As we prepare to celebrate Easter, we want to turn our focus towards the days that led up to Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. We will post a daily reading this week. Read the scripture and the study help below, take some personal notes, pray through and meditate on what you have read, and comment below so we can share with others in our River Church family.
Today’s reading is Luke 23 Here’s an excerpt…
Luke 23:39-43
One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Take another glance at verses 39 through 43 in today’s reading. A theologian once said that the thief on the cross is one of the best examples of faith in the entire Bible. Notice that he called Jesus “Lord” (v.42). What was it about Jesus that made him think this? Jesus was stripped of His own clothes. His “crown” was made of thorns and all but a few of His followers had completely deserted Him. The other criminal mocked Him saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us” (v.39).
We must be honest and admit that, if someone claims to be the Savior of mankind at least He should be able to save himself. Yet, this thief saw in Jesus both lordship and a kingdom. He was looking with eyes of faith. The Bible teaches that there is both a visible and an invisible world. The invisible or spiritual realm is really the one that makes sense of and gives meaning to the visible world. Read what the author of Hebrews says about Moses, “It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible” (Heb 11:27). This is strikingly similar to what the two men walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus experienced as they strolled along with the risen Christ, but were not aware of who He was until, “their eyes were opened” (Luke 24:31).
It takes a movement of God’s Spirit to open the eyes of our understanding to see Jesus for who He is and to be impacted by the reality of His suffering as a sacrifice on our behalf. Things appeared upside down on what we call “Good Friday”. What could be good about a day when the very people God created put His Son on an instrument designed to torture and execute Him? Throughout history and across cultures, we read of worshippers bringing sacrifices to their gods. Sometimes we come across such extreme cases of devotion that the worshipper will even die for the god he worships. Yet, the Gospel tells an “upside down” story. God came into our world and took upon Himself human flesh. He stooped even lower and became a humble servant, and just when we thought that was too much to believe, He sacrificed Himself in our place. Instead of having man bring his sacrifice to God, we have at the cross a picture of the eternal God giving His greatest possession—His only begotten Son—to the worshippers.
As the sky grew dark on that pivotal moment in history, a light began to shine in the heart of a dying thief.
When you and I look at the cross, what do we see?