The First Criminal

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Jesus was hung on the cross between two criminals. The two guys were both sentenced to die. We are not sure what they did, but it’s safe to assume that it was pretty bad. Similar to Jesus, these two criminals were suffering tremendously. Crucifixion was just plane out bad. Both of them looked at Jesus and each of them saw something entirely different.

One looked at Jesus and hurled insults at him. He told him to save himself and to save them while he was at it. This guy must have had a lot of pent up anger in his life and he was taking it out on Jesus. Jesus did nothing to deserve this guy’s insults. The guy didn’t even know him. But still all of his anger was turned toward Jesus. This criminal’s life was coming to nothing. He was rapidly losing strength, yet he mustered up enough energy to insult Jesus.

I have known people like this. They have many hurts in their life. They are just plane angry, but they don’t know who or what to be angry at, so they take it out on God. The only person who could truly help them; The only person who could understand; they only person who could change their destiny, is the very one that they hurl insults toward.

Don’t be like that criminal on the cross. Don’t turn your anger toward Jesus. Instead, see Jesus like the other criminal did. But we will cover that tomorrow. Have an amazing day as you live the life that God has called you to.

Watch, Sneer, or Mock

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While Jesus hung on the cross there are three groups of people mentioned in Luke 23. People stood watching. Rulers even sneered and soldiers mocked him. These three groups of people at the cross represent many people’s reaction to Jesus today.

The people stood there and watched. They weren’t active in crucifying Jesus. They may have been quite passive - Spectators even. But they still rejected the messiah. Don’t passively ignore and reject the one who is unavoidable.

The rulers looked at him and sneered. They hated him. They were fueled by jealousy because he was messing with what they controlled. In their anger they lashed out at Jesus. Jesus is the King of kings and he rules with perfection. Will you let him rule or will you sneer at him?

The soldiers were also at the cross and they mocked him. Jesus would have been different from everybody else they ever crucified, so they had some fun with him. They thought they were in control of everything. The problem with mocking the Son of God is that he always gets the last laugh.

My question today is: How will you respond to Jesus? Will you just watch? Will you sneer at him? Will you mock him and think he’s a joke? Or will you embrace him as the Son of God?

Father Forgive Them

In Luke 23:34 we find Jesus on the cross between two thieves. I can imagine him looking out at all the people around who were all just part of the action. I don’t know how many were there, but there must have been quite a few. We know there were people standing around watching. The rulers were there. They had sentenced him to death and they were now there sneering at him. And the Roman soldiers were also on the scene. They had fun with Jesus and mocked him.

Jesus saw all these people who all had something to do with his crucifixion. And as he looked out at them, he said one of the most amazing statements recorded in the history of mankind. He looked at the evil people who were killing him. He turned his head to heaven and said,

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

In the middle of his crucifixion, Jesus was thinking about the souls of the ones doing the crucifying. He saw beyond their immediate actions and he saw their eternal destiny. He didn’t look down and see executioners. Instead, he looked down and saw future evangelists, prophets, preachers, elders in the church. He saw their potential.

May we have that same attitude as we see people. May the Lord give us eyes to see beyond a person’s immediate actions and may we see their God-given potential.

And, oh, by the way, I am convinced that many of those at the cross became followers of Jesus in the months to follow.

Visitors from Alaska

Over the next couple weeks our dear friends Marian, Joe and Lucy are in our area visitings. They are from Togiak, AK. This is the town where our church has been pretty involved over the years and these are the three main leaders from that village. Marian is from Russell and has been a missionary to Alaska for the past 12 years or so and Joe and Lucy are a Yupik couple who are two of the most precious people I have ever met.

Last night we met as a leadership team with Joe and I sat there in awe of the amazing people He has placed in our midst. As Joe spoke to us I could see a man of God, full of wisdom. I just wanted to hear more and I wanted to learn everything I could from this man.

The Yupik culture places a high value on the "council of Elders". They often refer to wisdom in terms of the elders. You may be in conversation with someone and they will say, "the elders say..." and they share some great nugget of truth.

May we always honor those great men and women of God who are our elders. Not just in age, but also in wisdom.

The Future is Bright

Seth's dad is one of the worship leaders at Praise Fellowship. In this video he is behind Seth. Seth adores his dad and wants to do everything he does, especially playing the guitar and leading worship. May the Lord use the "dads" of the world to give an example for the next generation to follow.