chose to die on a Roman cross. On that cross, Jesus demonstrated why this week changed the world, as He revealed the hope of the gospel through the redemption of a condemned criminal dying beside Him.

Scripture Reference

Luke 23: 32-43

Sermon Audio

Sermon Notes

The Innocence of Jesus

  1. Crucifixion was for serious criminals – murderers and rebels (verse 32)
  2. Jesus wasn’t a criminal – He was innocent
    1. Four different people affirm this in Luke 23 – Pilate, Herod, a criminal, a centurion
    2. Yet they crucify Him anyway (verse 33) – Psalm 22: 16

The Forgiveness of Jesus

  1. Nailed to a cross, Jesus prays for those who put Him there (verse 34) – Isaiah 53: 12
  2. Christ’s forgiveness extends to all whose sin was nailed to that cross, including us

The Salvation of Jesus

  1. People tell Jesus to save Himself – leaders, soldiers, one criminal (verses 35-39) – Psalm 22: 7-8, 17
  2. That wasn’t why Jesus was there- He hung there to save the world
  3. Salvation for a criminal (verses 40-43) – who recognized his sin, his need for a Savior, and embraced Jesus as his King. There is hope for every person in Jesus.