Those two criminals.
Bleeding.
Bruised.
Guilty.

In the Savior’s final moments, one criminal hung on each side of Him.

Those two represent all of us.

We are each like
one
or the other
of them.

It’s no accident, this true picture.

There they were.
So close to Jesus.
Can you imagine?

They both knew who He was.
But only one of them would be saved.

For simply knowing Who Jesus is,
isn’t enough.

Satan, himself, knows Jesus is the Son of God.

Those two criminals both knew Jesus was said to be the Christ. The Son of the Living God. The Messiah.

But cognitively believing Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, is not enough.
For even the demons believe and shudder. (James 2:19)

And as those two criminals hung there, so very close to the Savior, only one of them would be saved.

And all of us,
when we are confronted the gospel respond as
one
or the other
of those two
bleeding, bruised, guilty criminals.

Like them, we have been found guilty and death looms right around the corner for all of us. (Rom 3:23)

One scoffed.

“Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”(Luke 23:39)

He scoffed.
The lost world still scoffs.

“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 23:40-43)

Only one of those criminals recognized his own guilt. He said he was deserving of his punishment.

Don’t miss this!

The one who would be saved, recognized his own sin, saw the innocence of the Savior, and knew He, alone, held the keys to forgiveness, life and the everlasting Kingdom.

The guilty criminal, who was saved, humbly saw his own sin and turned to Jesus.

There is no salvation without confession and turning from our ways, to Christ -the ONLY salvation.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except by Him. (John 14:6)

And we come to Him by first confessing we are sinners in need of a Savior.

Unless we recognize our condition, lost in our sin, we will never appreciate what the sinless Lamb did for us on that Cross.

For “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1John 1:9)

CLEAN!
Cleansed from ALL unrighteousness!

All my HOPE is in Jesus! I’ve been washed by the blood! Have you?! Let the redeemed say so!

Will you praise Him with me?

It’s Friday! But SUNDAY IS COMING!

holyweek

whataSavior

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