Encouragement

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AN EASTER STORY

Introduction

This is a story for the Easter Season and focuses upon the last 6 hours of the criminal that
was crucified by Christ. It describes what may have gone on and through his mind that
turned him from one that was initially throwing insults at Jesus but at the end asking and
receiving forgiveness and a trip to paradise.

It also is my attempt to understand why Jesus lingered in pain for so long when he could
have given up the ghost sooner. It is my opinion that he wasn't done until his last soul
was saved, thus, he could not say "it is finished" until he brought his last convert home.


Maybe, just maybe, his thoughts ran something like hour by hour.

Hour 1
I don't deserve to die for what I have done. Everyone has turned against me and I hope
they, and all who have put me here, die a similar death, if not worse. Now I am going to
die with these two fools beside me. And what lies ahead for me may be more misery if
my luck here on earth continues in the hereafter. Life isn't fair and I hate it and those in
it. I will likely hate what awaits me. Woe is me.

Hour 2
These Romans and Religious Jews are hurling abuses and they are challenging this Jesus
to use His magic to undo their curse of death. If it is true that He raised people from the
dead why can't he do something good for both of us. What a fool this Jesus must be to
allow his charismatic and miraculous powers to end by the hands of those who have
neither.

Hour 3
Why are these Pharisees and Sadducees so cruel to this Jesus. They got their way as He is
dying but they aren't satisfied. Look at them – they are hurling abuses, mocking him, and
they seem to be growing more angry as He grows closer to the end rather than being
appeased by his certain death. It is as if they sense they haven't seen the last of Him, even
if He dies. I don't understand this at all.

Hour 4
His accusers are now spitting upon Him. Their bitterness grows colder with the passing
of each hour. Why do they hate this Man so? The only thing I ever heard about this Jesus
is that He spent his whole life helping to the poor, sick, and those without hope? Do these
people fear that He might be who He said He was, and their attacks are nothing more than
an overt and exaggerated attempt to convince themselves (and those around them) that
their act of condemnation was just?

Truly, why is this Man, who had no criminal charges that could stick during his trail,
stuck on this cross? Such a death is only reserved for the worst of mankind. Why doesn't
He answer them or respond with another miracle to show them He is "who is says He is".
I am growing angry, but not at Him any longer, but at these mockers whose motivation
seems malicious, insincere and most disgusting of all self-serving. Please Jesus, do
something - teach them a lesson. Let me see some true justice before I die. Woe is He.


Hour 5
It has been 5 hours and Jesus has not responded to His accuser's attacks. I now believe
He could do something if He wants to, as I have seen the Heavens open peering down
upon Him and angels perched to do battle upon His command. But instead of calling on
the legions of heaven, He just looks at his accusers and murders and then looks up asks
God His Father to forgive them because they are acting in ignorance. And every time He
asks for their forgiveness, the religious leaders become even more angry and agitated at
Him than before. They appear so angry that I believe if they could take Him down and re-
crucify Him over and over again, they would? Look at them, they are gnashing their teeth
and weeping in anger. They are full of fear and hate. Woe are they.

Hour 6
This Jesus is different than me. I deserve to be punished but this Man does not. No man
can give his entire life for mankind, and then be crucified by them, and then his dying last
words are for their forgiveness. I can only reason that He is not a man, for no man is
capable of such compassion. These Pharisees have figured out what I now have - that He
is not just a man – though they have accused Him of being the devil. But the devil would
be full of venom and remorse similar as are these men who accuse and mock Him. This
Jesus is only full of forgiveness. I now see that it is they who are sons of the devil – this
Man must be the Son of God.

I wonder if this Jesus would extend the kindness and forgiveness to me, a sinner, who
mocked and denied him just a few hours ago. I must ask Him, I have nothing left to lose,
but I also have nothing to offer Him in return – I have no money-I have no future - I have
nothing-I am nothing. Oh my God, I will be dead soon with no hope except Him who is
beside me, even unto the end. But why would He want to do anything for me? It is
because He is not a man, like myself, but the Son of God whose mercies extend beyond
my reason.

So why doesn't this other fellow-criminal who is dying with me not see Jesus as I so
clearly do after these six hours with Him. Look, he still continues to mock Jesus and is in
perfect harmony with the very people who sentenced all three of us to our death. How
stupid is he, he is taking side of our accusers – why? – does he think he will obtain mercy
or acceptance from these vicious men when the only mercy available to him is from this
Jesus. I must rebuke him - maybe he will see what I do. Then, I will ask Jesus for the
same forgiveness He has requested of His Father for of his accusers – maybe He will
remember me and have mercy.

How did Jesus respond to this criminal? I believe that Jesus looked directly into the eyes
of this man allowing this criminal to see into His soul of mercy before uttering these most
comforting words…

"Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."

It was soon afterwards that Jesus could now look up to Heaven and tell His Father that
this last soul is now secure and then said with a look of satisfaction "It is finished!" And
He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

After Jesus finished this last work of salvation, both He and this man celebrated together
in the joys of paradise that very day and they are living "happily ever after".

A lesson learned - The Criminal's Mistake

The criminal made one mistake. He thought his life was worthless and that he had
nothing to offer God or mankind. But the truth is that he gave us an insight into the Heart
of Jesus that I can find nowhere else in scripture. His story brings John 3:16 to life as it
demonstrates that God thinks the world of us (for God so loved the World) so much that
He not only died for us but even postponed His death in the worst of pain, until He saw
that we saw the Light. Fortunately for this man, he saw the light at the end of his tunnel.

This man was the lost sheep who knew the voice of the Good Shepard and followed it to
the pastures of eternal life. In contrast, the goat (characterized by the other criminal)
refused to listen and ended his life mocking and finding fault with God, rather than
himself, and refused to repent to his bitter and eternal end.

The story of the converted criminal has to be one of the greatest stories ever recorded in
the Bile and appears to be one that was intended to be shared wherever the gospel is
preached so as to reach the most hopeless and pitiful of mankind.

Applications Applied

I believe Mother Theresa understood this story well. Like Jesus, She spent her life
ministering to the dying until her own death. Like Jesus, she did not care what their past
consisted of or what they had to offer her personally, or to anyone else for that matter.
She was only interested that they see His mercy (through her acts of love) and respond to
it (as did the repentant criminal) before their last hour expired so as to meet the One who
awaits their entry into Paradise.

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