Follow Along with the Message

Three Crosses, Three Stories

Pastor Tom Lundeen

 of all the chapters in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) focus on Easter week.

It is and always will be the most  week in human and divine history.

Easter week is where Jesus’ story and our story …

These 3 crosses paint a  picture of why Easter matters so much.

On the one hand…

1. …The 2 Thieves Were

A. Both were  (note Luke 23:41a)

B. Both suffering  of crucifixion.

C. Both see and  Jesus (note Luke 23:32-34a, 38)

D. Both want to be saved from death.

E. And both, , join the crowd in mocking and insulting Jesus (note Matthew 27:44).

We have more  with these 2 thieves than we may realize…

 2. But…Something Starts to

A. For one thief, he adds to his insults demands and  (note Luke 23:39).  Jesus is for some people a means to an end, a back-up  plan, a “get out of jail free” card.

B. The 2^nd thief no longer buys the lies about who Jesus is (note Luke 23:40). He acknowledged his  (note Luke 23:41a).  He embraced the truth about Jesus (note Luke 23:41b, 42).  And he says Yes to Jesus as Lord (note Luke 23:42).

Your story really does matter to Jesus: 

• To the first thief, Jesus says …
• But to the second thief, Jesus says something  (note Luke 23:43)!
• Jesus is ready to meet you today, too, to forgive and transform your life, just as He has done for thousands of Riversiders…