Key scripture – “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 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.” (Luke 23:39-43 NIV).

If we’re honest, we know that when we look at pictures we are most interested in the pictures that we’re in! A lot of people have never taken a real personal look at the most important picture in history, until they realize that they are actually in the picture. I hope you’ll be able to see yourself in this picture today as you’ve never seen it before.

The scene is the brutal death of Jesus Christ on a Roman cross. You can probably bring up a mental image of that scene in your mind. The old spiritual hymn asks, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” Actually, you were. All of us were, represented by one of two men. If you can figure out which one is you, you can figure out whether or not you’re going to heaven when you die.

Jesus is being crucified between two hardened criminals. In Luke 23 beginning in verse 39 the Bible says, “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 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.”

There’s the picture. Those two criminals represent the whole human race. And spiritually, one or the other represents you. Like them, we’ve all sinned. Our sins may not have been as dramatic, but all of us are rebels against God, running our own lives, doing all kinds of things our way instead of His way, and like those two men, we all deserve the death penalty for what we’ve done. The Bible clearly states that the penalty for our sin is spiritual death; that’s being separated from God forever. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

Like one of the criminals, many people see Jesus dying on that cross but they don’t reach out to Him to be their Savior from their sin. You can reject Him aggressively like that one man, or you can reject Him passively just by simply failing to accept the Rescuer, Jesus, who’s come for you, as your Lord and Savior.

If you are the one who has never really placed your trust in Him as your only hope for getting to heaven, I pray that you will join the other man on the other cross, crying out to Jesus to be your personal Savior. If you want this amazing relationship with this amazing Savior, would you tell Him that right now? You could pray to Him something like this, “Lord, I was made by you and for you. I’ve lived pretty much without you. I’ve pretty much run my own life, and I know there’s a death penalty. But Lord, I believe you loved me so much you died to take that death penalty for me, and you rose again from the dead so you could give me life. Beginning right now, I turn from the running of my own life and the sin it’s produced. Beginning right now, Lord, I am yours.”

At the moment you open your heart to Jesus, the promise He made on that cross becomes your promise, “You will be with Me in paradise.”

What is stopping you from accepting Jesus as your Savior on this, a special and glorious day, Easter Sunday?

IT IS EASTER AND OUR SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, IS RISEN!!!! HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!!

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, death and sin were defeated because on Easter morning the tomb was empty!!!! PRAISE GOD!! HALLELUJAH!!! Jesus rose from the dead. We dance and sing with praise and joy!! Jesus was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. Jesus went into the tomb and three days later walked out like a butterfly bursting from a cocoon. Help me to always remember that with Jesus as my Lord and Savior, every Friday in my life, no matter how bad it looks and no matter what is going on, is always, always, always followed by Resurrection Sunday. What a difference three days makes. He is a RISEN Savior. He is RISEN INDEED!! Praise be to The Lord God Almighty!!! We have been set free and we live in victory because of Jesus. Glory, Glory, Hallelujah because of Jesus I am free. I am free indeed!! In Jesus, the Risen Savior’s Name, I pray, Amen!!!