Remember Me (Lk 23: 39-43)

When Jesus was crucified, He was crucified along with two criminals. These men had been thieves and were being punished by the Romans for their crimes. They were men who had brought the law down on themselves. Jesus was crucified in the middle of them and was sinless. He didn't deserve to die yet chose to be obedient to His Father. The one thief told Jesus to save Himself and them if He was the Christ. The Bible tells us the other thief rebuked the first. He said that they were guilty and getting what they deserved but Jesus was innocent. His last request was that Jesus would remember him when Jesus came into His kingdom. Jesus told him that he would be in paradise with Him that day.

We deserve to die for our sins much like the thieves. We are not worthy of anything less yet God loves us so much that He took our sins and put them on His own Son. Jesus was judged in our place. The good news is that He did not die in vain but to bring us life and victory over sin and death. Some folks do not understand what Jesus did for them on the cross. They look on Him as someone no different from themselves. They fail to grasp the full extent of His sacrifice and lose any hope of eternal life. They mock Him even when facing eternity. There are others that are like the penitent thief. They see Jesus and realize they are sinners and that they deserve the punishment of death. Yet they know that because of what Christ did on the cross they do not have to stay that way. They accept the sacrifice of Christ and ask for forgiveness for their sins. They receive the same grace and mercy that the thief was given even on the cross. It is never too late to ask for forgiveness except after you die. We need to make sure we are right with God before we leave this life. God demonstrated His love for us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8). Even on our death bed we can ask God to forgive us and He will.

The thief went to be with Christ that day simply because he recognized his sinfulness and was repentant. The other thief died in his sins because he failed to acknowledge his sins. Each of us today must make the same choice the thieves had to make. God does not want any to perish but come to eternal life. So my only question for you is what have you chosen to do with Jesus? My prayer is that you choose life and ask God to remember you in His kingdom!