TGIF
I apologize! I was planning to transition this week from our Easter experience, after providing the week before Holy Week a detailed discussion on Holy Week using all four Gospel scriptures culminating with the blessing of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter morning. Then, the week after Easter I had decided to provide an example of the unique character of the Gospels where I had found an instance in which Matthew provided a unique response to the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross (Matthew 27:50-54), which I found very interesting. Then, I also got a bonus example when Pastor Don used scripture in his Easter sermon only reported in Mark naming Peter specifically in addition to the other disciples (Mark 16:7) spoken by an angel to Mary in the empty tomb. So I thought I had covered Easter pretty completely and it was time to move on to another topic.
Except that God had given me one more instance of unique scripture around Holy Week that I had found interesting, but didn’t seem to have enough information about the topic to include it in last week’s message. But then an interesting thing happened. The day I sent out last week’s message, Cindy sent me an email she had received from one of her girlfriends. Cindy said it was a video of a very short Easter sermon, but that it was really good. When I watched the video, I knew it was the rest of the story for my unfinished scripture I still had. I knew at that moment that God had decided for me that I needed one more week of Easter, built around this story.
The unique scripture that I had discovered came from The Gospel According to Luke:
Luke 23:39-43 – One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Here is how Matthew and Mark reported the story of the two criminals who were crucified next to Jesus. Note that John made no comment on the robbers behavior, just that two men were crucified next to Jesus.
Matthew 27:44 – The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him in the same way.
Mark 15:32 – Let this Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.
Matthew and Mark report briefly that both criminals were mocking Christ along with the crowd. As the hours wore on, however, one criminal’s conscience was influenced by Jesus, and he repented according to Luke. When the impenitent thief resumed his mocking of Jesus, the repentant thief rebuked him and refused to participate further.
I had a difficult time putting all this in proper perspective until Cindy sent me the 2-minute Easter sermon on this specific topic. I hope you enjoy it, I think you may want (need ?) to listen to it a few times to really understand the speaker’s true message and intent. Here it is at:
This message clearly shows us that only God knows the heart of every person. Although it is hard for us to imagine many people who have clearly led ungodly lives being saved right before their death, this story provides an example that this can, and does, happen in life.
This is why it is important for us to not play God and judge people in our daily lives, only He can understand our true heart and only He can truly judge each of us. Especially in today’s world, we all see people that we believe are evil, yet only God has the clear view into their heart and only He truly knows their intent, and whether it is Godly or not
Isaiah 55:8-9 – “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
I promise this is my final message on Easter 2022 …… unless God says otherwise!!