Day 31

Now once again, I am going to post a verse that does not contain the word behold. However, this is a scene that I have been beholding all week-end; the salvation of the thief on the cross. Over the past few days, this scene has been moving my heart more and more each day. It is a well known scene, but for everyone’s sake, I will retype it here. Luke 23:40-43,

“But the other [criminal], rebuked him [the first criminal] saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Why is the scene striking me so much? It is because right now, this is the clearest picture I know of the kindness of the Father towards the Son. To explain: Jesus has just been whipped and scorned and beaten. Indeed, Jerusalem rejected Him and sent Him to the cross. It seemed that His life came to nothing; the ultimate anti-climax. Here He is, hanging between heaven and earth, bearing the full wrath of the Father, and yet, even as the Father is turning His face away from the Son, the Father puts enough grace on the heart of a hardened criminal to enable him to cry out for salvation. This is quite possibly the kindest thing imaginable. As the Son was bearing the iniquity of many, the Father allowed Him to see the labor of His soul and be satisfied (Is 53:11). I can just see the look on Jesus’ face, stunned that in the midst of such intense rejection, that one would accept Him. What a kiss from the Father. In a moment when His heart would have been so faint, that Father showed Him that it was not all for naught. What unspeakable kindness!