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Lord,
keep in mind me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom”. Phrases moist with regret and sorrow
trickled down from the bleeding mouth of one of many two dying thieves. They
had been criminals crucified on the cross at Golgotha as punishment for committing
crime beneath the Roman regulation. The hillock of Golgotha stood exterior the walled Metropolis
of Jerusalem; the place the lethal punishment of loss of life by crucifixion* was conferred
to the worst criminals as a deterrent punishment. In between the crosses of
these two thieves stood one cross, on which was crucified the One, who knew no
sin, did no sin and in Him was no sin, and but He was numbered with the criminals.
A big
crowd gathered at Golgotha that morning, which included the chief clergymen, the
lecturers of the Regulation and the elders. Those that handed by that means additionally got here and
joined the mob. Their complete consideration was targeted singularly upon the One who
was crucified on the cross on the
centre, though He didn’t commit any crime. Quite the opposite, He did solely good
issues to the individuals. He healed all method of sicknesses and illnesses among the many
individuals. He healed the lepers, the demon possessed had been let out, the blind had been
restored to sight, the palsied healed, an epileptic boy healed, the useless had been raised
alive. His compassion for the individuals knew no bounds. He was merciful to these
who cried for mercy. He forgave and continues to forgive the sins of the
individuals.
The solar
hesitated to ship his beams down upon the earth because the ambiance was
surcharged with hatred and bitterness towards the One, who held on the cursed
tree, between these two thieves, and the air turned heavy with the stench of
loss of life. The vultures hovered above their heads searching for to devour their prey.
It was
none however Christ Jesus, the Prince of life. After crucifying Him, and after
parting His clothes by casting heaps, the Roman troopers sat down and sipped
wine, as their method was, and watched the Struggling Servant of Jehovah,
entertaining themselves on the struggling of the King of glory. ‘You who’re
going to destroy the temple and construct it in three days, save your self! Come
down from the cross if you’re the Son of God!’ stated the passers-by, wagging
their heads.
‘He
saved others, however He can not save Himself! He’s the King of the Jews! Let Him
come down from the cross, and we are going to consider in Him’ mocked the chief clergymen,
the lecturers of the Regulation and the elders.
The
thieves weren’t far behind in sneering and jeering on the Lord.
From
each mouth flew insults, scorn and mockery. Their hatred of the Lord Jesus,
the prince of Glory was visibly manifest in its worst type.
Because the
grace of God had its work upon the youngsters of males, one of many thieves stopped
jeering on the Lord any extra. However the different continued his outburst, ‘if Thou be
the Christ, save Thyself and us’. He didn’t come to avoid wasting Himself, however to put down
His life as a ransom for the sin of everyman born upon this earth.
‘Do not
you’ve gotten the concern of God, seeing that you’re additionally in the identical condemnation?’
The opposite dying thief cautioned his comrade. He continued in the identical breath,
‘you and I are punished justly: for we obtain the due reward for our legal
deeds, we need to die like this for our crime, however this Man, has performed
nothing amiss!’
The
message of the cross preached by the penitent dying thief to his dying comrade
on the cross! However there was brazen silence.
This dying
penitent thief then slowly turned his eyes in direction of the Saviour. He singled out
himself and pleaded trembling, ‘Lord, keep in mind me when thou comest into thy kingdom’.
When everybody else hated Him, condemned Him, accused Him, jeered at Him, wagged
their heads at Him; and but though he was on their own, he trusted within the
Saviour and pleaded for mercy.
The Lord
Jesus whereas upon the cross was bleeding profusely throughout. The crown manufactured from
sharp thorns, positioned on His head tore his forehead, from which blood oozed down.
His physique had lengthy furrows like a person’s ploughed discipline and the massive quantity of
blood that got here there-from coated his being giving the spectacle of a garment
dyed in crimson purple. Our Lord’s visage was marred than any man. He had no type
or comeliness and there was no magnificence that anybody would want Him. Nothing however
coarse mockery and crude insults rained on Him from each mouth.
