What Does it Take to Get Into Heaven?

 N.T.#309 "What Does it Take to Get Into Heaven?"

May 21, 2024 

Matthew 27-Part 12

LET IT GLOW 

The mocking and hurling of insults of Jesus as King of the Jews continued even though He hung on the cross. It came from the religious elites who had conspired against Jesus in the first place. The chief priest, scribes, elders, and other opponents and critics of Jesus would have jeering loudly from the road.

And they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads. (verse 39)

The word reviled in the Greek language means blaspheme; defame; rail on; speak evil. 

Those men were at the foot of the cross to the bitter end in an attempt to spin the Crucifixion in a way that would make them out to be the righteous ones and Jesus the criminal. (Swindoll)

What else did these mockers do?

• They challenged Jesus to save Himself, (since He is King of Israel)
• come down from the cross,
• thereby convincing everybody to believe in Him. (verse 42)
• They even quoted a Scripture passage about God coming to rescue those in whom He delights. (Ps. 22:8)
• They insinuated that those who are not rescued are clearly rejected by God.(verse 43)
• After all, Jesus claimed to be The Son of God.
• Destroy the temple and it will be rebuilt in 3 days. (verse 40) Truly, they killed Jesus and He arose from the dead 3 days later. He had referred to His body, not the building.
• Even thought all of this happened, the thief on the cross ridiculed Jesus in the same way. (verse 44)

Jesus wouldn't come down off the cross not because He was powerless to do so. (John 10:18) Those religious me wouldn't have believed Jesus to be the Messiah if He come down from the cross.

What do we do when people make fun of, criticize, curse, or crucify Jesus with their words? Do we take a stand for our Savior?

LET IT GROW 

There were 2 thieves who hung on their cross beside Jesus. (verse 38) As robbers, they plundered as they stole. Mere thieves were not usually crucified. These were probably cohorts of Barabbas. (MacArthur)

In Luke 23, we read of the conversation among the thieves and Jesus:

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. (verse 39)

But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? (verse 40)

Those thieves deserved what they got-death on a cross. One of the thieves defended Jesus-This man hasn't done anything wrong. (verse 41)

Jesus, remember me when You come into your Kingdom. And Jesus replied, I assure you, today you will be with Me in paradise. ((verses 42-43 NLT)

Paradise refers to an Eden (a place of future happiness).

In other words, the one thief confessed he was guilty of sin and deserved death on the cross, but Jesus did not, for He was innocent of any crime. Folks, that thief got to go to heaven after he died because of his faith in Jesus. He confessed to his High Priest, Jesus. He wasn't baptized. He didn't have time to do any good works. Just faith in Jesus is all it took in order for him to get into heaven.

LET IT GO

What a wonderful plan!

What a wonderful Savior!

What wonderful love!

Only Jesus paid the price for me. Only His blood could set me free. Nobody else could open heaven's door. Just Jesus and nothing more.