Luke
23:27-43 NIV
27 A large number of people followed him,
including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus
turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for
yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will
say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the
breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then
“‘they will say to the
mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover
us!”’
31 For if people do these
things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men, both criminals, were
also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they
came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the
criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus
said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they
are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the
rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save
himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked
him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and
said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him,
which read: this is the king of the
jews.
39 One of the criminals who hung there
hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him.
“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We
are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man
has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when
you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you
will be with me in paradise.”
Wait! There’s More!
So, He did it! He
set His face like flint and went to Jerusalem. A great Exodus of all time. He
did it for you, He did it for me, He did it before time, He did into eternity,
He did it for all people throughout all time. He did it! He entered this world,
and pulled the greatest Exodus of all time, taking all of those who believe in
Him right along into eternity and His Kingdom. He did it and we didn’t need to
do anything but believe that He did it. And He gave us all we ever would need
to believe. Jesus IS King!
Jesus was teaching
us all along this spring, summer and fall in the words of Luke. His IS NOT a
kingdom of this world. BUT the robber got the message that Jesus has been
teaching us ALL along, Jesus’ Kingdom is beyond death and grave. YES, Jesus
loves sinners, even the one next to Him on a cross. Thank about that! Oh, to be
that first sinner carried in the arms of Jesus into Paradise!
Jesus’ blood in ON
us!
Jesus didn’t nee our
pity. Sometimes pity is selfish attention focused inward on ourselves, NOT outward.
Jesus IS traveling, here as He has all spring, summer and fall in these Lukan
passages. He is on a great Exodus for ALL mankind. Yes, thank God, Jesus set
His face like flint in this Exodus journey for all of us.
Jesus’ middle cross,
divides heaven from hell. One sinner is unrepentant; one sinner is repentant.
The cross is Jesus’
victory over MY sin and your sin as well.
As Jesus hung on
that cross to taste our death; many people could care less.
Religious leaders
poked fun at Him.
Brutes mocked Him.
A convicted sinner
prayed.
The greedy gambled.
The believers
glorified God.
Disciples stood
back.
A mocking sign of
real truth that Jesus IS King was hung over Him. Yes, little did they know, in
that moment, how true this sign really was. For, Jesus IS the only real King.
God doesn’t rule
with a sword. No! God rules from the cross.
Majesty doesn’t
consist of power. Majesty lays majesty aside to rule with power.
As Jesus ushered
that first sinner, hanging with a repentant heart next to Jesus; we must stop
and realize.
Paradise is temporary.
That’s NOT the end.
Wait! There’s more!
As all of us on each
side of this time and eternity wait.; Jesus will come again and usher all
believers into a New Creation with eternal bodies.
So… for now… Wait! Theres
more!
Yes, this IS Christ
the King… today… tomorrow… and forever. --- Amen and Amen!
I leave you with
this YouTube music video that inspired me this past week, enjoy!
“Song of The Saints”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmrbS8pI6HU&list=RDNmrbS8pI6HU&start_radio=1
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