The penitent
thief, who had the uncommon privilege of being nearer to the cross of the Saviour,
may see the grace, the gentleness, the love, the meekness and the holiness of
the Saviour in show in full grandeur. There had been no bitterness on the
face of the Lord to those that unjustly tried Him, unjustly flogged Him,
buffeted Him, spat upon Him, topped Him with a thorny crown, and scoffed at
Him and humiliated Him. The Lord moved with compassion at their ignorance and requested
the Father for his or her forgiveness. The penitent thief noticed these extraordinary
virtues of the Saviour.
The
grace of God working in his coronary heart dropped at remembrance, the approaching of the
kingdom of God and the next judgment that’s reserved for sinners like
him. The penitent
thief noticed in Jesus his Saviour and Lord that, ‘This man hath performed nothing
amiss’. He was the holy Son of God. He believed within the deity of Jesus, by
calling Him Lord (Romans 10:13), when the multitude known as him, “scoffer”. He
stated “Lord, keep in mind me, when Thou cometh in Thy kingdom!” It was a prayer
which embraced in its fold, the Kingship of Christ and His eternal kingdom,
and his earnest want to enter into that Kingdom. Wonderful grace!
‘Immediately,
thou shalt be with Me in paradise’ stated the Saviour. The repentant thief
marvelled on the authority with which the Lord Jesus spoke amidst His
sufferings and agony upon the cross. Phrases of profound consolation! Phrases of
everlasting pleasure! It introduced cheer to his soul. The malefactor felt that he had come
to own a priceless treasure, although it was on the finish of his little life.
The knowledge preceded the peace of mind of it, ‘verily I say unto thee’….and the
imminence of this promise, ‘at the moment shalt thou be with Me…’ O! what a Saviour!
The
penitent thief drowned in exhilarating pleasure. Unspeakable pleasure and peace that
transcends human understanding enveloped his soul. The Lord had forgiven his
sins. As he was musing in his coronary heart in regards to the pleasure of the peace of mind of
salvation, he noticed black darkish clouds gathering within the sky, the solar started to
darken and darkness coated your complete earth.
‘My God,
My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me’, the loud cry of the Saviour reverberated
via the hills and valleys of Palestine. The storm of God’s wrath raged upon
His Son. The Father turned His face away from the Son. However the Son ‘completed’
the arduous activity entrusted to Him, on the appointed time. The Almighty God, the
Father was absolutely happy. As if to relay the delight of the Father, the solar
burst via the darkish clouds and shined brightly over all of the earth.
The
thief adored His Saviour. The violent strokes of the membership that fell upon his
legs couldn’t deter him from worshipping his Saviour, Lord and Grasp. Moments
handed. Because the soul of the penitent thief handed into Paradise, town which
has foundations of beautiful valuable stones of numerous varieties, with gates of chic
pearls and its streets manufactured from pure gold,which dazzles like clear glass,
outshined by the very presence of the Sovereign God the place there isn’t any extra
sorrow and no extra weeping, the soul of the impenitent thief handed into the blackness
of the darkness of hell, to the corporate of Devil, the outdated serpent and the
deceiver of souls and the multitude of the fallen angels, the place there’s
weeping and wailing for the timeless ages of eternity.
*Dying
by Crucifixion:- Dying by crucifixion is essentially the most barbaric and heinous, because it
is gradual loss of life by hanging on three sharp nails supported by uncooked flesh,
operating into a number of days. It was once fairly a long-drawn-out, course of not often
ending earlier than thirty six hours. The ache was intense and excruciating, because the
complete physique was strained, whereas the palms and ft, that are only a mass of
nerves and tendons, would preserve shedding blood. The arteries of the top and
abdomen can be surcharged with blood, inflicting aching headache, traumatic
fever and tetanus would set in attributable to sharp nails with which the sufferer’s
palms and ft are nailed to the cross with brute drive. The legs of the sufferer
are shattered with membership, if for any motive the crucifiers meant to hasten
the loss of life of the sufferer.
If you wish to perceive extra about God’s
Free Present of Salvation in these closing moments of human civilization, you may
learn via the a number of different articles on this weblog archive.
– by Nadesan Ok.
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