details

As I read from Isaiah 53 today, verse 12 got my attention.  "...Because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors."

I started thinking about how Jesus hung on a cross next to two sinners (transgressors).  And I began to think of the irony in Jesus' death.  (But really it wasn't ironic at all!  It was just part of God's beautiful plan which only seems like irony to me!)  Those two men were on the cross because they did some bad thing, sinned in some way that led to their punishment of death on a cross (because that's the punishment the world gave at that time to people who did whatever it was they did...).

Jesus was there because of God's plan.

But if we look a little deeper...Jesus was there because of sin.  Even those two guys' sin!  And that's where I saw the irony.

Those two men were dying for their sin.  But so was Jesus!  Jesus was dying for the sins those men committed.  So, Jesus had the weight of their sin upon His shoulders, as well as the sins of the whole world.  That seems so crazy to me.

Then I started thinking about how those men must have felt in that moment.  What were they thinking?  I mean...could they see all Jesus had upon Himself?

I looked up Luke 23:39-42.
"One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him (Jesus), saying, 'are you not the Christ?  Save Yourself!  and us!'  But the other answered, and rebuking him said, 'Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.'  and he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your Kingdom.'"

Okay.  So.  That first criminal.  He is like a lot of the world.  He just saw a guy on the cross claiming to be God and he, in his self-centered mind, thought, "hey if you are God, then get us out of this mess!  I want to live, man!"  He was only thinking of his life here on earth.

But the other guy...the second criminal.  He saw Jesus.  He wasn't just talking about the "deeds" he committed to land with a death sentence upon that cross. He was talking about all of his sins...all of the bad deeds he had ever committed.  He saw love.  And what a powerful way for that man to see and experience God's love.  As he hung there, his eyes were opened to all of his sin...and all of the sin Jesus had upon Himself as He hung upon that cross.  His eyes were opened to Jesus' love for him..his need for Jesus...and his opportunity to place his HOPE in Jesus.

The coolest part is in verse 43 when Jesus speaks directly to that second criminal.
"And He said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.'"

That guy received from Jesus' mouth, forgiveness for all his sins.  But beyond that.  He received from Jesus' mouth, a reservation to be with Him in Heaven.

It strikes me as pretty stinking awesome.  To read and realize all of the intricate details God must have designed in that man's life.  All to have him end up next to Jesus on that cross...so he could be forgiven and live with Him forever.

And then...to know He designs those intricate details in my life too...