This post comes a little late, since Easter was last week, but in my defense, Easter was a little early this year. Regardless, this is a sort of Easter message post, I suppose. Easter is a time in which Christians commemorate and celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. That celebration ranges from elaborate religious services to Easter egg hunts in the back yard. Whatever the means, the point is remembering that the Good Shepherd arose from the dead and in so doing defeated Satan and Death. But before there was the Resurrection, there was the Death.
In fact, there were three deaths that day over two thousand years ago. We all know that two thieves were crucified that morning, one man on the Lord's right, the other on his left. Apparently these were not only thieves, but murderers as well. Whatever their crimes, these men were considered so low and terrible that they were doomed to a death on the cross, a fate almost worse than death, to the Jews. Only the lowest of the low were crucified. These two men, and the Son of God...all three were considered THAT low by the Jews. How do I know the two men were probably murderers? It just makes sense that if the man released from prison (Barabbas) so that Christ could be crucified in his place was a murderer, then the two who died with Jesus were probably murderers as well.
After the three men, Jesus and the two thieves, were crucified, the Roman soldiers as well as many in the crowd began taunting Jesus. They yelled at Him to "save yourself, since you came to save the world!" While the crowds were thus taunting Jesus, a remarkable thing happened. The thief hanging to our Lord's left began taunting Him as well. A condemned and dying man still having the gall to mock Jesus. Who would have believed that possible?
Just then, another and more remarkable thing happened. The thief hanging to our Lord's right said to his fellow thief, "Why are you mocking Him? You and I are getting what we deserve. But this man has done nothing!" Then the MOST remarkable thing happened. The thief on the right turned to Jesus and pled to Him, "Lord, please remember me when You come into your Kingdom." You see, this thief, even in that late moment in his life, knew the Lord, and that the Lord could save him, He also knew that he deserved to die but he believed the Lord would have mercy on him. And the thief was right in his faith. The Bible says that Jesus turned to this thief, the one who had acknowledged him even as they both were dying, and said, "Truly I say unto you, today you shall be with me in paradise!"
I have to admit that I had never considered myself to be in the category of those two thieves. I mean, I was a good man, most of the time. I had not ever hurt anyone, not really. I was a nice guy all around. I came to this conclusion many years ago. But I have to admit something else. I realize now, after aging but not necessarily getting any wiser, that I did belong up there on the cross. Years after making mistakes, not learning from those mistakes, and making the same ones again, I had practically nailed myself up there. And I have come to another realization. As my condition worsened, I was more like the thief on the left. He was in the same boat as was his friend, so to speak, but even in that terrible predicament, he chose not to acknowledge the Lord and beg for his mercy, but to join in with the rest of the world in mocking the dying Savior, never realizing that the Lord was dying for him. The Bible never mentions the final fate of the thief on the left. But from what the Bible DOES NOT say, I fear the worst for that thief, the one who rejected Jesus on the cross.
I have heard it said many times over the years that pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit goes before a fall. I believe the thief on the left had a strong, though distorted, sense of pride. Not necessarily pride in what he had done in his life, but pride in the fact that he needed no one. Certainly he did not need a Savior. What an idiot...ummm...wait a minute. Wasn't I a relatively good man too? Some people might disagree, but on the whole I believed myself to be a good person, thus not in need of saving...at least not in the way "sinners" needed saving. In other words, I was so good myself that I did not need Jesus. In other words, I had a strong, but distorted, sense of pride.
Here is a shocker...
After the events of the past year in my life, I realized I DID have a distorted sense of pride, just like that thief on the left. But I realized something else. I realized that I had not been a good man many times over the years. I truly had not learned from my mistakes, and had not corrected my ways. And I saw the three men on the cross in a new light.
For one thing, Jesus would not have been crucified that day at all, if Pilate had not offered to release Barabbas. And if the people had not preferred a murderer to a Savior. So a killer was freed from prison and Jesus was seized, taking the place of Barabbas on that cross.
For the man that hung on the Lord's right, this day, the day of his crucifixion, was actually the day his life was saved. Yes, his body died on the cross, but he went with Jesus to paradise. How tragic for him if Barabbas had been crucified that day instead of Jesus?
Finally, for me, the realization that I was the same as those two men that died with Jesus. I was full of pride and the belief that I had not hurt anyone over the years, that I had lived the best way I could, etc. But I was only lying to myself and deceiving no one. Thankfully, like the man on the Lord's right hand, even late in life it is not too late to acknowledge the Lord, and to ask the Good Shepherd to Remember Me....
