Jesus Loves Murderers - Part A

Murder has always been an issue been a problem with humanity was the first human crime ever committed Genesis chapter 4 Cain killing Abel in history is peppered with such crimes. When we first have rocks that we had knives and then we got javelins. We develop guns and bombs we've always had a problem with murder public mass shootings have become a repeated occurrence in the US, causing many people to feel hopeless about our future today on connect with skip-Skip explains why there is hope for tomorrow and where you can find it at the end of today's program Skip his wife Linda share how you can guard your heart. Practically, from sin. Watch what you say because Jesus said to give a full account of every idle word that is spoken to be very careful what you say how usual work number one number two.

Don't look for trouble. Thank you, skip, be sure to stay tuned after today's message to her the full conversation.

Now we want to tell you about a resource that will help you reach others with a deep love of Jesus. People everywhere have a God-given need to be left but sadly sometimes the people who need love the most the most rejected here.

Skip, I think we all crave love.

We will do sometimes almost anything to get it to know that we are loved by somebody else unconditionally. No wonder that better than Jesus love the worst of sinners. You love the best of saints Jesus show the love of God in human flesh we want to give you a glimpse of God's relentless love for all people including you by sending you the Jesus loves people for booklet collection by skip.

I think all four Jesus loves people titles including Jesus loves the broken RR thanks for your gift of $25 or more today to help connect more people to God's love through his word connectwithskip.com/offer to give online securely or call 892 1888, chapter 23 Skip Heitzig starts today study.

One of the most notorious criminals in American history called David Berkowitz, son of Sam was nicknamed he went on a killing spree and killed several people in that city, and then he was arrested by his own admission he was involved previously in the cult when he was arrested. He was sentenced to six life sentences six life terms. 365 consecutive years in prison a few years back I was in New York I was speaking and pastor said what would you mind visiting a prisoner in the Sullivan correctional Institute's name is David Berkowitz. My head just turned like what he said yeah I've been meeting with them over the years he's been is become a believer and it's true it's it's real. He's not doing this to garner favor.

He's not getting out.

He knows he'll never get up, but the Lord Jesus and him and he listens to you, Skip on the radio and he would just love to meet with you so I spent a couple hours with him in prison and I heard his testimony how he was 10 years into his sentence and he was given a Gideon's Bible, God bless the Gideons once again a Gideon's New Testament and Psalms, and he was reading Psalm 34 that says this poor man cried unto the Lord and he heard his call.

Berkowitz got on his knees after reading that and he asked Jesus to forgive him and to be a Savior and he has seen his life in prison is a ministry to inmates who have emotional problems and coping problems season really is a congregation while he was brought to my mind is a couple weeks ago I received this card from him and once again to see on the envelope. David Berkowitz Sullivan correctional facility and he reminded me of our visit, but also once again thanked me and thank you for the radio broadcasts that feeds him and his fellow inmates and he signed it by saying on behalf of all the brethren here in the prison. We salute you brother David David Berkowitz like Christopher Prichard in the video has discovered the Jesus loves murderers. I love love love the redemptive story that is been in all of these little Eric helps in Scripture we been looking at whether it's a prostitute or a religious person, or what we see today.

Murderers willingness of Christ to forgive murder has always been an issue been a problem with humanity was the first human crime ever committed Genesis chapter 4 Cain killing Abel in history is peppered with such crimes. When we first had rocks and we had knives and then we got javelins and we develop guns and bombs we've always had a problem with murder want to know a stunning statistic, the United Nations released a report two years ago measuring the murderers on the earth in a single year, 437,000 people murdered in a year.

That's the population of this place gone because of murder, you have all one in 153 chance of being murdered at staggering. It is one of the chief causes of death in our country ranks right up there with heart disease and cancer accidents. You'll find intentional killing is one of the causes of death, but I would venture to say that virtually everyone in this room has gotten away with murder as effort statement.

Listen to the words of Jesus. Carefully you have heard that it was said by those of old, you shall not murder, but I saying to you if you are angry at your brother without a cause you are guilty of judgment murder. We find out from Jesus doesn't originate with her hands but it begins in the heart. It is an action, but it is far more it begins with an attitude toward someone.

I found it a bit humorous that one of the famous attorneys in American history Clarence Darrow once said, I've never killed anyone, but I frequently get satisfaction out of obituary notices, but Sonata's attorney according to a group of researchers out of New York, 7% of our population say they would murder someone for enough money. That is one in every 14 people whether they could actually pull the trigger is another question, but 36 million say they would be willing to consider the offer.

Now today I bring you to a story that is so very familiar to every believer you know it well but I want to frame it for you a bit differently. Today I want to look at it a little bit in a way that you have not in the past we want to consider today the greatest murder in human history, the killing of the son of God. When I say that I know there are always two sides, there's the divine side and there's the human side on the divine side it is the ultimate sacrifice for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son was a gift. Jesus said no one takes my life from me.

