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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.” Luke 23:42–43
D.L. MOODY
When a prominent man dies, we are anxious to get his last words and acts. The last act of the Son of God was to save a sinner. That was a part of the glory of His death. He commenced His ministry by saving sinners, and ended it by saving this poor thief.
ERWIN LUTZER
Jesus was saving sinners up to and including His final breath. This thief heard the crowd mock Christ and in derision call Him, “The King of the Jews.” But this thief thought if He is a king, He must have a kingdom. “Remember me” is all he could hope for. But he received something beyond his expectations. He was promised meeting Christ that very day in Paradise!
What will our last words be? Will we leave hope and encouragement for those left behind? Will we urge others to believe on Christ, no matter the greatness of their sin? John Newton, the author of “Amazing Grace,” wrote his epitaph that speaks to us: “John Newton, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned, and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.”
The apostle Paul, who preached the faith he once sought to destroy, said, “The grace of our Lord overflowed for me…that in me, as the foremost [of sinners], Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience” (1 Timothy 1:14–16). The Greek word for overflowed is where we get hyper. When God saves us, He gives us “hyper” or “super” grace. That’s how God changes our legacy—and our eternal destiny.
PRAYER
Father, thank you for Jesus who changes our eternal destiny by His promises and His Word.REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Paul said he was the worst of sinners. What does it mean for us that even he could be saved?
What does Jesus’ purpose for coming into the world say about who God is?