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By: Steve Wilt
June 26, 2023
Editors’ Note: This is the third article in a series discussing the Christian call to share the gospel. To read the previous articles, click the following titles:
The Lord experienced the rejection of those He ministered among, finding the ultimate expression of that rejection at the cross. We've been learning that the same attitudes toward Christ that caused people to raise their fists toward Him then continue today.
We come now to the fourth and final attitude expressed at the cross, this time by the criminal crucified at His side. Mark 15:32b gives us some eternal perspective that will equip us to reach our not-so-pretty world.
Some people are indignant toward Christ. At the cross, one condemned criminal expressed callous anger toward Christ.
Christ was hung between two “bandits." These were revolutionaries - Bonnie & Clyde gangster-style men. Isaiah prophesied that in His death, Jesus would be identified with criminals.
“Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:12, NKJV)
One of the criminals expressed callous anger because Jesus had not relieved him of his misery.
“Then one of the criminals who was hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’” (Luke 23:39, NKJV)
These men’s sins had brought down consequences on their heads. They were suffering deservedly. One of them saw Christ as a potential way out, and when Jesus failed to secure his escape, anger resulted.
In our present world, indignance toward Christ continues. Unbelievers whose lives bear the marks of their sin often blame God for their predicaments. They question how there could be a loving God if He allows such suffering and evil. Even some believers are angry toward Christ because they believe that somehow, they’ve been cheated out of what they believe they deserved.
How do we respond to people who are indignant toward Christ? How do we help people get past their anger and come to see Christ as their Savior instead of their enemy? We need to treat the indignant with patience.
It takes time for angry people to come to terms with their anger. We need to patiently deal with them in their dilemmas of life and allow them the time to see Christ differently. Ask the Lord for patience to deal with them. Commit yourself to a long-term approach to reaching them for Christ.
If we gain an eternal perspective on the people we encounter, we begin to see how desperately they need Christ. When we see them through Christ's eyes, we gain a burden for reaching them with Christ's message of redemption.
These four attitudes at the cross give us an eternal perspective on life. We come to see sinners as people in need of Christ. The people we meet are indifferent, ignorant, irreverent, or indignant toward God.
• They may be indifferent because they are too occupied with this life. Love the indifferent.
• They may be ignorant because no one has ever taken them the message. Share the gospel clearly with them.
• They may be irreverent because they want no part of His holiness. Treat the irreverent with compassion.
• They may be indignant because they feel cheated or mistreated in this life. Treat the indignant with patience.
We dare not fail to mention the second criminal’s response to Christ’s crucifixion. He embodies the desire we have for all people, having seen the cross and the subsequent resurrection, to come to faith. Armed with the understanding of the attitudes of the lost, we seek to bring them to the faith expressed by the second criminal. We might reduce these four articles to four simple terms that describe a thoughtful approach to seeing people come to faith: Love, Truth, Compassion, and Patience.
