“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 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, Luke 23:32-33.” Here is an important question for all “Christians” to consider in their walk of faith. How do you approach the cross of Christ?

Oftentimes, we take the position of looking up at the face of the crucified Jesus. We might view the cross as a blessed reminder of God’s sacrifice, but there is also the subtle thought that we have avoided the fate of Jesus. We might even find it easy to bask in the peace to know that we escaped crucifixion, or that we never endured the fate of Jesus on that dark day outside Jerusalem.

But the truth is, we didn’t escape anything.

We were there that day, embodied in the very persons who surrounded the hill of Cavalry and gathered around the bloody cross. We were in the shouts of the High Priests, the laughter of the naysayers, the insults of the Roman Guards, and the weeping of the followers.

We were also on another cross.

Jesus was crucified between two criminals on that day. And from the mouth of one came the same insults, skepticism, and mockery that were coming from the crowd. Even from an edifice of death and destruction, this criminal found the energy to hurl aspersions towards the Son of God. Humanity has such endless bounds and depths of arrogance. Here is Christ dying for the sins of the world, and the whole world is mocking him. But there was another voice that day.

The other crucified criminal rebuked the other and proclaimed Christ’s innocence. He admitted his guilt and just received punishment and then humbly beseeched Jesus to “Remember him when Christ entered into His Kingdom.” Jesus then turns his head towards this broken, bleeding sinner and says, “Surely I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

In this moment of History, Jesus drew upon himself the first true convert to the Christian Church, and it was a petty criminal being put to death by crucifixion. What this man was or had done was of little regard to the Messiah; it was how he approached Jesus that mattered. This criminal admitted his guilt (repented), acknowledged Christ’s innocence and his divinity, and then submitted to Christ and beseeched that Jesus “remember him.” In this brief interlude that was merely a pinpoint drop of water in the ocean of history, the full display of our journey as Christians is displayed.

We are all crucified criminals in this world, stuck upon the crosses of our construction. We can either deny our situation and hurl insults and lash out at Christ. Or we can humbly beseech our savior to “remember us.”

Which criminal will you and I be in our walk with Christ?

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Pastor Mike McVey
Minister – First United Methodist Church, Fairfield TX
ACS Chaplain – United States Coast Guard, Station Galveston TX