Today You Will Be With Me in Paradise

Luke 23: 35-43

35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Crucifixion was a method of execution used by the ancient world, particularly the Romans, not to only kill the person being crucified, but also to publicly humiliate them.  

Crucifixion was a slow, excruciating death in which the crucified person lost all dignity.  The scoffing, the derision, and the mocking were all a part of this process.

But Christ used the crucifixion as an opportunity to forgive others, to lift others up, to offer others everlasting life, and to show the world the love of God.

In God’s hands, even the worst situations can be transformed and used for His glory.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Cross

Luke 23:22-25

“22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.” 23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.”

Pilate thought Jesus was innocent of a crime and did not deserve the death penalty.  He thought the crowd would be satisfied if he promised to have Jesus beaten, then released.  But the crowd persisted to call for Jesus’ death, and Pilate, though he had the power of Rome behind him, surrendered to their will.

Barabbas, a man who had led a revolt against Rome in which at least one Roman soldier was killed, was released from prison, and Jesus, the Son of God, who taught love and forgiveness was crucified.  To those who were close to Jesus, I am sure they were baffled.

When we look at the events of the world, they often do not make sense.  Sometimes evil seems to win; sometimes hard work and honesty do not seem to be rewarded.  

But to God, the crucifixion of Christ made all the sense in the world; in fact it was necessary for the redemption of the world; necessary for love to triumph; necessary for the forgiveness of sins; necessary for the resurrection and victory over death.

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

Father, Forgive Them

 Luke 23: 32-34

“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.”

Jesus had just been put through a number of trials at which he was falsely accused, was spat upon, mocked, beaten, and whipped.  Now nails were driven through his hands and feet and he was raised on a cross.  

The first words he uttered from the cross were words of forgiveness; forgiveness for those who had lied about Him, spat upon Him, mocked Him, beaten Him and crucified Him.  Jesus had said many wonderful things in His life on this earth.  But none more wonderful than these.

Here we see a living faith.  Christ did not just teach love and forgiveness, He lived it.

In the same way, Christians are called to live their faith.  And whenever we are suffering, or weak, or angry, let us remember the example of our Lord on the cross.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Words of Christ

 Luke 23:1-5

“1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.” 3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “You have said so,” Jesus replied. 4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” 5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”

Anyone who has studied the gospels knows that Jesus never opposed paying Roman taxes.  In fact he said, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are God’s (Matthew 22:21).  

We also know that Jesus never claimed to be an earthly king.  The only charge that was true was the charge that his teachings were having an impact on the people all over Judea.

The religious authorities said that his teachings were “stirring” people up.  The Greek word used for the English word “stirs” can mean excites, shakes up, rouses people to the point that they take action.

Jesus’ teachings were, in fact, shaking up the old way of thinking, causing people to live and act in a different way.  The religious authorities were threatened by the power and the effect of Jesus’ words and they had to put a stop to them.  

The crucifixion was their answer. But the crucifixion served only to make His words more powerful, and more effective.

And for over 2,000 years, millions of hearts have been warmed and stirred by His glorious words.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Kiss of Judas

 Luke 22:47-53

“47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; 48 but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” 49 When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” 50 Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51 But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? 53 When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!”

Judas intended to betray Christ with a kiss.  In Jesus’ time, a kiss between friends was a common sign of greeting, respect, honor and brotherly love.  

Judas hid his true feelings behind the hypocritical kiss.  To betray another person with a kiss meant just the opposite; disrespect, dishonor, and hatred.

We, like Judas, betray Jesus each day with expressions of love that we do not mean, kind words that do not come from our hearts, and promises of prayers that we do not keep.

Judas led a band of people brandishing swords and clubs to arrest Jesus.  But it was the kiss of Judas that would sting hardest long after that fateful night.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Prayer

 Luke 22: 41-46

“41 Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44 In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. 45 When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”

Jesus prayed that God remove the burden of crucifixion from Him.  Here we see the human side of Jesus.  He prayed as we would pray in such circumstances.  God’s plan for the redemption of humanity could only move forward through the sacrifice of Christ.  The weight of this was such that while praying he sweat blood.

But through his anguish, He was able to see that His own will, His own desires, paled in comparison to those of God; that His own good was nothing compared to the good that God desired for all of humanity.

And he arrived at the conclusion that it was not His will that should determine the fate of humanity, but the will of God.

Because of Christ’s sacrifice of his will in prayer and of His body on the cross, all believers are redeemed and have eternal life.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)

The Greatest

 Luke 22:24-27

“24 A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25 But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26 But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. 27 For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”

Around the table in the upper room, the disciples of Christ argued over who was the greatest.  Their view of greatness, even at this point in their ministry with Christ,  did not include servanthood, or lack of pride, or humility. 

They would soon learn that none of them were great.  They would soon all flee for their lives.  They would soon all desert Christ.

In the light of the cross the disciples realized who they were, who Christ was, and their mission on earth.

The sacrifice on the cross gives all believers these things. 

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)