When Jesus hung on the cross, two others hung with him. One believed that Jesus was who He said He was, the other didn’t. The majority of the people present at the crucifixion – the religious leaders, the soldiers, the crowd – mocked Jesus because at that moment it appeared that Jesus wasn’t really who He said He was.
One of the men who hung alongside Jesus on the cross asked Him, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39) This criminal did not really believe that Jesus could save him. But the other man said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” This man was about to die, and he wasn’t asking for relief from his pain or a quick way out. What he wanted was a resurrection – new life with Jesus. A lot of us fear death, and even more so we fear that our lives have no significance. This Sunday – Easter Sunday – I’m going to talk about how our search for meaning and significance in this life should always end at the cross
When we come to Christ, all we can bring are the same things the criminal on the cross brought: repentance, faith and a genuine plea for mercy. In exchange, we’re given the resurrection. The evidence that our faith isn’t misplaced is found in the empty tomb. Jesus is who He said He was. He was victorious over death – a victory that we share with Him.
Do you believe that Jesus is who He said He is? Can you bring your repentance, faith and plea for mercy to the cross in exchange for life with Christ?