I lay it down of myself, but that's the divine side on the human side. It is the ultimate crime is a flagrant violation of the sixth commandment thou shalt not murder. I bring you now to the cross of Christ in Luke chapter 23, beginning in the 32nd verse.

There were also two others criminals lead with him to be put to death when it come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right hand, the other on the left.

Jesus said, father forgive them for they do not know what they do and they divided his garments and cast lots and the people stood looking on, but even the rulers with them sneered saying he saved others, let him save himself if he is the Christ, the chosen of God. The soldiers also mocked him, coming and offering him sour wine and saying if you are the king of the Jews save your self and an inscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. This is the king of the Jews. I want you to first consider the murder of Jesus and it was nothing less than that for look in verse 33 where it specifically says there they crucified him they crucified him.

This is the most evil act ever perpetrated by sinful hearts, the killing of the sinless son of God, son of God, the author of life murdered and Jesus would say as much because he predicted as much. He told his disciples the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men and they will kill him after the fact. The apostle Peter said to the people of Jerusalem. You have taken Christ by lawless hands and put him to death. So they murdered him. Not only was it murder but to add to it was a conspiracy to murder fully understand the Jewish leaders. The elite plotted against Christ how they might ensnare him and then deliver him over to the secular government to enact the death penalty Matthew chapter 12 the Pharisees went out and plotted against him, how they might destroy him in the modern criminal code that's conspiracy to murder that carries a loan to a life sentence but in reality what we have here with the Romans who carried out this crime is nothing short of state sponsored terrorism because that's how the Roman government use crucifixion they use it to intimidate to terrorize people to say don't you ever think of crossing the Roman government because this is what you might get crucifixion was so horrible that a Roman statesman by the name of Cicero said these words to arrest or buying a Roman citizen is a crime to beat him is an abomination to kill him as an act of murder but to crucify him. There is no fitting word that could describe so horrible a deed that the Romans didn't invent crucifixion.

The Persians did the ancient Persians believed that the earth was sacred and if you can execute a person it shouldn't be touching the ground because the ground was sacred so they devised the means by which the victim could be lifted up above the earth and killed and they invented crucifixion before the Romans came along we have record of Egyptians and those from Carthage and the Phoenicians all using crucifixion to execute criminals in pre-Roman times, but then then came the Romans and they they perfected that they loved it. They considered crucifixion to be their favorite form of execution. You may not know this but you should know that by the time Jesus was put on a cross. The Roman government had already crucified about 30,000 people from Judeo and Jerusalem alone so that for the citizens to see men hanging on crosses was very, very common, a site and there is Jesus taken to Golgotha and there they crucified him. According to history. The idea behind crucifixion is that it deliberately delayed death and gave the maximum amount of pain and torture to the victim victim could last for days across essentially crosses you know is a vertical piece of wood to which would be attached are crossbeam known as a particular him weighed about 75 pounds and it was just that crossbeam that the victim would carry on the place of sentencing to the place of execution, Jesus did that. We are told, and then they laid him down on that as they fix that piece to the vertical piece they stretch out Jesus hands and two large iron spikes like railroad spikes, but much sharper work were used in place, not to the palms of the hands that's too fragile. I would rip the flesh, but through the risks because that would that would stabilize the victim in stable him without tearing to the cross.

But what you really need to understand is that no victim of human injustice has ever been more innocent than Jesus. And yet he was murdered. The murder of Jesus. Now that is not the full story is not enough to say was murdered because behind the scenes, we see that even with the most vile act of crucifixion God brought the maximum amount of good out of it and was always in the plan and purview of God the father to see this happen. That's what it means. John 316 for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son and the prophet Jeremiah skews me. Isaiah predicted something when I first read it when I was in a Christian it, it just I was stunned by Isaiah 53 set for it pleased the Lord to bruise him he it says in Isaiah 53. He has put him to grief.

I was shocked by that. It pleased the Lord to bruise his son.

He has put in the grave. Why the very next phrase answers the question to make his soul an offering for sin. That's why that's God's redemptive purpose in this horrible thing that is going on so we are told in verse 33 when they came to the place called. Please notice the word Calvary. It's not cavalry. You know I make an issue out of this is you don't know how many times over the years people have said only here at cavalry Chapel.

I don't know were not a regimen on horseback with swords. That's a cavalry work, Calvary completely different.

Calvary comes from the Latin Cal very him. The Greek's cranium.

The Hebrew is Golgotha means the same thing a scarlet indicates the shape of the place where the execution took place.

That's the murder of Jesus at Calvary.

