Luke 23:39-43
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us! 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. 42 And he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 43 And he said to him, Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.
Two criminals were crucified with Jesus; one was angry at Jesus, and one asked Jesus for forgiveness. We are all criminals like these men, for we have all sinned. The real question is, how do we react to Jesus? Are we like the first criminal, who was angry at Jesus and wanted him to do something to improve his life: "Save yourself and us!" (verse 39)? Do we want Jesus to "fix our problems" and are angry when life doesn't go how we want? Or do we realize our sinfulness and the holiness of Jesus, as the 2nd criminal did: "we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong" (verse 41)? If we recognize and admit our sins, and see the goodness and innocence of Jesus, then we can make the same request as the second criminal: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (verse 42), and Jesus will likewise invite us into heaven (verse 43).
Lord, remember me in your kingdom.
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us! 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. 42 And he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 43 And he said to him, Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.
Two criminals were crucified with Jesus; one was angry at Jesus, and one asked Jesus for forgiveness. We are all criminals like these men, for we have all sinned. The real question is, how do we react to Jesus? Are we like the first criminal, who was angry at Jesus and wanted him to do something to improve his life: "Save yourself and us!" (verse 39)? Do we want Jesus to "fix our problems" and are angry when life doesn't go how we want? Or do we realize our sinfulness and the holiness of Jesus, as the 2nd criminal did: "we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong" (verse 41)? If we recognize and admit our sins, and see the goodness and innocence of Jesus, then we can make the same request as the second criminal: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (verse 42), and Jesus will likewise invite us into heaven (verse 43).
Lord, remember me in your kingdom.