November 2, 2023 Bible Study — The Faith of a Criminal

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Luke 23-24.

We often speak, or write, about the faith of the second criminal crucified next to Jesus, but I never before realized the extent of his faith.  Jesus’ disciples thought that His crucifixion was the end for Him, but not this man dying next to Him.  The man on the cross next to Jesus believed not just that He was innocent of anything which justified being crucified, but that He would go on to rule a kingdom.  The criminal on the cross asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom.  I never before realized just how great his faith was, nor how little he asked.  He was the first to believe in the Resurrection, and all he asked was that he live on in Jesus’ memory.  He knew that he did not deserve salvation and did not ask for it. Jesus gave it to him anyway.  This criminal, dying a horrific death, believed that Jesus had power over death when no one else did.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.