Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Luke 23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!"

SAVE US!

"If YOU are the Christ ..." Perhaps the thief who here echoed Satan's early temptation (Luke 4:3) once thought that he himself would be the Savior from the Roman oppressors and was connected with Barabbas' insurrection and murder.

But now he hangs helpless, nailed to the cross, in great pain -- yet still has no respect for God or justice. He still calls right "wrong," and wrong "right." What a picture of mankind in its natural state. No amount of threats or punishment or pain will make him look to God with love and trust. God's own Anointed looks like the weakest sort of help to him, good only for inspiring people to find strength within themselves.

It is a terrible thing to see a godless person, even in the hour of death, continue to murmur against God, cursing and reviling the hand of God stretched out to save him from hell. But this is how we all were born! Such an example certainly shows us how wrong it is to figure on putting God off until the last moment. We need Him now. We need to be right with Him today.

How precious then is Jesus' answer to the other thief who also needed Him now! Jesus' word was still the word of a king: "Today you shall be with me in paradise." The thief had asked to be remembered someday. But this very day the gates of Paradise would be unlocked and thrown open to him.

Here is the precious fruit of all of Jesus bitter sufferings and death: "Father, forgive them" applied to poor sinners. So also does the word of our King speak to us from the cross and make our dying day, and every day, good!