Easter Sunday is coming… 4 days to go!
For the past three weeks, we have been considering ONE question in these DEVOTIONALS…
WHAT WAS JESUS DOING?
In the weeks, and now days leading up to the most important event in ALL of human history, the Resurrection, what was Jesus doing? And the heart behind even asking this question was to prepare our hearts to enter into ALL that is Easter.
For Jesus, in the days leading up to the cross and empty tomb, not much changed in that He continued TEACHING, HEALING, and SEEKING. In other words, His mission did not change despite all that He was about to endure… being denied, betrayed, deserted, mocked, beaten, battered, bruised, bloodied and ultimately, hung upon a cross.
Here’s the reality - when you know what your mission is, well, even the most horrific circumstances WILL NOT alter what you’ve been called to accomplish. And for Jesus, when humanity was at its worst, it did not change in the slightest His commitment to teach, heal, and seek.
For today, I want to CONCLUDE this short series by considering the last person Jesus interacted with before He breathed His final breath. In Jesus’s final moments of agony His heart was unchanged towards seeking the lost in order that the lost might enter into His Eternal Kingdom.
We do not know his name, but we know that his life choices landed him on a Roman cross next to Jesus. And as we read the story as told by Luke, we know there were two criminals hung next to Jesus: one on his left and one on his right.
And according to Luke, one criminal insulted Jesus with his final breaths whereas the other criminal, well, he acknowledged that he was justly placed upon the cross for his crimes. And not only that, but he also recognized that Jesus was unjustly placed upon the cross. In other words, he knew that Jesus did not deserve to die a humiliating and excruciating death upon a cross.
Maybe you’ve noticed this before but it’s not until one finally admits they are in trouble that they are finally willing to acknowledge their need for help. And in the case of the criminal on the cross, well, he used his final breath to make one final request… a request for help.
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
Luke 23:42 (NLT)
How might Jesus respond to this request? Clearly this man has made some horrific choices throughout his life to land him on a cross… does he deserve be part of Jesus’s Kingdom?
Before we consider how Jesus answered this request, maybe consider this question…
‘HOW WOULD YOU RESPOND TO THIS REQUEST?’
Be honest… would you give an enthusiastic ‘Yes!’? Or how about this… what if the crimes of this criminal on the cross were committed against you? In other words, what if this criminal had done you wrong on a MONUMENTAL SCALE… how would you respond to this request?
Hard questions for sure, but how we’d answer these hard questions reveal whether or not our hearts are consistent with the heart of Jesus who was ALWAYS SEEKING to bring men and women into His Kingdom.
Here’s how Jesus responded to this audacious request…
“And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.’”
Luke 23:43 (NLT)
Jesus’s PROMISE OF PARADISE is absolutely amazing, but it’s not surprising or shocking. We may have responded differently but Jesus’s response reflected His heart… His mission. From beginning to end, Jesus was seeking to bring more men and women into His Eternal Kingdom… and in Jesus’s final moments this side of heaven, He promised paradise to the one who simply asked… ‘REMEMBER ME.’
As we head into Easter weekend, would you join me in inviting a few more family and friends, neighbors, co-workers and classmates to experience and encounter the power and promise of Jesus to bring anyone and everyone regardless of their backstory or current story into His Eternal Kingdom, which Jesus described perfectly in one word… PARADISE!
