Grace Beyond Measure: The Gospel, Salvation, and the Thief on the Cross

When I was growing up, my sister and I used to babysit our neighbors together. I remember one specific occasion when I was in charge of babysitting the kids for 4 hours, but I had to leave early. So, I babysat for the first 3 hours, and my sister came over and babysat the kids for the last hour. However, when we got paid for it, my sister and I received the same amount. Needless to say, I was upset because I babysat longer so I should've received more money. 

Similarly, I think we carry that same mindset into Christianity. We get caught thinking that because we have been a Christian longer or we are a "better" Christian, that makes us more deserving of Salvation. As we look towards Easter, I want to speak to The Gospel message and the greatest gift offered to the world. I would be naive to assume that everyone reading this already knows The Gospel message, so let me start by breaking it down. 

In the beginning, God created man and woman. He placed them in the Garden of Eden and gave them one rule: they were not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet, Eve was deceived by the serpent in the garden, and she and Adam ate the fruit of the tree. As a result, their eyes were opened, they discovered their nakedness, and mankind’s relationship with God was broken. The Lord sought out Adam and Eve in the garden and confronted them of their sin. Since then, the world has wrestled with the consequences of sin and has continually been in a broken relationship with its Creator. Generation after generation follows this pattern of following the Lord, disobeying the Lord, and then facing the consequences for their sin. In the Old Testament, the atonement for sin was an animal sacrifice, usually a perfect, spotless lamb. However, these sacrifices only served as a temporary solution to a long-term problem of sin. 

In the meantime, God tells of a coming savior who will pay the consequences of sin and save the world. Everything leading up to Jesus' birth, points to the coming savior. The animal sacrifices were actually a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of the only perfect man, Jesus. So, Jesus humbly leaves his throne in heaven and comes into the world in the form of a man. He is born of a virgin, a peasant girl, and placed in a manger in an animal stable, fully God and fully man. He lives the perfect life despite facing temptation, accusations, and hatred. Jesus came to do what humanity couldn't do. He could live the perfect life and in right relationship with God.

Fast forward, after many teachings and miracles, Jesus has gained some popularity. He enters into the streets of Jerusalem where the crowd is shouting "Hosanna!" and waving palm branches. Yet only a few days later, Judas, a disciple and close friend of Jesus, turns Him into the city officials. The same crowd that was singing "Hosanna!" began to shout, "Crucify Him!". They began to mock Jesus as they believed he was a threat to the authority of the city and synagogue and wasn't actually the king that was prophesied in the Old Testament. He didn't come in the form they expected with a crown, jewels, or powerful armies. While not finding any real fault, the pressure of the crowd condemned Jesus to crucifixion. Jesus was stripped of his clothing, spat on, and violently tortured with whips and beatings. The soldiers placed a crown of thorns upon His head and bowed to him mockingly saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!". Then, they beat nails in Jesus' hands and feet, nailing him to the cross. The whole earth shook as the Savior of the world breathed his last breath saying, "It is finished." In this act, the only righteous and perfect man took on all the sins of the world and died so we didn't have to. This is what today, Good Friday, is all about. 

But the story doesn't end there. Friday is good because Sunday is coming. Jesus' body was wrapped in linen and buried in a tomb. The tomb door was sealed with guards placed outside of it. On the third day, there was a great earthquake, and the tomb door was rolled back. When the women went to check on the body, an angel of the Lord appeared to them and told them the good news. They said, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay." (Matthew 28: 5-6). Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and the grave. After revealing Himself to His disciples, Jesus ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God. There, He serves as our advocate before God the Father awaiting His return to collect those who believe in Him. Because of this, we can now have a relationship with God, we can come to Him freely, and we can receive eternal life. This is why we celebrate. 

Just like any gift though, it must be received. If someone sends you a gift in the mail, you can't receive it and appreciate it until you get it out of the mailbox. John 3:16-18 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son." If you don't know Jesus as your Savior, I pray this reaches you today! You can have eternal life and you can have a relationship with your creator. All you have to do is believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, admit you are a sinner in need of saving, and invite Him into your heart. If you have additional questions on how to accept Christ as your Savior this Easter, please reach out using the "Let Me Know How I Can Be Praying For You" Tab, and I'd be happy to talk with you. 

Now, I want to draw us back to the beginning of this post. I mentioned this idea of feeling more deserving of salvation than other people. While Jesus was hanging on the cross, a thief was hanging next to Him. For those of you who know salvation, may I ask how the thief on the cross fits into your theology? I've known many people who believe in many different ways of achieving salvation. Yet, the only way of salvation the thief on the cross had was his belief in Jesus as the savior of the world. He wasn't baptized, never had communion, never paid tithes to the church, never spoke in tongues, and never wore fancy church clothes. He was a thief, a man who had done horrible things. Jesus didn't take away his pain or heal his body, yet it was that very thief who entered into heaven with Him that day (Luke 23:43). He could offer nothing to Jesus at that moment except his belief. He wasn't some big pastor you follow on Instagram or a worship leader with the newest and best Easter song. He was just a naked man dying on a cross who recognized the Son of God. That's the whole point of John 3:16. Whoever believes in the Lord shall gain eternal life. That's the gospel. Whoever you are, just believe. Now that's not to say that Christians shouldn't get baptized, participate in communion, and try to live their lives how God calls us to, but the point is that our salvation can't be earned. 

I heard an incredible story at church last night. Many people know the serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer. He was known for killing 17 men in horrific ways. Yet, while he was in prison, he acquired a Bible. As he read through it, he asked to speak to a pastor. A brave pastor met him at the prison where Dahmer confessed his sins and later gave his life to the Lord. He even went on to get baptized by that pastor in the prison. Dahmer is considered one of the worst serial killers in all of history. Yet, Christ offered salvation to even him. 

With that in mind, we must remember that salvation isn't denied to anyone. It doesn't matter if you have known Christ since you were 5 or whether you accept Christ on your deathbed. None of us are more deserving of salvation than the other. It isn't a competition to see who is the best, though the church sometimes portrays it that way. It is all about winning people for God's kingdom. Because every life, no matter how old, how young, how bad, how good, is offered the same merciful and gracious gift of eternal life with our Savior Jesus Christ. Your sin is just as bad as the sin of the person next to you. The fact is, Jesus chose to die on the cross knowing every sin every person would commit. There was no sin too big or small that the blood of Jesus couldn't cover. When we come to that humbling realization, an urgency to share the gospel begins to arise. In the end, it's not about how long we've believed or what deeds we've done; it's about embracing the unmerited grace and unfathomable love that Jesus extends to each and every one of us, from the thief on the cross to the most notorious of sinners. Salvation, at its core, is not a reward for the righteous, but a lifeline for the broken.

May your roots run deep, and your faith remain strong! As always, Stay Rooted, my friends! <3