Evangelical Greek Free Church

Good News Magazine - The heart of the Cross
The thief on the cross had to be the luckiest man alive. He was nothing more than a low-life criminal, a loser. He had committed a crime. He was convicted for it, and he was crucified for it. So he had no future; he was going nowhere; or worse, he was going to hell. Yet of all the criminals on all the crosses on all the hills in the Roman Empire, he was crucified next to Jesus.

Just before he died, just before he plunged into the abyss of eternity, at the last possible instant he received the gift of eternal life. If he had died on any other cross, at any other time, in any other place, he would have been forgot­ten forever. But he died at the Place of the Skull, outside Jerusalem, on a cross right next to the cross Jesus died on. Because he died on that cross, he was able to ask for eternal life and hear the beautiful words that Jesus spoke from the cross: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

If that sounds pretty lucky, you can be just as “lucky.” That penitent thief did not get any­thing from Jesus that you cannot get from him. You can meet Jesus at the cross the same way he did. You do not even have to be crucified for your troubles. But you do have to do three things this bandit did.

FACE UP ΤΟ SIN

First, you have to admit you are a sinner. By sin­ner, Ι mean someone who lives life in rebellion against God. You might think it would be easy for a convicted criminal, dying on a cross, to admit that he is a sinner. Not so. There were two criminals who were crucified with Jesus, one on either side of him, but only one of them repented. The other criminal refused to admit he was a sinner. The Bible says, “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Jesus: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”’ (Luke 23:39).

The criminal who became Jesus’ friend said to the unrepentant criminal who was hurling insults at Jesus, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.” He admitted he was a sinner. He admitted that it was right for him to die for his sins. He admitted that his crucifixion was only a matter of getting what he justly deserved.

He also admitted that his sins were an offence against God, and not just an offence against humanity. Dying on a cross put the fear of God into him. This man listened to his con­science, and he was moved to admit that he was a sinner who deserved to die for his sins. He knew that he deserved not only a physical death at the hands of Rome, but also a spiritual death at the hands of God.

You cannot take your sins with you to paradise. If you want to go there, you have to admit that you are a sinner and thus take the first step tο having them removed through faith in Christ.

CONFESS THAT JESUS IS SINLESS

You will also have to confess that Jesus was not a sinner. That is the second thing the pen­itent criminal did: he confessed that Jesus is the perfect Son of God. “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Even though he himself was a sinner, he could tell that Jesus Christ was sinless. It was obvious to him that Jesus had done nothing wrong.

He seemed to have figured that out while he was dying on his own cross. Remember the first thing Jesus said on the cross: “Father, for­give them, for they do not know what they are doing.” The penitent criminal heard those words, and he must have been moved by the forgiving heart of God that was revealed in Jesus’ prayer. He rightly concluded that a man who could pray for his enemies like that must be a perfect man.

ASK FOR WHAT JESUS OFFERS

There is one more thing you must do, and that is, ask for the salvation Jesus offers. The pen­itent criminal said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He was asking for an eternal salvation. He was not asking tο be delivered from the temporary and momentary troubles of this life. He was asking for a lasting and permanent salvation.

Notice how he addresses the man next t ο him on the cross. He calls him “Jesus.” Usually people addressed Jesus as “Teacher” or “Master.” But this man, convicted criminal that he was, addressed Jesus intimately by his first name. He talked to him in a personal way because he was asking him for a personal sal­vation.

When we hear what Jesus replied, we think the important word is paradise. But sal­vation is not really about paradise. What Jesus offers is better than paradise. He offers inti­macy with himself. “Today you will be with me,” Jesus said. Being with Jesus is what makes paradise paradise. As that penitent criminal hung on his own cross, he finally found the personal relationship he had been waiting for his whole life—a personal, intimate love relationship with the living God.

You can have the same thing. You can be as “lucky” as the penitent criminal was, although the Bible teaches that salvation is not a matter of luck. Salvation is a matter of God giving his grace. You can receive that grace. You can meet Jesus at the cross the way the penitent criminal did. But you have to admit that you are sinful and confess that Jesus is sinless. You have to ask Jesus for the eternal, personal salvation that he offers. When you do, Jesus will give you the same answer he gave to the criminal: “I tell you the truth... you will be with me in paradise.”


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