What Jesus Remembers

01.23.13

(Reading: Luke 23)

Luke 23.42 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

There is a lot of theology to be considered in the account of the two criminals who died the same day Jesus was crucified. They died right there along with Him. They died because they were criminals who’d offended Roman rule. They died, according to human law, because they got what they deserved. But the story of the two criminals has an interesting twist: one criminal died and went to hell; the other died and went to heaven. Hmmm.

One criminal resisted the grace of God to the end and cursed Jesus through his excruciating pain: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” C’mon man! You’re supposed to be somebody – pull off a miracle and get us out of this mess! He believed in what. Many people believe in what God can do – not in Who God is.

One criminal said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He knew he was getting exactly what he deserved and knew there was no getting out of the punishment levied against him. His attitude toward Jesus was this: Lord, I am sorry for what I have done, and sorry that You have to suffer; because I know You’re suffering unjustly, and innocently. One criminal knew Who Jesus was, and Jesus invited him home.

The criminal on the one hand admitted his guilt; he admitted God’s sovereignty. And his faith, small and late as it was, saved him: not from a criminal’s death, but from eternal separation from God. He hadn’t been baptized (except with his own blood, sweat, and misery). He never took communion but spent a few moments in the presence of God Almighty as he communed with Christ hanging on a cross a few feet away.

What saves us? Our past? Our future? Or the present, right now moment, when we realize that the One who claimed to be the Son of God was indeed who He said He was; and that only by Him will we be saved from our past and our present. The one criminal said this: “Don’t you fear God since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” No one can stand before God and claim I’ve done nothing wrong! Except Jesus.

No baptism, no communion, no good works – only a good death. One criminal died a good death because he confessed his guilt and proclaimed Jesus’ innocence. One criminal got what he deserved and yet in the midst of his own suffering and miserable death, found mercy: Today you will be with Me in paradise.

We are told that Jesus crucifixion partners were thieves. Seems like a lot of punishment for a relatively small crime. But like the thieves, we all deserve to die for what we done to God: mocked Him and called Him insufficient. We’ve called Him a Myth. We’ve called Him irrelevant. We’ve rejected His authority and governance over us. And for that the result is death – the cessation of life. Unless we repent and believe. Even in the last moment before the final curtain falls. That’s what one guy did and because he did, Jesus said to him: “[I’ll remember] …today you will be with Me in paradise…”