One Saint Blog

Light at the End of His Days on Earth

4/17/2014

Christ and the Good Thief, Titian, 1566

Final Days of Jesus' Life Explored; Critics Challenged, by David Roach, at Baptist Press

"A moment of particular significance during the Passion Week came at the crucifixion, Kostenberger and Taylor note. Jesus' promise that a repentant thief would be with Him in Paradise, they explain in the book, illustrated salvation by grace through faith.

"'Jesus' acceptance of the man powerfully illustrates the opportunity for forgiveness and eternal life that will soon be proclaimed to all people on the basis of his sacrificial death for sin," the authors note. "The robber has no time or ability to do any good works -- he could not possibly make up for the wrong he had done if that were even possible -- but he does have the strength to believe in Jesus and ask him for salvation. That is all that is needed, and the man's eternal destiny changes decisively from separation from God to spending eternity with Jesus in Paradise.'"

2 Comments

katy

4/19/2014 04:21:44 pm

This is a great post.
( I never liked that there was a lot of arguing about faith and/or works amongst us all...)-- God knows what is in our hearts, and who can argue with His love, mercy, decrees, and justice?!
This post does bring to mind a story about doing works when one can. It is the story about the Angry boy and the Hammer and Nails. You can find the story by simply googling those words. Here is one version:

Once upon a time there was a little boy who was talented, creative, handsome, and extremely bright. A natural leader. The kind of person everyone would normally have wanted on their team or project. But he was also self-centered and had a very bad temper. When he got angry, he usually said, and often did, some very hurtful things. In fact, he seemed to have little regard for those around him. Even friends. So, naturally, he had few. “But,” he told himself, “that just shows how stupid most people are!”

As he grew, his parents became concerned about this personality flaw, and pondered long and hard about what they should do. Finally, the father had an idea. And he struck a bargain with his son. He gave him a bag of nails, and a BIG hammer. “Whenever you lose your temper,” he told the boy, “I want you to really let it out. Just take a nail and drive it into the oak boards of that old fence out back. Hit that nail as hard as you can!”

Of course, those weathered oak boards in that old fence were almost as tough as iron, and the hammer was mighty heavy, so it wasn’t nearly as easy as it first sounded. Nevertheless, by the end of the first day, the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence (That was one angry young man!). Gradually, over a period of weeks, the number dwindled down. Holding his temper proved to be easier than driving nails into the fence! Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He felt mighty proud as he told his parents about that accomplishment.

“As a sign of your success,” his father responded, “you get to PULL OUT one nail. In fact, you can do that each day that you don’t lose your temper even once.”

Well, many weeks passed. Finally one day the young boy was able to report proudly that all the nails were gone.

At that point, the father asked his son to walk out back with him and take one more good look at the fence. “You have done well, my son,” he said. “But I want you to notice the holes that are left. No matter what happens from now on, this fence will never be the same. Saying or doing hurtful things in anger produces the same kind of result. There will always be a scar. It won’t matter how many times you say you’re sorry, or how many years pass, the scar will still beimages there. And a verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. People are much more valuable than an old fence. They make us smile. They help us succeed. Some will even become friends who share our joys, and support us through bad times. And, if they trust us, they will also open their hearts to us. That means we need to treat everyone with love and respect. We need to prevent as many of those scars as we can.”

and the reason i post this is,
Christ, by his passion and death, in fact acts as our Repairer and provides expiation for all of us sinners.
I think if we ever got that through our heads --that Jesus had to suffer to repair the damage by OUR SINS---we would have a horror of sin that would keep us holy...

thanks for this awesome site! and, Blessed Easter, all.

Annie

4/19/2014 10:38:44 pm

Thank you so much, Katy! I have posted your comment in the All Saints Blog. It is a wonderful story for Easter. May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You, Katy. He Has Risen!

Light at the End of His Days on Earth