“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, ‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.'” – Luke 23:39-43 (ESV)
Two men were crucified with Jesus Christ. Two sinful men stared certain death in the face. It would only be a brief matter of time until crucifixion’s cruel efforts reached their final result. Two men faced imminent death along with the Jesus Christ. Which of these two men are you the most like as you face certain death whether it be now or in the distant future?
One man looked at Jesus as an object of ridicule, resentment, and sarcastic demands. Dear reader, this is the essence of unbelief and hatred of God. Only the unrepentant, hardened sinner can look at Christ’s sinless sacrifice and mock Him as this criminal did. In his hour of greatest need, in the final moments leading to his soul’s entrance into eternity, one criminal spurned the One Who could save Him. This man would face God’s righteous demands for his sins on his own. Do not view him as wise, strong, or tough. Pity his eternal condemnation, weep for him, but take heed to his willful rejection of God.
The other man looked at Jesus as his only hope as his life ebbed away in pain and suffering for his crimes. Did he desire to be let down from his place of punishment? Did he offer up excuses? Did he desire to be vindicated, even exonerated from his death sentence? Was he trying to die for a cause that would live beyond him? Ah, no! This dying man confessed his sins and professed Christ’s worthiness of praise and salvation. This dying man sided with God against himself. This dying man cast himself upon the mercy of God by asking Christ to remember him. This dying man offered no good works, no reason for Christ Jesus to accept him. He merely trusted in the tender mercy Christ offered to a sinner…A sinner like you and me.
Do you see it, dear friend? The second dying man abandoned himself to Jesus Christ. This is a picture of turning from sin and turning in faith to Jesus Christ in the same frame. Christians are merely people who have sided with God against themselves. Christians have merely entrusted themselves to God’s generous mercy with Christ as their substitute in dying for their sins. This second man was welcomed by Christ into paradise after death simply through his dependence, his trust in Christ’s mercy and power to save him. Sadly, the first man entered into an eternity without Christ, without forgiveness, and into condemnation for his sins. Oh, the bliss of the one and the horrid loss of the other!
It is so very often the case that when a person is dying that he/she contemplates God seriously for the first time. Which of these two men are you most like, dear reader? Are you more like the man who mocks God, or are you more like the man who cries out to God for mercy?
It all comes down to this: You are going to face death someday like these two men. As you approach death’s day, our greatest need becomes all the more urgent. Each and every man, woman, and child are sinners in great need of God’s mercy provided in Christ Jesus. Why face God in scorn, resentment, and hatred as the first man did from Luke’s account? Why linger any longer away from God’s mercy and forgiveness? Why let another moment pass by before you turn from your sinful ways, turn to Christ for forgiveness, and know peace with God? Each man in Luke 23 entered a very different eternity from the other. For both men, it all came down to Jesus. One man spurned Jesus, and one man hoped in Jesus. Please cast yourself upon the mercy of God and trust yourself to Jesus Christ today.
May Your Eyes Be Opened To Your Need of Christ,
Eric Conner
Photo by Mike from Pexels