Luke 23:42-43 And he said unto Jesus, Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily, I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.
What a beautiful ending to a tragic life story Friends. And if you haven’t recognized the words, then imagine this scenario: A barren, rocky hillside on the outskirts of Jerusalem, two thousand years ago. At the crest of the hill, three wooden crosses rise from the stony ground. On each cross, a man is impaled, arms outstretched. The man in the centre is innocent, but has been railroaded to his death by an envious, elitist group. Although He can stop it, He doesn’t, because there’s a greater purpose behind the proceedings than the ordinary mind can comprehend. And as the three men suffer the agony of being nailed to a cross, wearing next to nothing, in the arid heat, under a blazing sun, the soldiers and the rabble rousers mercilessly mock and heap scorn on the man in the centre, offering Him bitter vinegar to quench His thirst; spearing Him in the side and taunting Him with words like; ‘If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself.’ Even the rulers deride Him, saying: ‘He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.’ Then one of the other two being crucified, rails at Him. ‘If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.’ But surprisingly the other man rebukes his friend, asking if he didn’t fear God, seeing that they were in the same condemned situation, and they justly, for they had committed crimes, ‘but this man hath done nothing amiss.’ His next words have been immortalized. ‘And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.’ Oh Friends, what a defining moment in the History of our faith! One sinner rebuked Jesus, the other believed that He was indeed the Son of God. And it gets better: ‘Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ Wow! Remember recently we saw in Ezekiel 18 where the Lord says that any man who turns from his evil ways and follows Him, shall live, since He has no pleasure in seeing the wicked die. Well Friends, that was a perfect example of His forgiveness and mercy. Jesus was so deeply touched by the one criminal’s belief and faith, that He immediately promised him everlasting life. Nobody seems to have witnessed to him, although he must have heard about Jesus if he lived in the area. I believe it was mostly Jesus’ steely backbone and forgiving reaction to the disgusting charade that convinced him. Oh people, that’s the LOVE of the Father in practical terms, in reality. And though reality is the latest fad in television programming, it’s mostly faked and feigned. But Jesus offering the repentant criminal the promise of heaven, was the real thing. That’s the beauty of our faith Friends: The promises of our God are not merely words spoken in a vacuum, but have practical applications in all areas of our lives. Never forget it. Much LOVE!…if God speaks it…then it’s the living truth…and has a practical purpose…
What a beautiful ending to a tragic life story Friends. And if you haven’t recognized the words, then imagine this scenario: A barren, rocky hillside on the outskirts of Jerusalem, two thousand years ago. At the crest of the hill, three wooden crosses rise from the stony ground. On each cross, a man is impaled, arms outstretched. The man in the centre is innocent, but has been railroaded to his death by an envious, elitist group. Although He can stop it, He doesn’t, because there’s a greater purpose behind the proceedings than the ordinary mind can comprehend. And as the three men suffer the agony of being nailed to a cross, wearing next to nothing, in the arid heat, under a blazing sun, the soldiers and the rabble rousers mercilessly mock and heap scorn on the man in the centre, offering Him bitter vinegar to quench His thirst; spearing Him in the side and taunting Him with words like; ‘If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself.’ Even the rulers deride Him, saying: ‘He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.’ Then one of the other two being crucified, rails at Him. ‘If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.’ But surprisingly the other man rebukes his friend, asking if he didn’t fear God, seeing that they were in the same condemned situation, and they justly, for they had committed crimes, ‘but this man hath done nothing amiss.’ His next words have been immortalized. ‘And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.’ Oh Friends, what a defining moment in the History of our faith! One sinner rebuked Jesus, the other believed that He was indeed the Son of God. And it gets better: ‘Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise.’ Wow! Remember recently we saw in Ezekiel 18 where the Lord says that any man who turns from his evil ways and follows Him, shall live, since He has no pleasure in seeing the wicked die. Well Friends, that was a perfect example of His forgiveness and mercy. Jesus was so deeply touched by the one criminal’s belief and faith, that He immediately promised him everlasting life. Nobody seems to have witnessed to him, although he must have heard about Jesus if he lived in the area. I believe it was mostly Jesus’ steely backbone and forgiving reaction to the disgusting charade that convinced him. Oh people, that’s the LOVE of the Father in practical terms, in reality. And though reality is the latest fad in television programming, it’s mostly faked and feigned. But Jesus offering the repentant criminal the promise of heaven, was the real thing. That’s the beauty of our faith Friends: The promises of our God are not merely words spoken in a vacuum, but have practical applications in all areas of our lives. Never forget it. Much LOVE!…if God speaks it…then it’s the living truth…and has a practical purpose…
SCRIP-BITS 