45 And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. 46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
47And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. 48 And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.
49 But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it had been a spirit, and cried out: for they all saw him, and were troubled. 50 And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid." 51 And he went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered. (Mar 6:45-51)

The background of this text is the incident of the feeding of the five thousand, which occurred on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  After feeding all those hungry people, He made His disciples get in the boat, and sent them on ahead to a city on the other side of the lake.  Yes, he had to insist on it -- to constrain them.  They didn't want to be parted from Him, for whatever reason.  They probably didn't understand why He would do this.  Jesus often tells us to do things that we don't want to do -- that we don't understand.  He wanted them to have this experience, that they might grow thereby.  We shall see how He made use of the circumstances for a greater revelation of who He is, and what He can do.  But they had no idea what He had planned for their education.  So they resisted.  Oh, foolish ones!  When has our backwardness to obey the Lord ever got us anything but trouble?
Then He sent the people away, so that He could be alone for a while with the Father.  A. T. Robertson comments, "No one really understood Jesus, not the crowds, not the disciples. Jesus needed the Father to stay and steady him."  He went into a mountain to pray.  If this was necessary for Him, how much more for us?  Time alone with God is a necessity, if we wish to be used of Him.
As it grew dark, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and He alone on the land.  They had not gone very far, a few miles at most, for a storm had suddenly arisen, as it often does on that sea, and the wind was contrary, and they were constrained to resort to rowing.  Give them credit.  Jesus told them to go to Bethsaida, and that was what they were going to do, no matter what!  It is good to be determined to obey in spite of difficulties.
Now I want you to notice a very ordinary word in verse 48 -- He saw.  Now think about this for a moment.  They are a mile or more out to sea.  The wind is blowing hard, and the boat is being tossed on the waves.  The air would be full of spray, even if it were not raining.  It is late evening -- not dusk, but dark.  Jesus is on a hill some distance from the shore.  How could He possibly see that they were "toiling in rowing"?  But He did see them.  He always sees His people, and knows when they are in trouble.  Some of them were tough, hardy sailors, used to the hardships of making a living from the sea.  But they would be hard pressed to make it to their destination, even if they rowed all night without rest.
They probably thought, when they left Jesus, that He would catch a ride on another boat, or perhaps take the land route along the shore of the lake on foot, which would take much longer.  Little did they know what He was capable of!  
For we read,"and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea".  He sees them toiling, struggling, with a long night ahead of them, and He comes to them.  He had no intention of being away from them when they needed His help.  He had had enough time alone, and was strengthened by communion with His God.  No doubt He could have calmed the sea from where He was, on the shore, but there was a reason why He came to them instead.  Jesus always has a reason for what He does.
So He comes to them, walking upon the sea.  That's impossible, as we all know.  It defies the law of gravity, which determines what can float and what must sink.  A man must sink into the water until he displaces an amount of water equal to his own weight.  He must be nearly submerged to float.  But Jesus was standing up, moving about with apparent ease, as if on dry land!  Jesus can do anything.  It matters not whether it is impossible to us.  When will we learn this!  What will it take for us to stop living as if we were subject to the limitations of our circumstances?  Oh, that we could simply trust God to do for us whatever we require!
We are not told whether he walked all the way from their point of departure to where they were now, but it seems a natural inference.  If so, then it gives us an idea of how little progress the disciples had made, that they could be overtaken by a walker, when they had left probably hours ahead of him.
The disciples, quite naturally are afraid of this apparition.  They know that it must be a spirit, because nobody but a ghost, who is not encumbered with a body, can walk around on the sea.  Jesus conceals His intent to join them, pretending to be just passing by.  This doubtless reinforced the impression that it was someone or some thing other than the Lord; for why would their dear Master go right past them without saying anything?
Convinced that they are being visited by a ghost, they "cried out"!  The Greek word is very strong.  It means "to scream".  We don't know what they cried out, but their thoughts may have been something like this: "Oh, no!  Here we are in the midst of the sea, in a storm, in the middle of the night, and at the mercy of some evil spirit!  And we left Jesus on the shore!  We're done for!"
Isn't that just like us?  We get into a little trouble, and all our confidence in God just evaporates!  We don't know how to trust Him unless we are in hopeful circumstances.  We can handle an occasional bump in the road, but when things seem to be coming at us from all directions at once, we are shaken to the depths!
Earlier on the same day, Jesus had demonstrated His divine power by feeding thousands of people with a few loaves and fishes.  If only Jesus were here, we would be safe.  But He was there, and they were safe!  They just didn't know it!
The disciples failed this test.  We often fail our tests.  But this is not an unmixed evil.  God knows that we are going to fail, but he tests us anyway.  Why is that, do you suppose?  Is it not because He wants us to recognize our limits?  Yes!  The greatest danger for all of us is to think that we are strong, and don't need God every single minute, in every circumstance of life.  On the other hand, as Paul says, when we are weak, then we are strong.
So our Lord, having brought His disciples to  a place of felt need, then reveals Himself to them.  "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid."  What a relief -- and at the same time, what an astonishment -- to hear that familiar friendly voice!  Their teacher is full of surprises.  They never can figure out what He's going to do next.  Isn't that just His way with all of us?  Who can tell what He has in store for us tomorrow?  His ways are past finding out.  They are not our ways.  Man proposes, but God disposes.  It is not in man to know his own path.
Astonished as they were, there was one more surprise coming.  Without even being asked, Jesus is going to give them what they most need -- a break in the weather.  As soon as He steps into the boat, the wind ceases!  We read that "they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered."  The evangelist seems unable to convey the impression in mere words.  They are not just "amazed", but "sore amazed"; not just "sore amazed", but "sore amazed beyond measure"; not just that, but also filled with "wonder"!  One moment, they are (as they imagine) staring death in the face; the next, they are sailing on calm seas with their Master by their side.
Wouldn't it have been better if they had trusted Him all the while, and been at peace within?  They were in His hands the whole time.  What if God had been pleased to take their lives by a storm, to overturn their boat and send them to the bottom of the sea?  They would only have gone to the Father.  Why then were they so afraid?  But these men should have known better; for they had every reason to believe that the Teacher had plans for them on earth.  After all, what did they think Jesus trained them for, if they were thus to be suddenly, all together, destroyed?
We miss so much because of our unbelief!  We deprive ourselves of the comfort that God would give us.  We limit our usefulness.  We run into danger and sin in our panic to avoid the fearful challenges that God has designed for our good -- our growth in grace.  
He honors us with a trial, saying to Satan,"Have you considered my servant Job? (or Howard or Steve or Rebecca -- fill in your own  name)" 
And we respond by refusing the honor -- indeed, do we not often impute to our Father cruelty for the way He disposes our lives?  He "puts His money on" us (so to speak), knowing that He has designed the trial with us particularly in mind.  It is never more than we can bear IF we will just patiently wait for the way of escape that He has promised to give us.
Jesus cares for His disciples.  He does not just care about them -- He takes care of them.  He has already mapped out our lives to the smallest detail.  There is nothing uncertain or contingent.  Believe it, my brother!  Believe it, my sister!  Though your life may be full of challenges and difficulties, it can be a good life, full of enjoyments, and profitable to yourself and others, if you will only lay hold of this truth and hold it fast!  Jesus -- this almighty Jesus -- cares for you!