The place of the school. Next, please notice in verse 34 the mercy of Jesus.

Then Jesus said, father forgive them. Jesus was on the cross for six hours from nine in the morning to three in the afternoon during that six hours he made seven short statements recorded in the Scripture recall in the seven words seven last sayings of Jesus on the cross a person's last words are always significant, but these are most significant is Warren Worsley said they are Windows that enable us to see into the very heart of God. The seven statements on the cross. I like to think of it this way.

While Jesus was doing the greatest work on earth he was uttering the greatest words on earth in the first tape and his father forgive them the shocking statement it's not what we would expect it's an unusual request for the victim of murder to say father forgive them in a week.

We talk about Jesus loves people and it's one thing to say.

Jesus loves murderers, it's another thing to be the person being murdered and say God loves people.

God loves murderers father forgive them, forgive them, this crowd this world that pushed him away from Earth that could offer no room in the end, when he was about to be born. One of whose leaders tried to murder him when he was a baby in Bethlehem. This crowd whose leaders plotted this murder, who brought forth false charges and false witnesses to get him up on that cross who shouted vociferously crucify him, crucify father forgive them. What is a natural human reaction. If you are being attacked stuff out of the get done. Let me let me bring it out of a level we can all understand to some of you have never been attacked. Let's say you're driving down the road you're just driving and some I would even give a term to that person. Some person holes in front of you and cut you off is your first reaction. Father forgive them know I my first reaction.

I pray for them, but it's a very different prayer the other day I prayed a prayer when I was being cut off by not one but two trucks going at least three times the speed limit. I said father please.

May there be a police officer somewhere close by to give these numbskulls tickets something like that. Father judge them in midair for flat tires all that be great and despair that even better father forgive them, we would expect effect. Maybe we would expect Jesus, a father judge them for this act, we would understand that, or even if you were to turn to the crowd and say something like three days just three days. I'm coming back and I'm coming for you, but he said father forgive them, you know, it's even more amazing in the Greek language it's in a continual tense.

He was continually saying could be translated father forgive you know that means that means I was his undergirding prayer not once, but during the whole event. So I imagine when they brought Jesus and stripped him and Golgotha.

Father forgive them when they placed him down and they stretched out his hands and put spikes in his hands, father, forgive them when they raised up the cross, father forgive them and as the day wore on. Father forgive them father forgive them father forgive them. That's a statement I read them a story this week. I'd read it before but it just so amazing.

I revisited this week in 1993 murder was committed by a 16-year-old boy. I think he was 16 at the time his name was O'Shea at Israel is in prison, he murdered a 20-year-old boy. The mother of the boy that was murdered name is Mary Johnson. Let me let me rephrase this wasn't the son of that mother was the only son, the only son of his mother was murdered. The mother tried to get to the prison and visit the murder of her son. She was denied access by the prisoner himself. Finally, after a period of time after incessant asking. She was allowed entrance to the prison to have a visit that is what she said she goes as a Christian I knew I had to forgive him, but I just needed to find out why he killed my son.

So she went to the prison.

She visited with him and after the visit was over something came over so she was so emotionally distraught. She just broke an emotional breakdown and she started collapsing to the ground, the prisoner, the murder of this woman, son looked at her and he said the only thing I could think of.

In my mind is, what would I do right now, this were my mother said I would hold her up so he grabbed her and picked her up and held her pick her up and embraced her. She was so distraught, embraced her and she hugged him back and just stayed in that position locked in an embrace her up for a moment and she had this thought she goes. I just huddled the murderer of my only son.

She said as I left that day.

All of the pain and bitterness, anger and animosity melted, then Skip the message from the series Jesus loves people. Now let's go to the studio with Skip and as they share how you can guard your heart accurately from sin in today's daddy. You said that murder doesn't originate begins in our heart that says that's how important it is to constantly keep our heart attitude check skip. What are some practical ways we can guard our heart is nothing more important than guarding your heart. It's the principal thing it says in Proverbs. Guard your heart with all diligence or above all else, because it determines the course of your life so you need. I need we need to rule our emotions, not let them rule over us. You're in charge of that and it's a full-time job because some people will disappoint you. Others are going to hurt you. So a couple of tips.

Watch what you say because Jesus said you can give a full account of every idle word that is spoken so be very careful what you say how you usual words. Number one, number two. Don't look for trouble. Some people just look for controversy. There always in the muck in the mire of other people's business.

Just focus on God's calling on your life and pray for people don't think he is in my conversation with Tiffany, when you encourage stealing everything out would like to tell you how you can help keep these typical messages coming to human ethics. Consider filling your locket to connect the skip.com/donate connect.com/donate or call 800-9200 19 to 18 today and tomorrow is six years with divine purpose behind Skip presentation of connection communication through