Paradise

The Crucifixion
26As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene , who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' 30Then
   " 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!"
      and to the hills, "Cover us!" '[a] 31For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"
 
32Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."[b] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

36The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

38There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[c]"
43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Devotion
What a horrifying picture this passage puts in our mind:  A man who can hardly go on; a man being seized and forced to help carry a cross;  people following, crying, sobbing, wondering why this is happening.  What has this man done that is so wrong?  Then they reach the place called the Skull.  Jesus is nailed to the cross.  He is not only crucified as a common criminal, but with common criminals on each side of him.  The first criminal sarcastically asks: “Aren’t you the Christ?  Can’t you just save yourself and us?”

Even in the midst of all the turmoil, Jesus still cares for us.  He told the women following the procession not to weep for him, but for themselves and their children for what was to come.  As he is dying on the cross he asks our Father to forgive his executioners and those who are mocking Him because they don’t know what they are doing.

Then the picture starts to change.  The second criminal rebukes the first:  "This Man has done nothing wrong!  We deserve what we are getting, but this Man has done nothing wrong."  Then Jesus answers the second criminal saying "you will be with me in paradise."

Paradise with Jesus:  This is such a beautiful thought that I can’t even come up with a picture of it in my mind.  And all we have to do is acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ, the Lord of our lives.  If we do this, we won’t get what we deserve either.  It’ll be so much better!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank you for giving the greatest gift of all in your son.  Please ignite the desire in my heart to acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ and to live my life for him. Amen