Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word. This week's question:

Jesus was manifested (made flesh) and walked upon this earth as both God and man (John 1:1-34) to become that perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Although He knew no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), He became that perfect sacrifice that the blood of bulls and goats could not remove (Hebrews 9:11-28). In Isaiah chapter fifty-three we see the prophesy concerning Him and His life upon this earth and His destiny with the cross. "For He grew up like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon Him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him." (verse 2) Jesus was not someone we would look at and say, "He looks like a king!", as they could with Saul (1 Samuel 9:2). "He was despised and forsaken of men" and also the men of this earth "…did not esteem Him." (verse 3). He was "pierced through" and ""by His scourging we are healed." (verse 5). Although we have gone astray, our iniquity will fall upon Him (verse 6). He stood before His accusers and "did not open His mouth" (verse 7 & Matthew 26:63). "His grave was assigned with wicked men" as the thieves were on His right and left upon the cross at the place called the Skull , "yet He was a rich man in His death." (verse 9) as Joseph of Arimathea took the body of Jesus and laid it in his own tomb where no one had ever lain (Matthew 27:57-60). "But the Lord was pleased to crush Him" as Jesus fulfilled the prophecy's set by the Father, Jesus even learned obedience to the Father upon the cross, "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation" (Hebrews 5:8-9).

So to Luke chapter twenty-three we go to find our answer to our question "What did Jesus say to the thief on the cross?". As Jesus was nailed to the cross He heard many sneering and hurling abuses at Him as the rulers said, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One." (verse 35), while the soldiers said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save Yourself!" while an inscription authorized by Pilate was placed over Him that said, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS" (verse 38). Others while passing by were wagging their heads and abusing him and even both the robbers on either side,

Matthew 27 39-44 And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying,

"You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son

of God, come down from the cross." In the same way the chief priests also along with the scribes and

elders, were mocking Him, and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of

Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we shall believe in Him. He trusts in God; let Him

deliver Him now, if He takes pleasure in Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God.'" And the robbers who

also had been crucified with Him were casting the same insult at Him.

In Deuteronomy 21:23 it states that one who is hung upon a tree is "accursed of God" and yet we have the Son of God being hung on the cross assigned with wicked men who at first have both hurled abuse at Him,

Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay

aside every encumbrance, and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race

that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before

Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow

weary and lose heart.

One of the criminals continues to hurl abuse at Jesus as he says, "Are you not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" (Luke 23:39) desiring to yet save his own hide, while the other now even rebukes the other while saying,

Luke 23:40-43 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you

are under the same Sentence of condemnation? And indeed we 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 into Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with

Me in paradise."

And so there we have the answer to our question, the second criminal has repented of his wrongs and asks the Lord to remember him in His kingdom, which is the same as asking his forgiveness for his wrongs and Jesus by saying that he would be with Him in Paradise that very day is the same thing as Jesus telling the man who could not walk to "Take up your pallet and go home."(Mark 2:9), to show them that He could also forgive their sins.

This gives us a look at what happens when we die, for we are on a journey that very day to the waiting place. The troubling side of this equation is what side awaits us. For even though the one was going with Jesus to paradise, the other may be making a journey to a much different place called the place of torment (Luke 16:28). Let us have the same humble attitude that the second criminal had and recognize that we will be accountable for our deeds and start seeking for that home eternal before it is eternally too late.