Daily Devotion - Luke 23:40-43 - By His Grace Alone
All he wanted was for Jesus to remember him when He received His kingdom. He could have never dreamed of the response Jesus gave him.
Jacob could see death's door clearly now, and he immediately thought of all the things in life he wished he could take back.
He remembered the small things, like the coins he had stolen to buy a loaf of bread. He remembered the bigger things, like destroying the chief priest's house or murdering the Roman soldier. That was the one that landed him here, nailed to a wooden cross until he died of suffocation.
There were two others with him up on Calvary Hill. The one on the far left was Othniel, someone he knew from the backstreets of Bethlehem as a merchant of stolen goods. Once or twice Jacob had used his services to hand off some valuable items, and both of them now joined the crowd below in mocking the guy between them.
The man in the middle had claimed to be God and, if so, He could take Himself down from the cross if He wanted. In fact, if He had saved the lives of so many others, He could easily save Himself and His fellow criminals up here with Him. More likely, He was just a common thief and rebel like them. Besides, what could God possibly have done to deserve a physical death like crucifixion?
But as Jacob watched, he realized there was something different about this Jesus of Nazareth. Instead of thinking of Himself, He sent His follower to care for His mother; rather than yelling at the soldiers, He forgave them. Suddenly Jesus turned His bloodied face toward him, the crown of thorns jammed into His scalp. His eyes...there was such an innocence in them, like the only things that lay behind them were beauty and truth.
Jacob had enough. After telling Othniel to stop mocking, he turned to Jesus and uttered one simple request. He didn't want to be rescued, because he knew he deserved to be there. All he wanted was for Jesus to remember him when He received His kingdom. He could have never dreamed of the response Jesus gave him.
[Luke 23:43 ESV] 43 And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise."
With Him? Today? There was to be no waiting, no ritual cleansing, no hoops to jump through. A thieving, murderous sinner like him would be with Jesus when He entered paradise.
And somehow he believed him, and he edged closer to death's door with no more anger, bitterness or fear. He was finally free.
Question to consider
In what areas of your life do you relate with the repentant thief on the cross?
Prayer for Today
Lord Jesus, I know I have not lived a perfect life and that I am in desperate need of Your grace. Thank You for Your kindness that saves the repentant thief and even forgives the soldiers that nailed You to the cross. Pour out Your grace over my life today, let me know the healing power of Your love. Amen
