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Jesus Dies on Calvary
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His power to forgive sins. It is His royal right to save all who come
to God by Him!
“I say to you today, You will be with Me in Paradise.” Christ did
not promise that the thief would be with Him in Paradise that day.
He Himself did not go to Paradise that day. He slept in the tomb, and
on the morning of the resurrection He said, “I have not yet ascended
to My Father.”
John 20:17
. But Jesus gave the promise on the day
of apparent defeat. “Today” while dying on the cross as a criminal,
Christ assured the sinner, “You will be with Me in Paradise.”
Christ’s placement “in the center” between the thieves was done
by direction of the priests and rulers to indicate that He was the
greatest criminal of the three. But as Jesus was placed “in the center,”
so His cross was placed in the center of a dying world lying in sin.
And the words of pardon that He spoke to the repentant thief kindled
a light that will shine to earth’s farthest limits. In His humiliation,
Jesus as a Prophet had addressed the daughters of Jerusalem; as
Priest and Advocate He had pleaded with the Father to forgive His
murderers; as Savior He had forgiven the sins of the repentant thief.
At the foot of the cross stood His mother, supported by John. She
could not endure to remain away from her Son, and John, knowing
that the end was near, had brought her again. Looking into her grief-
stricken face, He said to her, “Woman, behold your son!” then to
John, “Behold your mother!” John understood and accepted the trust.
From that hour onward he cared for Mary tenderly. The Savior had
no money with which to provide for His mother, but He provided
what she needed most—the tender sympathy of one who loved her
because she loved Jesus. And John received a great blessing—she
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was a constant reminder of his beloved Master.
For nearly thirty years, by His daily labor Jesus had helped bear
the burdens of the home. And now, even in His last agony, He
provided for His sorrowing, widowed mother. Those who follow
Christ will respect and provide for their parents. From the heart
that cherishes His love, father and mother will never fail to receive
thoughtful care and tender sympathy.
And now the Lord of glory was dying. All He could see was
oppressive gloom. It was not the dread of death nor the pain of the
cross that caused Christ’s agony. His suffering came from a sense
of the terrible evil of sin. Christ saw how few would be willing to