Crosses and Ladders

There was more than one cross. Jesus hung between two criminals. Probably murderers. God identified with sinners.

One jeered him, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

The other used his dying breath to call on the name of the Lord. He is the only person we know of who called Jesus by his name. Did he know it meant Saviour?

He said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

I meet people who see religion like a ladder to climb and worry they haven’t climbed high enough to reach heaven - that they aren’t properly “saved”, that they don’t know enough, that they haven’t done enough. As if we could. If life is like a game of snakes and ladders, this man had slipped down a snake and it looked like he had lost the game. He hadn’t ticked any religious boxes. He knew only a fraction about who Jesus was. But what he did know was that he needed to call to Jesus for help.

What made him turn to Jesus?

Perhaps it was because he had just seen Jesus, innocent of any crime, forgiving those who had tortured him. He was only feet away from Jesus and perhaps Jesus caught his eye as he said, “Father forgive them” and he knew that these words were for him. Those words are for us too.

Or maybe he saw that ironic sign, “King of the Jews” written above Jesus’ head and somehow knew it was was true. Against all appearances, he trusted that the naked, bloodied, dying body next to him was going to be crowned King of all. He knew that Jesus was coming into his kingdom. Sometimes, we only see defeat but Jesus is coming into his kingdom.

That lawbreaker who symbolises all of us called on the name of Jesus and he discovered that Paul’s words are true: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

He called on the name of Jesus and heard these wonderful words, “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. Not after purgatory, not after you have earned your way, but today. I wonder if the angels were surprised when they saw that the first one home after heaven’s gates were flung wide was a hardened criminal!  God had descended into the depths to raise him – the Cross became a ladder. 

Centuries earlier at Bethel, Jacob had seen a ladder, on which angels were ascending to heaven. What was most amazing about that vision was that God appeared beside him at the bottom of the ladder. God had come down to be with him.

That’s the Christian story! God came down as Immanuel which means “God with us” and hung on a Cross so that we could be with him.

 To each of us, he says “Today you will be with me.” 

God with us: 3 words that encompass the story of Scripture:

God with me in my pain - entering into the agony of the world.

God with me in my shame - taking the sin that separates us.

God with me - promising to lift me up with him into Paradise.

 This week, one of my dear friends lost her beloved sister and I felt those pangs of grief with her. But here is the Easter promise, we will all dance in God’s garden and every tear will be wiped away. Here is joy to salve all our sorrows.

May you too hear Jesus speaking forgiveness over you this Easter and know his promise that he will be with you every day until the day you are with him forever in Paradise.