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Easter - Part 2



Two Thieves


When we look at the people on crosses with Christ, we see two exact opposites represented of those on this earth.  In His final breaths, we see one man taking the side of the religious leaders and disputing the true lineage of which Christ proclaimed to be part.  I find it especially interesting because this thief was going through an excruciating death and is making fun of a person who is going through the same process.  On the other hand, we have a thief who originally joined in, but finally recognized Christ for who He was at the last second. He received the final invitation during Christ’s earthly ministry to enter the kingdom of Heaven. 


When we look at these two men, we see perhaps the clearest example of what people will do when they hear the gospel.  They will either reject it, make fun of it, or cause the person delivering the message to feel inadequate at what they are doing, or they will receive the gospel message. The prior individuals will have a tragic ending to their story.  On the other hand, the latter, who will receive the gospel message, sometimes do so at the last moment, but their ending will be entirely different.  They will appreciate this message and truly change their hearts towards Christ and His sacrifice for them.


Joseph of Arimathea


While very little is known of Joseph of Arimathea, we see that the message of Christ did get through to a couple of individuals, including Joseph, who typically despised Him during his ministry.  Approaching Herod, he is joined by Nicodemus, who wanted to get Christ into a tomb before the required Passover was to begin.  Three things are important about this man.  First, as a man of great wealth and on an important council, he more than likely knew that touching a dead person was considered unclean, and if he touched the body, he would be declared unclean right before the Passover.  The fact that he was willing to touch Jesus’ body after He died shows Joseph's understanding of who Christ truly was as the fulfiller of the Law that they knew so well.  The second important thing to note is that Joseph was willing to use a tomb that He prepared for himself to allow Christ to be placed.  This was also important because a burial tomb was used once only.  But perhaps, as someone who believed in the resurrection, he understood that this would only be for a short time.  Finally, once Joseph helped in Jesus’ burial and his involvement was known by the others, it is possible that his time as a religious leader would end, and would no longer be welcomed in the synagogue.  


Centurion


As for the centurion, we know very little about him except that he, while standing over the proceedings of the crucifixion, is one of the few known Gentiles who recognized Christ as the Messiah.  This would have been especially of interest because the Romans were those who despised the Jews. They were not interested in any way about their God because they had their own gods that they worshiped.  When the centurion received this assignment to be on crucifixion duty, he was already a leader over multiple troops.  It could be presumed that this assignment to the crucifixion was not a primary focus compared to what he would do for his country.  Based on the gospels, this centurion also confirmed to Pilate that Christ had indeed died, so that Joseph and Nicodemus could prepare the body for burial.  For this man, the message of Christ was something he understood, and while we do not know anything else about him, I am sure his duties towards the Jewish people became more sympathetic.   


Mary Magdalene


Mary and some other women went to anoint Christ after he died, and as they were getting close to the tomb, they realized there would be a small problem: the huge tombstone would need to be rolled away.  When they arrived, things were not as they expected, and these women who had been with Christ for much of the ministry were among the few who were the first to hear a new, glorious message: “HE IS RISEN.”  In the Jewish culture, a woman was not deemed a credible witness to events.  With Christ’s greatest message, the women who came to anoint him received and delivered the best news ever.  Like the shepherds of the birth announcement, this would not have been as well received because of who was bringing forth the message.  However, even though the disciples knew these women and their knowledge of Christ’s teachings, they still decided that instead of taking it at face value, they would go and confirm the story for themselves.  When they arrived at the tomb, they found everything as the women had said. They then helped deliver the news that Christ had risen from the dead.   


When we look at the ministry of Christ, we see that from the beginning, His message was clearly for all who desired to hear and obey it.  We often look at someone and hesitate to share the gospel.  There may be many reasons we hesitate to share, but the truth is that the gospel is intended for anyone who will hear it.  As Christians, we should be quick to hear God's words and recognize that no one on this earth who does not deserve to hear the gospel.  Thankfully, for those of us who are Christians, someone took the time to share the gospel with us, so the same courtesy should be done to others.  We should never look at someone’s social status, finances, or even disabilities and relate this to how important someone is to the ministry.  Christ made it clear while He was on this earth that it was not to be focused on the upper parts of society but on those many people that were ignored.  During His time, people were pointed to God, and as a result, men were used to pen the words that we have in our Bible today.  Because of the apostles and other church leaders, the gospel message has been delivered to many nations today.  However, the work is not done; many nations have not heard the message that Christ came to earth and died for their sins so that they would have an eternal home available at no cost to them.  During this Easter season, Christians should pray earnestly for these people so that a way can be made for them to hear the gospel.  We should pray for those serving God in other countries, fulfilling the Great Commission.  At home, however, we are not exempt, as many in our own country still need to hear this message.  We must remain faithful to the end in sharing Christ with those ready to hear and obey.  

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