What Does The Cross Mean To You? (Good Friday)

But one of the criminals has a change of heart. Instead of continuing to mock Christ, he grows silent, and then he rebukes his fellow criminal: “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” A change of heart takes place in this criminal. He starts to defend Christ. He confesses his sinful life – “we are getting what our deeds deserve.” He even acknowledges that Jesus is innocent. What was happening in the heart of this criminal?

He was repenting. The Holy Spirit was working. Perhaps, as he hung from the cross, he realized the depth of his sin. Perhaps he remembered all the things he had learned about the Messiah when he was younger, the idea of a suffering Messiah, a Messiah that would be mocked. As he hung from the cross, the Holy Spirit led him to repent, to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.

He defends Christ. He confesses his sin. And then, he turns to Christ, and says, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” In other words, “I repent of my life as a criminal. I repent of my mockery. I believe that you are a king, the Messiah who was to come. I believe that you have fulfilled the Old Testament. I believe that you are a King who shows mercy. Forgive me for the life I have led. Forgive me for the way I mocked you. When you come into your kingdom, have mercy on me. Remember me.

These words of repentance are also our words, aren’t they. As we see Jesus die on the cross, we also pray, “O Lord, forgive me for my life of rebelling against you. Forgive me for mocking you by doubting you and questioning you. Forgive me. Have mercy on me. Remember me, when you come into your kingdom.”

And Jesus, even though he was being shown no mercy, showed mercy to that criminal. “I tell you the truth,” Jesus says, “today you will be with me in paradise.” Crucifixion was supposed to be a 2 or 3 day process. But Jesus tells this man, today, this very day, you will be in paradise, heaven, that wonderful place souls go before Judgment Day. This very day, you will be there, and you’ll be there with me, your Messiah, your King.” Jesus gives to this man an unconditional pardon – he completely and totally forgives him, and gives him the hope of eternal life.

Why? Because, at that very moment, Jesus was dying for that criminal’s sins on the cross. At that very moment, Jesus was dying for all that man’s criminal acts against society and against God. Jesus was paying for that. All that mockery – Jesus was paying for that too. What amazing love, that as Jesus suffers for this man, he offers him forgiveness, an unconditional pardon, the sure hope of eternal life.

Jesus does the same thing for you. How is it that Jesus can say to you, “Without a doubt, you are forgiven. I am with you always, and someday, you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus says that to you – how?

Because here on the cross, Jesus is taking all of your sins away. All the different ways we have rebelled against God, all those moments of mocking and doubting God in our minds, Jesus, right here, is paying for those sins. Because of this moment on the cross, Jesus offers to you an unconditional pardon, a clean slate, the sure hope of eternal life with him.