Looking At The Cross

Luke 23:39-43 (NKJV):

³⁹Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ,^[j] save Yourself and us.”
⁴⁰But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
⁴¹And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
⁴²Then he said to Jesus, “Lord,^[k] remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
⁴³And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

Wow, what a promise from the Lord: to have this security that we will be with Jesus in Paradise if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior! It is finished, Jesus cried on the cross. I think that sometimes we forget the extent of what Jesus has done for us: He extended to each one of us a hand from the cross inviting to come with Him when we accept Him into our hearts; our inheritance is with Him in paradise through this personal invitation that He casts to every single being. What more can we ask?

It just so happened to be that I`m reading parallel both New and Old Testaments right now, and I actually like that coincidence, if you can call it that. Reading in the book of Numbers and in Matthew helps me to see certain scriptures that I haven`t noticed before. The promise of us meeting Jesus personally when we get to heaven is one of those things that captured my attention as I looked through the account of Aaron`s death.

In the Old Testament God asked both Moses and Aaron to bring forth water from the rock by saying to the rock, but Moses was so upset with the murmuring of the Israelites that he stroked the rock instead of calling out to the rock for water. He disobeyed God, and as a result both Moses and Aaron were prevented by God from the privilege of going into the Promised Land. Moses only got to see the land from the mountain top; it was the overview of the place before he died.

It is said in Numbers 20:24 (NIV):

²⁴ “Aaron will be gathered to his people. He will not enter the land I give the Israelites, because both of you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah.

We need to note this major gap/contrast between the Old and New Testaments: the promise of inheritance of heaven. We read that Aaron was “gathered to his people” while a thief was assured by Jesus Himself of the promise of being with the Lord instantly upon his death on the cross. Aaron sinned in two major accounts disobeying the Lord and leading Israelites into sin when they made a Golden Calf, and at the waters of Meribah. We see this distinction that in the Old Testament people didn`t have this assurance of salvation because Jesus was yet to come; however, in the New Testament we see this great promise of God!

What`s more, it`s worth noting that there were two criminals on each side of Jesus when He hung on the cross, and we see that one blasphemed the Lord, while the other one repented and had a humble heart before God. I believe Bible allowed this contrast on purpose for us to see and remind us constantly of God`s just ways and of the choices that we make that affect us for the rest of our lives: we can either choose Him or reject Him; these are the only two options that we have.

-He always gives us a choice to repent

-He always provide a last chance to repent

-He waits to the last moment hoping that we would repent

-He does not tolerate blaspheming in any shape or form

-He saves those who are humble in heart

-He acknowledges publically those who accept Him and praise Him

-He loves it when we recognize our inaptness being apart from Him

-He assures of the promises those who surrender to Him

-He fulfills His word and never fails

All these things God explicitly showed in this scripture are a reminder to us through the picture on the cross. The cross is where we see the essence of God`s heart towards each one of us. Enduring the afflictions and persecution serves us as a reminder that Jesus waits for us at the right hand of the Father. We may not feel like enduring is worth living through, but when we look at the cross, we realize that Jesus is all that our lives should be about.

He died for us and paid a steep price, so those who, like thief, repent, and humble themselves before God, they would inherit Paradise. Those who blaspheme the Lord, they would be judged and thrown into the Lake of Fire.

⁸ But the cowardly, unbelieving,^[e] abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8 NKJV).

There are two types of people: receptive of the Word of God, like a thief was, and those rejecting the Word of the Lord, like the other criminal on the cross.
Which one are you?

Please note that Jesus did not comment on any blaspheming words by the unrepented criminal on the cross because Jesus knew of the upcoming judgment for him. It is also because the first time around Jesus came to save, but the second time around, He would return to judge. That means that it`s not that blaspheming the Lord was accepted, but because God has His time for everything. He is a long patient and long suffering God who does not take pleasure in judging but likes to show mercy and kindness.

²³ Am I pleased with the death of a sinful man?” says the Lord God. “No, instead I would like him to turn from his sinful ways and live (Ezekiel 18:23 NKJV).

God`s word is true, so when reading these verses, we have the assurance that there is such thing as Paradise, and that those who accept Jesus, they get to Paradise. If someone rejects the truth, the fact doesn`t change; the word of God doesn`t change, but the person rejected the facts, lost one`s life.

The third crucial point is we only have access to the Lord through Jesus, and we all have it equally. We read how a thief commented on Jesus being blameless yet placed along with the true criminals on the cross.

⁴¹And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”

Jesus was in the middle of the two true criminals providing the only bridge to the Lord equally. Both criminals had a chance to repent and be with the Lord through this passage that Jesus provided covering the gap between sin and holy jealous God.

⁶Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6 NKJV).
 
Lastly, I want to point to the fact that we have to have faith to accept Jesus as our Savior. A thief believed by faith that Jesus was the Lord, and he accepted Jesus as his Savior before he died, while the other criminal did not believe Jesus being the only true Savior sent by our Heavenly Father.
 
¹⁷ For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,^[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:17 NIV)
 
⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9 NKJV).
 
It is by faith, and in no other way, that we accept Jesus in our hearts and claim the inheritance with our Heavenly Father. By the way, the verse “The righteous shall live by faith” is quoted from the Old testament scripture in Habakkuk 2:4 which only testifies of God`s true plan to fulfill the Old Testament and prove us with the alternative more secure and perfect Covenant through His only Son Jesus!
 
I think it`s really tragic to see so many people trying to find loop wholes to be a little bit of both (both types of criminals hanging on the cross with Jesus). On one hand, we want salvation and paradise, but on the other hand, we like to live for ourselves. Unfortunately it doesn`t work that way. We either choose Jesus and suffer with Him, or we crucify Him by our unbelief and rejection and suffer the God`s judgment.

I hope that reading these verses, will get you thinking of the type of a life you lead and where you`re headed with that.

Choose Jesus and live!