Snatched from the Fire
Luke 23:35-43
1. The two criminals both began by mocking Jesus (as noted in Matthew 27:44 and implied in the passage), yet one experienced a dramatic change of heart. What do you think triggered the repentant thief’s shift from mockery to faith and defense of Jesus? How does Jesus’ demeanor, words (like “Father, forgive them” in Luke 23:34), or presence play into that transformation? Share a time when witnessing Christ’s character (perhaps through another believer or Scripture) softened or changed your own heart.
2. The sermon describes all people as “sticks snatched from the fire” — charred by sin but rescued purely by God’s mercy, not our worthiness (Zechariah 3:1-2; Jude 1:23). How does the repentant thief’s story illustrate salvation by grace alone, through faith alone? Why do we sometimes struggle with the “scandalous” nature of grace, thinking it’s unfair that someone like the thief can be saved “at the last minute”? How should remembering our own “charred past” guard against self-righteousness in our lives?
3. Contrast the two criminals: one refused the light and hardened his heart, persisting in mockery and dying in rebellion; the other received the light, confessed his guilt, acknowledged Jesus’ innocence, and trusted Him for mercy. In what ways do these two responses mirror choices people make today when confronted with the gospel? Where in your own life might you be tempted to “refuse the light” (perhaps delaying obedience, ignoring conscience, or suppressing truth), and how can we cultivate hearts that receive it instead?
4. Jesus, the Master in the middle, extended immediate mercy and assurance of paradise to the repentant thief despite the surrounding mockery and suffering. The sermon calls us to be “rescued rescuers” — reflecting His mercy by snatching others from the fire through compassion, humility, and bold witness (Jude 1:23; being the “fifth gospel”). Who in your life right now seems “burning” (doubting, entangled in sin, or far from God), and how can you approach them with urgent mercy rather than judgment? What practical step will you take this week to point someone toward the Savior who snatched you?
Luke 23:35-43
1. The two criminals both began by mocking Jesus (as noted in Matthew 27:44 and implied in the passage), yet one experienced a dramatic change of heart. What do you think triggered the repentant thief’s shift from mockery to faith and defense of Jesus? How does Jesus’ demeanor, words (like “Father, forgive them” in Luke 23:34), or presence play into that transformation? Share a time when witnessing Christ’s character (perhaps through another believer or Scripture) softened or changed your own heart.
2. The sermon describes all people as “sticks snatched from the fire” — charred by sin but rescued purely by God’s mercy, not our worthiness (Zechariah 3:1-2; Jude 1:23). How does the repentant thief’s story illustrate salvation by grace alone, through faith alone? Why do we sometimes struggle with the “scandalous” nature of grace, thinking it’s unfair that someone like the thief can be saved “at the last minute”? How should remembering our own “charred past” guard against self-righteousness in our lives?
3. Contrast the two criminals: one refused the light and hardened his heart, persisting in mockery and dying in rebellion; the other received the light, confessed his guilt, acknowledged Jesus’ innocence, and trusted Him for mercy. In what ways do these two responses mirror choices people make today when confronted with the gospel? Where in your own life might you be tempted to “refuse the light” (perhaps delaying obedience, ignoring conscience, or suppressing truth), and how can we cultivate hearts that receive it instead?
4. Jesus, the Master in the middle, extended immediate mercy and assurance of paradise to the repentant thief despite the surrounding mockery and suffering. The sermon calls us to be “rescued rescuers” — reflecting His mercy by snatching others from the fire through compassion, humility, and bold witness (Jude 1:23; being the “fifth gospel”). Who in your life right now seems “burning” (doubting, entangled in sin, or far from God), and how can you approach them with urgent mercy rather than judgment? What practical step will you take this week to point someone toward the Savior who snatched you?