House of Hope Online

April 7, 2023

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Happy Good Friday to you!  And glory to our Lord and Savior, Jesus, who died for our sins on this day, and was raised from the dead by our merciful Father for the salvation of many!

Not everyone will join us on this day of worship.  Some will say, “No thanks, I’m good.”  They will make a conscious decision not to accept the Gospel, and the truth of Jesus.  We saw this at the cross in this brief exchange among three people who were hanging in great pain, their physical death imminent, at the crucifixion.

Luke 23:

 39 And one of the criminals who were hanged [there] was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”

 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

 41 “And we indeed justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”

 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

Two men were with Jesus.  One hurled abuse at Him, mocking Him.  “Save yourself and us!”  But the other believed in his heart, and asked for forgiveness when Jesus came into His Kingdom.  This one complied with Romans 10:

Romans 10:

 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus [as] Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved;

 10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

 11 For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

The second criminal confessed with his mouth that Jesus is Lord, believed in His heart that He would be raised from the dead.  And so, he was saved by Jesus’s words in verse 43.

The only sad thing about the day we celebrate today is that many, perhaps half or more, will not accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and will therefore perish.  How do I know that?  I know it because Jesus prophesied it in Matthew 24.

Matthew 24:

 35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words shall not pass away.

 36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

 37 “For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.

 38 “For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark,

 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.

 40 “Then there shall be two men in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left.

 41 “Two women [will be] grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.

 42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

 43 “But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

 44 “For this reason you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think [He will.]

One will receive Him, and one will be left on that day when Jesus comes again for us. The men on the cross with Jesus had only a few moments to decide because their death was imminent and certain.  All of us have a moment to decide, and thanks to the mercy of God, many of us have multiple opportunities to decide for Christ.  But there will come a day when the choice has to be made by all of us.  All of us will have heard the Gospel and made our choice, and then the Son of Man will come.  Whether we are in the grave or still walking the earth – one will receive Him and one will be left.

If you haven’t received Christ in your heart, follow along with Romans 10 and confess it with your mouth and believe it in your heart that God raised Him, and you shall be saved.

If you already have received Him, use this day to intercede for the ones who haven’t yet done so, because God wants all to be saved.

Father God, thank for so loving us that You sent Your only Son that whoever believed in Him would have eternal life.  We pray for the unsaved today, that by the power of Your Holy Spirit, they would confess with their mouths that Jesus is Lord, and believe in their heart that You raised Him from the dead.  Amen.