Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, April 9, 2023

The Convict and The King.

Today, Pastor Michael is talking about Easter.  Resurrection Sunday.  And he feels in his heart that the Lord is leading him to ‘tell a story’.  

So, this is the story of the convict and the king.  A pair of bright eyes set in a face that was probably handsome many years ago but today, he’s showing that he’s had a hard life.  He’s trying to remain calm but he sees the iron spike about to be driven into his wrist, on the cross and knows the pain is about to start.  His name is not truly known but he is known in history as the penitent thief.

He was on a cross, as was another thief, the impenitent thief, to the left and right of Jesus on Golgotha.  Yet with what little life he had left, the penitent thief exclaimed to the crowd, Luke 23:41-43 (CSB) We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 And he said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus gave His life; He was not executed.  He gave His life for all of us. After finishing His mission, Jesus committed himself into His Father’s hands and breathed His last. No one took His life from Him. He gave it freely.

(CSB Study Bible Notes) 23:40-43 In the midst of this display of unbelief and mockery, the other criminal came to understand the difference between his own guilt and Jesus’s innocence (this man has done nothing wrong). He also realized that Jesus was the Messiah and asked to take part in his coming kingdom. Jesus assured him that, after death, he would immediately be reunited with him in paradise (eternal life beyond the grave; see 2Co 12:4).

Verses can be found in Luke 23: 32-43.

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.