Back before the collapse of communism in Poland, the government issued an order that all crosses were to be removed from classrooms. Many protested all across Poland. In the end, the government relented, but kept the law on the books.
But one zealous school administrator decided to keep the law and had seven large crosses removed from where they had hung since the school’s founding back in the 1920’s. Days later, parents entered the school and hung more crosses – the official promptly took them all down.
The next day two-thirds of the school’s 600 students staged a sit-in. Armed riot police arrived and the students moved out into the streets and to a nearby church where they were joined by twenty-five hundred other students from nearby schools.
Soldiers surrounded the church, but pictures sent from inside of students holding crosses high above their heads, flashed around the world. And so did the words of the priest who delivered the message to a weeping congregation that morning: “There is no Poland without a cross.”
That is the impact of the cross of Jesus Christ. I Cor 12 tells us: “The message of the cross is foolishness to those hellbent on destruction, but we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.”
Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus hung on a cross between two thieves. Let’s imagine, just for a minute, that you are one of those guys. You wake up on a Friday morning and this is THE day. Nothing but pain, crucifixion, and death await you. You probably didn’t sleep all night knowing what was before you. Your stomach is in knots, heart pounding, sweaty palms, and blood pressure through the roof. As you make your way up to Golgotha you are literally a walking dead man!
Two thief’s died side-by-side with Jesus that day. More than likely, both had heard about Jesus – after all, He was a very popular figure in Jerusalem! The Bible tells us that one of the criminals hurled insults at Jesus and mocked Him. The other thief rebuked the first: “Don’t you fear God…we are punished justly but this man has done nothing wrong.” He continued with this, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
This is truly an amazing conversation that’s been recorded for all eternity. These two criminals, more than likely, spent the night in the same jail cell agonizing together about their upcoming crucifixion. And now – even in the midst of all the blood and pain and commotion, the one thief realized that the sign above Jesus was correct — Jesus is a King — and not just the King of the Jews, but He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
USA Today once surveyed rich Americans asking them what they would pay the most for? Turns out their number one desire was not beauty, intellect, power, or even love, but a place in heaven. The article said the rich would pay on the average of
$640,000 for the assurance of a spot there. But, of course, heaven can’t be bought, it is a free gift – which brings us to the other thief on the cross.
He saw and heard the same things the saved thief did. Jesus was right next to him too – he could have easily made the same request and would have received the same response — “Today you will be with Me in paradise.” But just hours away from eternity, this man chose hell over heaven. It’s remarkable that he was a breath away from eternity and missed it. I’m absolutely positive that when he died, he was without a doubt immediately convinced he had made the wrong decision, but his pride had kept him from submitting to the only One who could have saved him.
Now – let’s remember – we’ve been imagining that you are one of those thief’s on the cross. So the big question – which thief do you identify with? The one who received eternal salvation or the one who rejected the gift? Please understand – salvation is never earned or deserved – and it doesn’t cost $640,000 either – it is a free gift.
Here is Martyn Jones on a remarkable truth: “If a man is saved, it is because God has saved him. But if a man is lost, that is to be attributed to his own rejection of the gospel and his own rebellion against God’s way of salvation.” Chose life! Always chose life!!
