Luke 23:42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

      In the raw and brutal scene, taking place on the cross, the onlookers who witnessed the crucifixion of Christ had no idea they were watching the very act of redemption unfolding before their eyes. The crucifixion of Jesus for the salvation of our souls was never more apparent than when the thief being crucified with Christ, asked to be remembered in the Lord’s kingdom. This happened while Jesus was in the grips of the greatest darkness He had ever lived through. The symbolization that this event taught, was profound. The thieves were the bottom feeders of society and the Lord was the perfection of God’s love and anointing. On the hill of sorrow, they were being crucified next to each other upon cruel crosses implemented by the darkness of man’s imagination. Without understanding, as the crowd watched the vicious treatment of Jesus, they were looking at their redemption taking place and the baptism some of them would become part of. Rom. 6:3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

      The crucifixion that was happening in front of everyone’s eyes, was a living lesson that demonstrated God’s love for those who would receive Christ’s sacrifice. Rom. 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. How confusing and mind-bending it must have been for those watching and hearing the sounds of pitiful keening and sobs of human darkness, and not understanding that God was redeeming their lives as a result of the suffering Jesus was experiencing. They were witnessing the gruesome torture of the cross, and could not read into the event that Jesus was fulfilling the redemption for mankind. The love of God for all mankind was taking place through this sacrificial offering that Jesus made of Himself for the propitiation of our sins.

      The eternal reason for Jesus coming to earth to save us from our sins and iniquities took place in front of all during the crucifixion. The events leading to the cross represented Jesus taking our place on that cross. The criminal Barabas was supposed to be on the cross next to the thieves that day. However, Jesus in reality, took Barabbas’ place on that cross because the crowd’s choice of who would be crucified between Jesus and Barabas was made through their insistent screaming, “Crucify Him, crucify Him.” Jesus took Barabbas’ and our place on that cross for the punishment we deserved for our sins. In the darkness, as Jesus hung on the cross of shame, the thieves cursed Jesus and mocked His goodness which is what we have done throughout our lives by the hypocrisies we have chosen to live in. We are as guilty as Barabas was, but Jesus took our place.

      In the darkness taking place on Calvary, the onlookers were seeing, that God the Father was keeping His promise to mankind by providing a once-and-for-all eternal sacrifice for the remission of sins. In that gloom, the public witnessed Jesus keeping His promise to mankind as the lamb of God who takes away the world’s sins. In the absence of light that came upon the land in the sixth hour until the ninth hour the Holy Spirit showed mankind what their sins had done to all creation. Luke 23:44 And now it was about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. They were in a state of constant and perpetual blackness and would need this horrific sacrifice to deliver them forever from the dark that their souls were capable of creating. The Godhead kept their promise to give mankind a new heart that would be receptive to God.

      There were two kinds of darkness at work on Calvary that day. There was the shadowiness that we are accustomed to, which the thieves lived in, and brought to people’s lives because of the dark deeds and choices they made in life, plus there was the total infinite darkness of God’s judgment that Jesus was immersed in while He hung in shame. This visual demonstration of what the cross was fulfilling for mankind could be seen but not understood until the resurrection. This is why the blabbering of the haters who claimed that if Jesus came down from the cross, they would believe. This was just more nonsense that a sinful heart invents to rationalize and justify one’s sinful choices. They would not have believed anything Jesus did in the natural at that point because they were already aware of the incredible miracles the Lord had created while He walked amongst them. John 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

      These same Jesus haters are with us today and they are saying the same thing as they did then. Those of us who are in Christ, have the capacity – because of what Jesus did for us – to remain faithful and keep our promises in the darkness that is visible on all sides of life today. Jesus took our place on the cursed cross so that we would be His hand extended in this world and bring the blessings of the Holy to mankind. The strength and maturity needed to keep our promise when everything around us is covered in the blackness of the dark will be given to us by the Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth. John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of truth, shall come, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He may hear, He will speak. And He will declare to you the things coming.

      The Lord has given us every tool and fortification in the spirit needed to overcome the wickedness that comes against us. We are admonished to put on the whole armour of God. We are asked to pray with all manner of prayers. We are advised to resist the devil and he will flee. We are led by the Spirit of God to think and meditate on the goodness of God and while we are doing these things, Jesus is interceding for us before our Heavenly Father so that we remain faithful and keep our promises in the darkness that is in the world. Oh, how true it is that we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Jesus was faithful to the thief and kept His promise amid His crucifixion. This same Lord is asking us to stay strong in the power of the Holy Spirit and be a light in this world of death while becoming the blessing we were created to be in Christ. Thank you, Lord, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us and loves us now, and forevermore.