When a thief met Jesus -Encounters with Jesus

I have gone by many names during my lifetime. They called me “the penitent thief, good thief, wise thief and so on” – these names stuck with me and defined who I am. I lived a criminal life, I enjoyed the hype of it all and stealing became my greatest endeavour. Have you not heard about me? Does my name “thief” not resonate with the greatest story ever told? Well, let me tell you how I became a part of that story.

I didn’t want to make that fatal decision, but I was desperate and had no choice! My family needed money to survive and I was the bread winner and knew a way that I could get money. Having close companions with that man Cesar, I found a way to his palace treasure’s. Oh my! did he have some riches! Him living in his luxurious palace with all the food he can eat while his own people starve to death! He deserved to be robbed and I was delighted to be the one doing it… but it was a fatal mistake that would cost my very life.

They caught me red handed, hmmm red, a colour that came to be very significant to me. I was placed under arrest and put on trial, they imprisoned me with the freaking crazy man, he wouldn’t stop crying out and babbling about things that made no sense to me. We were both on trial for our crimes and both deserved our punishment. Yet who deserves to be crucified on a cross? Such a horrific way to go, even for a serving criminal like me! 

It was the day of execution, I thought it was just me and that babble a lot guy, but someone else was joining us, but who was He and what did he do? I then heard the crowd shouting out with mixed messages… “you saved others but cannot save yourself”, “Son of David! O God have mercy”. Some sneered and cheered while others were horrified. “Son of David” I thought, but isn’t that this Jesus guy who opened up blind eyes and healed many? I was bewildered, why is he being executed! He’s a good man, what could he have possibly done? 

As they tied me to the cross, my own fear was consuming me. I had never experienced death and now death is knocking on my door! I was so fearful and that babble on guy was laughing and mocking Jesus who was being nailed to the cross as we hung watching. Jesus looked a mess, I was shocked at his torn up body and had never seen so much blood. That other thief mocked but how could I? I deserved my place on the cross but he did not! I was paying for my sins, but whose sins was Jesus paying for? 

At that moment I remember hearing about who Jesus really is. Son of David? The great I am? The resurrection and the life? I looked to Jesus in my agony, he could barely lift up his head as he was so weak! Yet he looked at the crowd and raised his head saying “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. I realised at that moment, “Jesus was dying for them, he was dying for me! All I need to do is have faith and believe! I saw Jesus looking at me as though looking into my heart. My agonising words crept out my mouth “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom”. His response made all my agony disappear, his words so deep and touching, “Today, you will be with me in paradise”. 

Miracles happened on that cross, the earth shook and the soldiers bowed down in fear. They broke my knees so I would die quicker, but Jesus had already passed on to his kingdom and now I was joining him! Such is my encounter with the living God. Now my testimony is told on earth and shouted across the heavens. I did nothing to deserve my place in heaven, Jesus did it all for me! All I needed to do was trust in him – this is all you need to do too. 

Luke 23:42-43 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

This is the encounter with Jesus from the perspective of the thief in the cross.

Love and God bless 

Deano.

Our Good Friday post by Dean at Gospel Road 66