How wonderful to hear those words, "This day you shall be with Me in Paradise."
I hope all of you had a great Easter, and I hope all of you took just a little time to look beyond the eggs and the baskets, and that you saw the true Gift of Easter.
In fact, there were three deaths that day over two thousand years ago. We all know that two thieves were crucified that morning, one man on the Lord's right, the other on his left. Apparently these were not only thieves, but murderers as well. Whatever their crimes, these men were considered so low and terrible that they were doomed to a death on the cross, a fate almost worse than death, to the Jews. Only the lowest of the low were crucified. These two men, and the Son of God...all three were considered THAT low by the Jews. How do I know the two men were probably murderers? It just makes sense that if the man released from prison (Barabbas) so that Christ could be crucified in his place was a murderer, then the two who died with Jesus were probably murderers as well.
After the three men, Jesus and the two thieves, were crucified, the Roman soldiers as well as many in the crowd began taunting Jesus. They yelled at Him to "save yourself, since you came to save the world!" While the crowds were thus taunting Jesus, a remarkable thing happened. The thief hanging to our Lord's left began taunting Him as well. A condemned and dying man still having the gall to mock Jesus. Who would have believed that possible?
Just then, another and more remarkable thing happened. The thief hanging to our Lord's right said to his fellow thief, "Why are you mocking Him? You and I are getting what we deserve. But this man has done nothing!" Then the MOST remarkable thing happened. The thief on the right turned to Jesus and pled to Him, "Lord, please remember me when You come into your Kingdom." You see, this thief, even in that late moment in his life, knew the Lord, and that the Lord could save him, He also knew that he deserved to die but he believed the Lord would have mercy on him. And the thief was right in his faith. The Bible says that Jesus turned to this thief, the one who had acknowledged him even as they both were dying, and said, "Truly I say unto you, today you shall be with me in paradise!"
I have to admit that I had never considered myself to be in the category of those two thieves. I mean, I was a good man, most of the time. I had not ever hurt anyone, not really. I was a nice guy all around. I came to this conclusion many years ago. But I have to admit something else. I realize now, after aging but not necessarily getting any wiser, that I did belong up there on the cross. Years after making mistakes, not learning from those mistakes, and making the same ones again, I had practically nailed myself up there. And I have come to another realization. As my condition worsened, I was more like the thief on the left. He was in the same boat as was his friend, so to speak, but even in that terrible predicament, he chose not to acknowledge the Lord and beg for his mercy, but to join in with the rest of the world in mocking the dying Savior, never realizing that the Lord was dying for him. The Bible never mentions the final fate of the thief on the left. But from what the Bible DOES NOT say, I fear the worst for that thief, the one who rejected Jesus on the cross.
I have heard it said many times over the years that pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit goes before a fall. I believe the thief on the left had a strong, though distorted, sense of pride. Not necessarily pride in what he had done in his life, but pride in the fact that he needed no one. Certainly he did not need a Savior. What an idiot...ummm...wait a minute. Wasn't I a relatively good man too? Some people might disagree, but on the whole I believed myself to be a good person, thus not in need of saving...at least not in the way "sinners" needed saving. In other words, I was so good myself that I did not need Jesus. In other words, I had a strong, but distorted, sense of pride.
Here is a shocker...
After the events of the past year in my life, I realized I DID have a distorted sense of pride, just like that thief on the left. But I realized something else. I realized that I had not been a good man many times over the years. I truly had not learned from my mistakes, and had not corrected my ways. And I saw the three men on the cross in a new light.
For one thing, Jesus would not have been crucified that day at all, if Pilate had not offered to release Barabbas. And if the people had not preferred a murderer to a Savior. So a killer was freed from prison and Jesus was seized, taking the place of Barabbas on that cross.
For the man that hung on the Lord's right, this day, the day of his crucifixion, was actually the day his life was saved. Yes, his body died on the cross, but he went with Jesus to paradise. How tragic for him if Barabbas had been crucified that day instead of Jesus?
Finally, for me, the realization that I was the same as those two men that died with Jesus. I was full of pride and the belief that I had not hurt anyone over the years, that I had lived the best way I could, etc. But I was only lying to myself and deceiving no one. Thankfully, like the man on the Lord's right hand, even late in life it is not too late to acknowledge the Lord, and to ask the Good Shepherd to Remember Me....
How wonderful to hear those words, "This day you shall be with Me in Paradise."
I hope all of you had a great Easter, and I hope all of you took just a little time to look beyond the eggs and the baskets, and that you saw the true Gift of Easter.
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