you will be with me in paradise
‘I’m telling you the truth,’ replied Jesus, ‘you’ll be with me in paradise, this very day.’ — Luke 23:43
I believe that for the average human the good news of the grace of Jesus is hard to believe. It falls into that “too good to be true” category that we all have our radar up for.
But the good news is this good, and available for everyone.
Gratis, no charge, and no payment due.
For everyone.
As we like to say about this Good News at our church:
The Good News:
It’s the message of rescue and life for bad people through the finished work of the Messiah on the cross and the endless power of the Holy Spirit. Multiple exposures. Constant immersion. Wave upon wave of grace and truth, according to the Bible.
Let me pull out a piece of that and take a look with you for just a moment: “Constant immersion….according to the Bible.” In other words, in order to discover the extent of this Good News of God’s grace to us in Jesus, I have to be in my Bible. And, when I’m in my Bible, that means I’m on the look-out for what the story is telling me about the Good News.
Which happened this morning, in communion time with the Father, as I read the Scriptures and a few other theological helps. One of those helps was from Martin Luther — it’s a prayer of confession — on what was happening on the cross as Jesus died, where he offered full-throttle grace to someone who could offer him nothing in return. Well, nothing but the empty hands of faith. Look at this…
I pray you heartily to look upon me with the eyes of your mercy, as you did look upon the evildoer, who was hanged upon the cross beside you, and did open his heart that he confessed his sins; and he was mightily afraid of them, but yet despaired not, but confessed and desired your grace and mercy which you gave to him willingly and plentifully.....
Therefore, dear God and merciful Father, will I strengthen myself so much and more, and doubt nothing thereof.
Amen.
How glorious is the Good News?
So glorious that we can come to Jesus, despite our sins which we might be “mightily afraid of them,” and just like the thief hanging next to him when he died to secure grace for us, we may “despair not,” because God supplies to us “grace and mercy” both “willingly and plentifully.”
And do you know what we do with this kind of knowledge of grace?
We strengthen ourselves so much more and more, and doubt nothing thereof.
And thus, let us not doubt dear reader! But let us be confident in this grace, and rest secure in the pardon that has been secured for us in Jesus, who himself “carried away the waywardness of [our] wrongdoing.”
Yes, and very amen.
Psalm 32:3-5 (from The Bible for Everyone)
When I was silent,
my bones wasted away with my anguish all day.
Because day and night your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped [as] in summer drought. (Rise)I acknowledged my wrongdoing to you;
I didn’t cover my waywardness.
I said, ‘I shall confess my rebellions to Yahweh’,
and you yourself carried the waywardness of my wrongdoing. (Rise)
