Today, churches all around the world commemorate the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. We know that He spent his last moments in anguish. The hardest part was that He knew everything beforehand. It is not fair comparing our problems with that of the Son of God. However, let us contemplate our stance in our hard situations as such.
The Calvary teaches us about the states of mind of an unbeliever and a believer. The Bible talks about two thieves were punished according to the law along with Jesus. Both were hanging near Him but each one’s thinking was completely different. Though both were found guilty, only one among them was able to realize and confess it. The experience he had with Jesus Christ was amazing as he saw the Salvation physically present before his eyes.
The other thief was keen on escaping from the punishment, but he never realised that the Author of Salvation was alongside him. He only wanted to check if the Son of God could miraculously make him escape. He thought that he doesn’t deserve this punishment. But for the other thief, the eternal life sprung up immediately when he started to express his repentance.
The Bible says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness” (Romans 4:3). Likewise, though the other thief was considered unrighteous as per the law, when he started to believe in Lord Jesus Christ, it was accounted to him as righteousness. This helped him to receive the privilege of being with the Lord in paradise the very next day.
Let us not grow weary of being persecuted or about experiencing trouble. Rather, let us analyze our walk before the Lord our God. Before someone points at our shortcomings, it is always good that we look on to the word of God ourselves. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). This practice will help us to know ourselves whether we are right in our walk before God.
If we follow a righteous lifestyle in God, we will never be worried about persecution or any kind of mistreatment. Instead, we will only count it as a blessing and a privilege. “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). In His days on earth, no one could find faults in Jesus. Even the enemy or the Government found nothing against him to accuse. As we remember the sacrificial death of Christ today, let us praise Him for His righteousness that brought us Salvation and continue walking with Him everyday.
Solomon Gnanadharisan 