39 One of the criminals who hung there heaped abuse on Him. “Are You not the Christ?” he said. “Save Yourself and us!”

40 But the other one rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same judgment? 41 We are punished justly, for we are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!”

43 And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

REFLECTIONS

Written by Rebecca Mihas

This story reminds me that it’s never too late to turn to Jesus.

When Jesus was dying on the cross, two criminals were hanging beside Him. One of them mocked Jesus, but the other responded differently. He admitted his wrongs and said, “We are receiving what our actions deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” And Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

This part of Scripture always moves me. The criminal had lived a life full of sins and mistakes. He had no time left to go back and fix anything, no time to prove himself or do good deeds. All he had was a broken, humble heart—and that was enough for Jesus. He simply asked, and Jesus gave him the gift of eternal life.

It makes me think of times in my own life when I’ve felt like I wasn’t good enough. Times when I’ve made poor choices or felt distant from God. There have been moments when I thought, “Surely God won’t forgive me.” But just like the criminal, I’ve learned that when we come to Jesus humbly and ask him to forgive us, He never turns us away.

Jesus didn’t hesitate to forgive that man. He didn’t lecture him or remind him of his past. He simply gave him hope, peace, and the promise of paradise.

This story is a beautiful reminder for all of us. No matter how far we’ve fallen, no matter how broken we feel, God’s grace is still available. We just need to ask. All it takes is a simple, sincere prayer: “Jesus, remember me.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.