ADVENT - “Forgiveness From The Cross”

Happy Friday, and welcome back to our Advent Meditation series, where we're spending the days leading up to Christmas reflecting on Jesus Christ and the hope His arrival and eventual return brings us. We devoted our time this week to meditating on the prayers of Jesus and the insight they provide on His character, focus, and nature. Each prayer has been powerful in its own way, but today's prayer uttered by Jesus while enduring the unbearable pain of the cross is where our hope resides - His forgiveness. So, before we begin, I want to provide space for you to consider the forgiveness Christ extends to you. Let the emotions this brings up guide your prayers of gratitude and thankfulness. 

There are few chapters more chaotic than Luke 23. It captures the unfolding scene taking place as Jesus makes His way to the cross. Jesus is rejected and jeered and beaten and bruised. Yet, amid the chaos and madness around Him, Jesus was still at work. 

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 

A prayer of forgiveness was how Jesus responded to the enraged and unruly crowd, chanting, "crucify Him!" And, as always, He took it a step further by giving them a visible example of forgiveness and showing the lengths He would go to ensure that prayer was answered for everyone. It came in His interaction with the two men being crucified beside Him, starting in verse 39: 

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

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

42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

43 Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

As they hung on the cross, awaiting their imminent death, two criminals encountered Jesus Christ. One jeered and mocked Him. The other criminal, at first, didn't know how to respond to witnessing such strength shown through adversity. And then he utters three words as a simple yet powerful declaration of faith - Jesus, remember me. The criminal had nothing to offer Jesus. Minutes away from his death, he couldn't fix his ways, get better, try harder, or make amends. Everything up to that point, all his past mistakes, and transgressions, led him to the cross. He deserved death, but Jesus offered him eternal life at that moment. Not because of his good works but rather the good grace of Jesus.

No one is too far gone. No one is beyond redemption. It doesn't matter your situation or circumstances; if there is breath in your lungs, hope can still exist in your heart. Of course, some of you listening will try to argue that I don't know what you've done or who you are, and yes, that might be true. But, I know the compassionate love of a Father who welcomes any wayward son or daughter and meets them warmly. 

The good news of the Gospel is that through God's grace we've received what we don't deserve. God's mercy is available to EVERYONE. Not just you. Not just me. It's offered to those you struggle to love, those who have hurt you, those who rejoice in evil and those who seem like a lost cause. The criminal's plea isn't the most audacious part of the story. It's the reality that Jesus's final act before giving up His spirit was giving a criminal a ticket into paradise - that's the audacity of grace. It's getting what we don't deserve. It's a message of forgiveness for all. 

REFLECT

Before we wrap up our time together, we want to provide you some space to respond to what we read and maybe to what God is trying to say to you. First, take a moment to process this question…What do you think Jesus wants us to understand about His grace through His interaction with the criminal on the cross?

Another question to consider is this…Complete the following sentence: Grace is ________. What makes you answer in the way that you do? How does your answer influence your willingness to accept it?

PRAYER

Father God, Your grace is audacious. It is bold. It is freeing. It is where my life resides. Thank you for showing me undeserved love. You shower me with forgiveness and grace not based on anything I've done but rooted solely in who You are, and for that, I am grateful. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.