“There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary, they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.” (Luk 23:32-33 NKJV)

At Calvary, there are three crosses. All three represent the inevitability of death. Hours before we pass from this Earth, we come face to face with two undeniable realities. First, it is the end of our physical existence on Earth. Second, it is the beginning of another! We are bidding farewell to the world; we are passing into eternity! I can only imagine that in that last hour we relive the experiences of our life lived before the Great Creator.

In Luke the Twenty-third chapter, we have three death scenes played out before our reading eyes. Three crosses, each with valuable lessons to be learned.

FIRST is the Cross of Deity! Jesus was nailed to the cross for no crime of his own. He was sinless. It was for our sins that the Savior of humankind humbly excepted his Divine fate. 1 Peter 2:22-24 states the following:

“WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” (1Pe 2:22-24)

At the cross of deity, we have the humble Son of God providing mercy! Note Luke 23:34a: Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” For the Roman executioner, the ones that cast lots for His garments, for all that screamed to release Barabbas. Because of Peter’s denial, Pilate’s fear and weakness, Herod’s contempt. Mercy was freely asked for by the dying King!

The cross in the middle was a cross of humility and obedience. “He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep, before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.”  (Isa 53:7) His complete humility led Him to patiently endure the suffering of the Roman cross. His obedience drove Him to taste death for humanity. “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”  (Php 2:8)

SECOND the Cross of Hardness of Heart!  Three words come to mind when I think of this cross: Lawlessness, Impenitence, and Carnality. The man that hung on this cross was a robber. He was defiant. Salvation was not in his mind. As he cursed the dying Savior (Luk.23:39), the other criminal admonished him. (Luk.23:40) He could have cared less for his own soul; eternity was not in his mind. It is clear that to him, the physical body was everything.

THIRD the Cross of Repentance! He also was a criminal; he had reviled the Savior. (Mat.27:44) But he turned, something caused him to change. Was it the unfathomable pain he was suffering? Was it the presence of the forgiving, merciful Savior? Maybe it was the fear of a life separated from the Father of mercies for eternity. The picture painted of this criminal was one of “righteous indignation.” From Luke’s account (verses 40 & 41 of chapter 23), we have him rebuking his fellow criminal while vindicating our Savior Jesus Christ. He did this in front of the priests, the scribes, and the Jews present that day. He was the first to vindicate the crucified Christ!

We are guilty! If we remain in sin until our death, then we will receive our just reward.  (Luk23:41) However, because of the “Perfect Lamb of God,” we, when in obedience, submit humbly to the Father’s will receive the gift of eternity spent in heaven.

“And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,”  (Heb 5:9)