Today you will be with me in Paradise

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Two condemned men are watching Jesus. These two are also nailed to crosses. Both have joined in with the crowd in their mocking of Christ. Both have heard Jesus pray and offer forgiveness to those who mock. To those who drove the nails. To those who gamble for his robe. One hears him forgive and continues to mock him - perhaps he saw forgiveness as a sign of weakness? Yet the other responds differently and rebukes the other thief. Two thieves. Two men dying. Two different reactions.

What follows is truly amazing. Nailed to a cross a thief cries out for the forgiveness that Jesus offered. The mocker has been transformed by Christ's words of forgiveness and now defends him to the other thief. And all the while Jesus is listening. Not only to what the man says but to the faith that comes from his heart. Then, in an amazing mix of boldness and desperation, the thief cries out to Jesus. And, oh my, Jesus' response to him is so unexpected. So amazing. So divine. As he is dying he offers hope to everyone.

I am in awe of your forgiveness Lord. Help me to forgive as I am forgiven.

... this devotion is on the last words of Christ.
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Father, forgive them, for they know not

Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

The circus has begun and the folly of humanity is on trial.

While three men suffer in excruciating pain, the vilest acts in humanity come forth.
People stand by gawking.
Men gamble for the clothes of the suffering.
Religious leaders sneer and laugh with devilish glee.
Soldiers join in and pretend to offer to quench the thirst of the suffering.
The image painted here is one of utter darkness.

There does not seem to be any hope for the people watching these men die.

Then, from one of the crosses, a man speaks and light enters the darkness.

In a few words Jesus turns the circus into something beautiful.

Yes, the darkness is still there but something has changed.

The condemned Messiah has taken control of the atmosphere.

With one sentence he proclaims that FORGIVENESS REIGNS!!

I can hardly take it in. Mockers are forgiven. Gamblers forgiven. Thieves forgiven. Murderers forgiven.

Hallelujah! In utter pain and desolation God the Son reigns from the cross.

The extent of your forgiveness amazes me Lord. Help me to always forgive.

... this devotion is on the last words of Christ.
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the Violent take it by Force

From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence,
and the violent take it by force. [Matthew 11:12 ESV]

Things changed when John appeared preaching. His ministry was unconventional and not commissioned or sanctioned by the religious leaders. He did not look or act like one of those leaders. He preached outside of town instead of in a synagogue. Yet the heavenly kingdom began to advance. With passion.

The Greek word biastés, translated here as "the violent", can also be rendered "one who is eager in pursuit". That captures for me the essence of what Jesus is saying in this verse. People were being transformed by John's ministry. Instead of observers they were becoming people in eager pursuit of God.

Lord, we ask today for a divine eagerness that would compel us in our service to you and your world.

... this devotion is part of a series about John the Baptist.
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Thy Face. Thy Way.

For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. [Matthew 11:10 KJV]

The Greek translation of "thy face" is "the face of you" and "thy way" is actually "the way of you". I want you to stop for a moment and think about those two phrases. Is it possible for one to really know the way of God if one is not familiar with the face of God? Consider what King David writes in Psalm 27 verse 8.
My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, LORD, I will seek.
To seek the face of God is to seek the heart of God. To know the way of God we must first know his heart. Knowing the way or will of God is a somewhat natural result of knowing the heart of God. In that sense, the Baptist's mission was to prepare the way for the Messiah, the incarnate face and heart of God.

Stop again. Consider what you just read. Jesus is the full expression of the face and heart of God. If you desire to know what God is like, the you must study the life, ministry and teachings of Jesus. John the Baptist pointed to him. The gospel writers testify of him. To know Jesus is to know the heart of God.

Our desire dear Lord is to know your face. Your heart. Your way. Your messiah.

... this devotion is part of a series about John the Baptist.
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More than a Prophet

Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. [Matthew 11:9 NLT]

What do you think Jesus meant when he called John "more than a prophet"? In the following verse he identifies John as the prophesied messenger who would prepare the way for the Messiah. So is that what made John something more than a prophet? What makes someone more than their gift or calling?

It is difficult to know for sure that John was "more" because he was the messianic forerunner. Could Jesus have thought that John was more than his ministry? More than his gift? Could it be that Jesus thought of John first as his friend? Could it be that Jesus was referring to who John was rather than what he did?

I can relate to identifying with a spiritual gift or professional role. Sometimes words like pastor or prophet cause us to walk in strange ways. Religious titles can cause us to be proud modern day Pharisees. Not so with John. He was more than a prophet because he was more than his job description.

Help us Lord to identify more with being your friend and your child than being your minister.

... this devotion is part of a series about John the Baptist.
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What did you go out into the wilderness to see?

Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ... A man dressed in fine clothes? ... A prophet?" [Matthew 11:7-9 NIV]

Sometimes the questions that Jesus asks are more revealing than his answers. In these question he hits on three expectations than we all have of our religious leaders. We want them to be relevant, adapting to the times. We want them to look good. And most of all we desire them to be a man or woman of God.

Expectations often blind us to understanding God's will. The Baptist was not swayed by religious tradition. He looked more like a wild man than a preacher. Yet, to those who came hungry for God, he was a prophet. Those who heard his preaching were moved by the Holy Spirit. Others rejected him and God's will.

This last group reminds me of me in my younger years. I held a fairly rigid view of what it meant to be a leader. I did want a relevant and externally presentable man of God. Yet the thing that ensnared me the most was what it meant to be a man of God. Years later my eyes opened to what that phrase meant.

Lord, give us discernment regarding the leaders that we choose to follow and listen to.

... this devotion is part of a series about John the Baptist.
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Answers for a Man in Prison

“Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” [Matthew 11:3-6 NIV]

At first glance Jesus' answer to John the Baptist is a bit confusing and a tad harsh. On the surface John seems to be asking Jesus if he is really the Messiah. It is a reasonable question for a man in prison to ask. After all, was it not prophesied by Isaiah that the Messiah would set those in prison free?

Jesus' answer is twofold. He first answers the external question. I am doing things commensurate with Messianic ministry. Jesus then goes deeper. He focuses on the heart of John's question. He tells John that he is not going to rescue him. Then proceeds to counsel him saying that he is in danger of stumbling.

Jesus advice is so appropriate for people who are suffering. It is so easy to stumble spiritually when our prayers are not answered. And sadly, the stumble often leads to a rejection of God. Yet there is a blessing for those who persevere in faith in hard times. These are the ones who emerge with a refined faith.

Help us Lord to not stumble over unanswered prayers.
Teach us to allow suffering to refine, and not destroy, our faith.

... this devotion is part of a series about John the Baptist.
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