The Man In The Middle

As we approach the day that we honor our Lord for His sacrifice and celebrate his unwillingness to decompose in a borrowed tomb, I am taken back to the events of that weekend.

Do you remember the scene that day? Nailed to the cross atop Golgotha, our sin was on display. Our Savior hung front and center, had not only taken the sins of the world upon himself, but ironically, sin itself surrounded him to His left and to His right. Two men who were the worst that the world had to offer hung on either side of the man who was the best that the world had to offer.

To one side of Jesus, a man hung content to die with contempt. On death’s door, he turned to Jesus to scoff, just as those who walked beneath his cross. "So you're the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself--and us, too, while you're at it!" The same calloused heart that killed, lied, stole, swore, and abused was the same heart that hung mere feet away from the One who could change it in an instant. He was at the end of his rope and at the end of his life, and yet all he could do was spew hatred and insults at his Creator.

In a swift rebuke, a voice from the other side of Jesus spoke. "Don't you fear God even when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn't done anything wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom." In other words, “I accept you as the One who can save me. If you see fit, when you find time, after you’re settled into your new kingdom…please remember this event.” Broken, the man rebuked the darkness of sin and crossed over into the light, seeking forgiveness and grace from the One who invented it.

In agony, Jesus looked the dying man in the eye and said, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." Jesus told the man that they would enter Heaven hand in hand. The newest resident of Christ’s eternal kingdom would be the man who suffered and died just as Jesus did.

Imagine the magnitude of that moment. Just minutes before, with each labored breath, he was painfully reminded of his sin. For hours he hung thinking of how he wished he could take it all back…how he would give anything for a do over. And in an instant, with one utterance from his newfound Lord everything changed. He met Grace. Everything. Gone. Removed. Forever. Suddenly his suffering turned to longing. His fear of death turned to anticipation. His outlook changed.

Which criminal are you? Because, make no mistake about it, you are one of them.

Do you stand at an arms length away from Jesus, watching in disbelief that this man is who he says he is? Do you repeatedly reject the thought that He can change your circumstances? Are you emotionally, spiritually or physically dying, as this man was, and continue to stiff arm the One who longs to save you?
Or are you the man who finally gets it? Through tear-filled eyes, do you extend your hand to Christ, begging for a pardon?

Jesus says, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me.”

If you choose to be the criminal who reaches out, Jesus tells us that we must do so daily. He wants the little stuff as well as the crisis. If we are to “take up our cross,” we must be willing to accept His role…as well as ours. Our role is to simply bring our cares and concerns to Him…believing that he is the Great Physician, the Comforter, the Deliverer, the Rescuer and our Savior.