Jesus, Remember Me

 Jesu Juva

Luke 23:39-43                                                         

April 18, 2025

Good Friday                               

  One of the criminals . . . railed at [Jesus], saying, “Are you not the Christ?  Save yourself and us!”  But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.  And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

 Dear saints of our Savior~

        In this crucifixion conversation, we have the entire Christian faith telescoped into one beautiful scene. What happens in this simple, earthly scene is full of heavenly meaning.  A prayer is exhaled in faith; and that prayer is immediately answered with a response of sheer grace.  All this as the sinless Son of God hangs from a tree between two men who are guilty as sin.

        Both of these “criminals” were guilty as charged.  That’s important.  Both men are guilty.  They are receiving the due reward of their deeds.  They are receiving the punishment they deserve.  Although a critical difference will emerge between these two men; yet they are equally guilty. 

        And you, too, are equally guilty.  You may be a child of God.  You may have the promise of Paradise.  But you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with these criminals.  Their guilt is your guilt.  There’s no distinction at all.  All have sinned.  All fall short of the glory of God.  All are condemned under the Law of God.  If you can’t see yourself on the cross there next to Jesus, then you think far too highly of yourself.

        One of those criminals railed against Jesus in unbelief.  “Save yourself!  Save us!  What kind of a Messiah are you?”  He shows that you either love Jesus in faith, or you hate Jesus in unbelief.  This man mocks the only Savior he has.  Even as death draws near, he uses his final few breaths to join his voice with those who mock and revile Jesus.  His salvation hangs right next to him.  But he refuses to see it or believe it or confess it.  It’s so tragic and so sad.  Unbelief is always that way.

        Later traditions would assign names to these criminals; but they are nameless in the Bible.  Luke calls them simply, “criminals,” or more literally, “evildoers.”  That term, evildoer, is broad enough to include not just those who have broken the laws of men, but also those who have broken the laws of God.  You may not qualify technically as a “criminal,” but you do qualify as an “evildoer.”  We all do.  You and I stand guilty of insurrection against God:  idolatry, immorality, hatred, greed.  We have knowingly, willingly, and with precise pre-meditation done what is evil in God’s sight.  So, my fellow evildoers, see yourself there, next to Jesus.

        But one of these evildoers sees the situation accurately.  In fact, he preaches—he preaches both Law and Gospel to his partner in crime.  First the Law:  We are receiving the due reward of our deeds.  We deserve this.  He might just as well have said the wages of sin is death.  We deserve this.  You deserve this.  We all do.  No one escapes this.  But then comes the gospel:  But this man—the one who hangs between us—He has done nothing wrong.  With these words he confesses the Christ.  He bears witness to Jesus—that He is innocent—that He is sinless.

        And yet in the sacred mystery of Good Friday, God made the innocent, sinless Jesus to be sin for us.  Jesus is the criminal.  Jesus is the idolater, the adulterer, the murderer.  He became our sin—the sin of the world—so that in Him we might become righteous.  Although this Man has done nothing wrong, yet this Man dies as one who has done everything wrong—and is thus forsaken by God—stricken, smitten, and afflicted—abandoned, condemned, persecuted, mocked, ridiculed, and damned.  He gets what every evildoer deserves . . . .

        Having now confessed Christ—having preached both Law and Gospel—this evildoer turns from preaching to prayer.  He speaks to the One in whom He believes:  Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.  Beloved in the Lord, this is what faith sounds like.  This is how faith speaks and prays.  Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. 

        Do you hear and see how utterly absurd this is?  Do you understand how ridiculous this request is?  This condemned evildoer—this all-star sinner—is in no position to be asking favors of anyone.  He doesn’t have a leg to stand on.  But having nothing, he asks for everything.  And having no one, he lifts up his eyes to Jesus, whence cometh his help.  There is no regret.  No guilt or shame or fear.  There is only faith.  All that mattered to Him was Jesus:  Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

        This dying man was in no position to be asking favors; and Jesus seems to be in no position to grant any favors.  Remember me when you come into your kingdom?!  By all appearances the crucified Christ has no kingdom! He has no power!  He has no glory!  His kingdom is not of this world.  His crown is of thorns.  He throne a cross.  He is covered in His own bloody sweat and with the spit of His enemies.  But He—this weak, impotent, bleeding, dying man—He holds the key to Paradise:  Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.

        Oh, to hear those words!  Oh, to have that promise:  with Jesus, in Paradise.  Hear those words and believe them.  This is what your baptism has done for you.  It places you right there at the right hand of the crucified Son of God.  Through baptism you have been crucified with Christ.  You no longer live; Christ lives in you.  You, dear evildoer, you have the same promise from the Savior’s lips.  One day you, too, will be with Jesus in Paradise.  Because by faith we know:  His is the power.  His is the glory.  His is the Kingdom, forever and ever.

        A guilty evildoer is pardoned before God.  He is justified for Jesus’ sake.  The gates of Paradise stand open to receive him.  Though the world found him guilty and sentenced him to die for his deeds, the Son of God declared him to be not guilty.  Though he dies for his crimes, he receives forgiveness for every sin by the sinless Son of God who died right next to him.  By faith he receives the promise of Paradise. 

        Tonight you are in no position to be asking favors.  But faith asks anyway.  And the voice of faith is always heard by Jesus.  Though your sins are like scarlet, Jesus makes you white as snow.  In Jesus, you stand pardoned before God.  The world may judge you harshly and find you lacking.  Others may scold you and shame you.  But Jesus declares you holy and righteous—an heir of Paradise.

        Faith may seem absurd—even ridiculous at times.  But our Lord is always looking and listening for faith.  And the prayer of faith is always this:  Jesus, remember me.  And the Savior’s response is always the same:  You will be with me in Paradise.