DAY TWENTY-SEVEN -- Two Responses
When the true meaning of the crucifixion dawns upon us, then the whole sordid, bloody, painful death shall make us tremble before its glory. —Ben M. Herbster
Reflect
Make a conscious effort to stop the activity in your mind as you come before the Lord right now. Slow your thoughts until you can focus on Him. Consider the holy calling He has given you to participate in His sufferings. Ask Him to make this comprehensible to your heart through His Holy Spirit. Read the following words of Thomas à Kempis, reflecting on them and your own life:
Jesus hath now many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of His cross. Many He hath that are desirous of consolation, but few of tribulation. Many He findeth that share His table, but few His fasting. All desire to rejoice with Him, few are willing to endure any thing for Him. Many follow Jesus unto the breaking of bread; but few to the drinking of the Cup of His Passion. Many reverence His miracles, few follow the shame of His cross. (The Imitation of Christ)
Pray for divine revelation as you contemplate the Cross today.
Read
He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43 NASB)
The chorus of mockery surrounding Jesus swells with dissonant notes. Drunken soldiers, pious priests, and sordid onlookers take turns deriding the One who says nothing in return. So intent are they in their scornful quest, none notice the sky starting to swallow the sun at midday.
One of the thieves watches Jesus carefully. For him, hope is slipping away, the terror of death closing in. If this miracle worker beside him has some secret plan, now is the time to execute it. Hoisting himself up, he rails at Jesus.
“Well, are You the Christ or not? Why don’t You save Yourself and us, then?” Energy spent, he sags back down, rolling his eyes in disgust.
Jesus turns to him, but he looks away, escaping into his lonely torment.
“How can you say such a thing?” a weak voice challenges from Jesus’ other side.
“Don’t you fear even God Himself? You are here, condemned to die. You and I—we deserve to be here for the crimes we committed. But this Man has done nothing wrong.”
Forcing his words out into the muggy air before his knees collapse, the repentant thief looks to his comrade in crime, but his words fall on deaf ears. For a moment there is silence.
“Jesus.”
Jesus slowly turns His head to His right. How odd it feels to hear His name spoken with such familiarity by this stranger and partner in death.
“Jesus, will You remember me when You come into Your kingdom?”
What an ironic plea offered to the One whose royal reign must seem no more than a dream in this moment. What might Jesus think as the words break through His private reverie? Surrounded by scoffers, how does it feel to hear this solitary voice of support?
Jesus opens His mouth but cannot speak. Summoning every vestige of strength left in His body, He lifts Himself, and between gasps for air, utters haltingly: “Truly, I . . . say to you, today . . . you shall . . . be with Me . . . in Paradise.”
With Me. Does the thought of fellowship refresh Jesus’ heart? Can He glimpse for a moment the joy of eternity with those He suffers for even now? Will His final hours before death be more tolerable recalling the penitent thief on His right—the first fruits of atonement?
With Me—never have such beautiful words been spoken. Long ago God’s heart broke when He ushered His beloved children out of paradise into a fallen world. But now, in His second word from the cross, Jesus opens the door to the garden of God’s presence and lets one sinner in—a fitting reminder that soon the gates will be flung wide to all those who accept His sacrifice for their sins.
The sky grows gray at Golgotha. More of the crowd starts down the slope toward home, fearing bad weather. Staying till the end for a crucifixion is not worth tolerating a Jerusalem thunderstorm.
The soldiers settle down in various stages of drunkenness to await the end, their former games having lost their savor. Only the priests remain the same—proud, haughty, and consumed with righteous contempt for this One who hangs near death.
And angels rejoice at a sinner saved, though their dance is bittersweet.
Respond
Two men hung with Jesus on the cross. Both had equal access to Him. But consider the differences:
One spoke ridicule—the other spoke truth.
One took no responsibility for his sin—the other saw his need.
One saw Jesus as a ticket to freedom—the other saw Jesus as a Savior.
One hurled abuse—the other pleaded for grace.
One faced an eternity of hell—the other entered God’s presence that day.
Place yourself there and ask God to show you your own heart. Which thief are you most like? Are there times you can relate to both of them?
Hear Jesus saying these words: With me. What does it mean to be in God’s presence—to be with Him? Spend some time contemplating this—with Jesus on the cross, with Jesus in death, with Jesus in resurrection, with Jesus in victory . . .
Write a prayer of response.
A Prayer
Dearest dying Lord, deep peace fills my heart when I think of the words You spoke so simply, so eloquently. With me... I hear the words and watch You suffer, and I am overcome by the thought. I live in the warmth of Your embrace. I linger in the light of Your kindness. I abide in the hollow of Your heart. Oh, Lord—to be with You is my one great joy, my hope and reason to live. Let me never settle for less than the simplicity of this.
Reprinted by permission. Contemplating the Cross: a Forty Day Pilgrimage of Prayer, Tricia McCary Rhodes, 2004, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Copying or using this material without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited and in direct violation of copyright law.
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