The Thief Who Saw a KING | Passion Week Sermon Series | John Giftah | Christian Sermon

0:01 Speaker 1: Do you ever look around and think, Wow, the world is a crazy place and it just seems to get crazier and crazier. Ease your mind and take a break. This is Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta. We're a hub for inspirational Christian sermons, practical keys for Christian living, in Christian discussions and interviews. You'll be inspired to live the life that you were created for. Your host is a top ranking podcaster, best selling author, world record holder, aerospace engineer, life coach, evangelist, and founder of John Gifta International.

0:41 Speaker 1: Welcome to Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta.

0:46 Speaker 2: Hello everyone, Welcome to this edition of the Fuel for the Soul with John gift podcast. If you've been checking out our recent episodes, this week we're doing a series based on the two thieves on the Cross while they were having an encounter with Jesus. I really recommend you to go back and check the last two episs because there's so much to unpack and so much new to learn, and I really believe that this will be a blessing to you guys as well. So today I'm going to talk about one aspect that many times we just look at it in a normal life, but you know, when I was studying about this, this was something that really caught my attention.

1:14 Speaker 2: So when we think about this passage, right it's mentioned in Luke twenty three thirty nine to forty three, this is where we predominantly take this incident because we look at the fact that one of the thieves is ridiculing and mocking Jesus, whereas the other thief is actually defending and testifying about Jesus, and he is telling the Lord Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom, especially in verse forty two. I was also talking to you in the last couple of episodes, just a reminder or in case you missed it, that both the thieves started off mocking Jesus.

1:49 Speaker 2: They started in the same point, but one of them repents on the cross. And one of the things I wanted to understand is that he says, Jesus, remember me when you come into kingdom. Now, there's so much compact, but one of the things that we're going to look at today is that this language that he used and he's saying, remember me when you come into kingdom, this language that he used actually implies a lot of things. The first thing that it implies is that this was a language that people used back in the day and during those times when they addressed a king.

2:23 Speaker 2: Remember me, Remember the things I did, Remember how I did this, So they remember my lord, remember my majesty. So this was the language that they used when they addressed the king. This is how it was during those days. So the fact that this man who just got saved, like I said, he started off mocking, I really want you to go back to the episode I released on Monday to understand that if you want to see the context of it. But he depends on the cross, and then he says, Jesus, remember me when you come into kingdom.

2:58 Speaker 2: So understand something here. He not only looks at Jesus as a good man, like for example, if you see the previous words he says defending Jesus, he's saying, we deserve to die for our crimes. But this man has done nothing wrong. It looks like he considered Jesus as a man. Or maybe he knows a man, a good man, a good teacher, or probably he heard about Jesus and he never paid attention in the past. Or he looks at Jesus' reactions and how he's responding, and how he's behaving, and how people are insulting and everything.

3:29 Speaker 2: He's just looking at observing everything. But here's the thing. He not only looks at Jesus as a good man, but by his language when he says, remember me when you come into your kingdom, what language he uses implies that he didn't look at Jesus for where he was. He didn't look at the naked man on the cross. He didn't look at the blood that was oozing out of his body. He didn't look at the wounds. He didn't look at the pain. He didn't look at the you know, the things that we're looking very how to say this.

4:00 Speaker 2: You know, Jesus was not in a good shape that you look at and be like, oh my goodness, he looks so good. No, he was possibly at one of the quote unquote the worst images or worst scenarios, And he doesn't look at Jesus for how he looks. He looks at Jesus as a king. Think about this, like he even when nobody else looked at Jesus as a king, This criminal who just got saved, didn't look at Jesus for how he looked on the outside. He looked at him for who he was. Think about this, right, isn't that awesome?

4:36 Speaker 2: Because this is a lesson for us. Many times we look at things from the outside and we judge, we pay, I mean, like we write people off. We just look at things from a superficial level. But the Lord says, reminding us, look at this man who just got saved, and he's not looking at Jesus for who he is looking from the outside, but for who he is, that he's a king. Think about it, right, the revelation that he had of who Jesus was, and that moment on the cross, isn't that amazing? Isn't that amazing? In fact, when the soldiers were mocking Jesus and they put king of the Jews, they were actually mocking Jesus.

5:16 Speaker 2: The soldiers were mocking the you know, all the authorities, the Satties and Pharisees who came in and they were mocking. They were all mocking, ridiculing Jesus. But there was a criminal who just got saved who instead of looking at Jesus like the way the rest of them were looking, he looked at him as a king. You know, I've seen this many times where people, you know, they will come and say nice thing like oh, you know what good job you know, and stuff like that, But the way they say it, by their tone, by their behavior towards you, they know that you know that they're just being sarcastic, they're just ridiculing it.

5:53 Speaker 2: They're actually, you know, a criticized. They don't mean what they mean, you know what they say. But this is the classic moment where we actually realized that this man who just got saved had a deeper revelation of who Jesus was compared to the rest of the people. And that's where you see that Jesus gives him the promise and says, listen, today, you will be with me in paradise. See. Another thing that caught my attention was he didn't just say remember me when you come into your kingdom. He said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

6:33 Speaker 2: If you see, it was something about he he looked at him as a king, but he had the audacity to call him personally. You know there's something about people calling you within nay with you by your name, do you know what I mean? Like, he didn't just say remember me. He had that personal touch and that's why he received a personal response from Jesus. Guys, I really challenge you to think about this. You know, like there's so much to unpack and maybe this may not necessarily be something that you can take forward as something that you can apply.

7:13 Speaker 2: Maybe there is an aspect that don't look at things to the superficial level, but look at things from a spiritual level, look at things from the inside, ask God for that other, you know, like to see things beyond what you see on the outside that's there. But there's also this, I mean, like an amazing thing to learn from this man who just got saved, that he was able to see something and get a deeper revelation compared to everybody else, compared to even people who walked with Jesus or who experienced the miracles of Jesus first and in their life.

7:48 Speaker 1: Amen.

7:49 Speaker 2: God bless you guys.

7:50 Speaker 1: You've been listening to feel for the soul with John GIFTA. We hope you were blessed and inspired to live the life that God has for you. Make sure to subscribe to the John Gifted YouTube channel for regular uploads of sermons, skits, interviews, and more. Follow John Gifta on Instagram for regular inspirational posts, and don't forget to check out the best selling books written by John Gifta, Who Am I which will help you understand your identity and the latest number one best seller Unveil your Purpose, helping you discover your purpose and to start walking in it.

8:24 Speaker 1: Make sure to leave a rating and review, and be sure to share it with your friends and loved ones. If you'd like to donate, you can find the PayPal link in the description, and if you'd like to invite John Gifta to speak at your event or to get more details, go to the website at www godjohngifted dot com. See you on the next episode of The Fuel for the Soul with John Gifta. God bless you