Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:39-43 NKJV
Two criminals, both at the side of our crucified Lord, one gets it right and one gets it wrong. What can we glean from the criminal who got it right? It’s our faith, not our deeds that save us.
Jesus our Lord, even while nailed to a tree as the greatest sign of love ever exhibited, shows us just how simple it is to be welcomed to eternity with him.
Paul writes:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9 NKJV
Can you see from this writing, and from what the criminal said to our Lord, why Jesus promised him paradise?
Too often we convey a complicated picture to others when telling them what it means to be saved. It is very clear, let’s keep it simple. Our Lord most certainly did.
When asked about the greatest commandments, Jesus did not recite all from the tablets, or from the Torah. He said this:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37-39 NKJV
He also said this, shortly before he was arrested:
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV
Why did Jesus keep it simple? He explained it this way, the night of his arrest:
“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.” John 17:24 NIV
He left us with this final commandment:
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 NIV
With very few words, Christ Jesus gave us the roadmap to the kingdom.
Could it really be this simple?
I trust our Lord’s words above all!
Barnabas
Special thanks to Barnabas for this guest submission.