Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”( Luke 23:43)
As I sit here today I can’t help thinking about the two thieves hanging on either side of Jesus. One was rude and harsh and even said to Jesus, If you really are the Christ, save yourself and us. ( Cheryl’s version) The other one saw truth. The truth that he and the other thief deserved what they got, they were guilty, but Jesus was innocent. He saw the truth about who Jesus was. He humbled himself and turned to Jesus and said, ” Lord, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” Jesus had been abandoned by this time and He suffered beyond what you and I could even imagine. Yet this was His word to the thief, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” This man’s life was a mess! Even so, at that moment he was changed. Jesus spoke an unmistakable promise and because the man believed, he would be in paradise that very day, the moment he died.
Before Ed went to Heaven and for the entire time we fought cancer, he would say, “no matter what, I win” He believed that what Jesus did on that cross was real and that the ultimate victory was eternity with Jesus. As we move forward into this year, think about what the Cross means to you. See and recognize how much God really loves you. Know that there is Power in the blood that was poured out for you. Let this be the time you fall on your knees at the foot of the cross and worship the King.
`