Howard Douglas King
August 30, 2016

Let all within the sound of my voice hearken!  I bring tidings of the greatest importance to every one of you, from the most powerful Man in the world, the High King of all Kings, and Ruler of the nations of the earth.  This mighty Lord would have me declare a full pardon of all past offenses against his Majesty, on condition of enlisting in his service.  To be explicit, he offers a free pardon, and permanent exemption from punishment to whomever he be – man, woman or child – who shall renounce his great Enemy and all his works, forsake the world with all its vain customs, and engage in a perpetual warfare against the lusts of his own flesh.  
 
He summons you to eternal glory and everlasting joy, provided you submit to his rightful rule, and from henceforth entrust your persons and estates entirely to his disposal.  He promises that you will suffer the rage of the enemy, the contempt of the world, and a perpetual warfare against your own fleshly desires.  He promises neither long life, nor ease, nor security while you are in this world; but only a sufficiency of the necessities of life for as long as he requires your service.  In short, he requires of you faithfulness with no visible reward until your term of service is completed.  This you must take on trust.
 
To those who, with full understanding, and from the heart, accept of his offer, he promises this; that he will always be available to hear their requests and meet any need.  In short, he pledges his everlasting friendship, which is worth more than all the world!
 
The King my Master would have me further declare, that he does not make this offer because you are worthy of such kindness.  You are unworthy – and in fact, worthy rather of death and endless punishment.  It is his infinite condescension, compassion and grace alone that have moved him to send his messengers with this offer of life. 
He therefore requires that his servants give up all claim to merit, to worthiness, to personal righteousness.  None are righteous (the King himself being excepted) for it is the absolute perfection of his righteous life and the obedience he offered to God by the willing sacrifice of himself that has procured God's favor for us.
 
He knows that some of you will scorn the message and turn away to their own destruction.  The blame must fall on their own heads.  It would be better for them if they had never been born.  But do you look to your own salvation – not at the disobedience of others.  Accept of this gracious suit without delay, while you have opportunity.  Death or incapacitating illness or injury may intervene if you delay; in which case you will justly perish.  Resolve to act now, and all is sure.  Then, neither life nor death will be able to separate you from the love of God.  He assures us in the strongest terms that he shall never perish who puts his trust in him.
 
Consider the greatness of the One who offers, the magnanimity of the offer, the value of his friendship, the eternal reward promised!  You put him off at your peril.  You have nothing to lose that is of lasting value, and an incorruptible life
of purest blessedness to gain!  I beseech you, in Heaven's name, do not be deceived!  This is a true offer; but it is for a limited time only.  Trust the word of the high King of heaven, the word of him who is called “the true and faithful witness”, the word of one who himself suffered so that he could make this offer to you today.  Trust the word of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
This moment is the most important moment of your life.  Your whole future is on the line.  Heaven and Hell lie before you – eternal bliss and eternal woe!  Choose life – now!
 
Who will answer?  Who will declare himself today to be from henceforth the Lord's servant?  Who will embrace the good news and save himself alive?  No one can answer for you.  “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
 
This is my message.  It is yours to act upon it.  My commission to you is hereby fulfilled.  Farewell!
 
Howard Douglas King
July 12, 2014
 

Our Predicament
 
Psalm 11:3 describes the predicament of the godly man in an ungodly nation: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Albert Barnes comments:
 
‘These are …to be regarded as the words of the psalmist’s advisers; or as an argument why he should make his escape. The word “foundations,” here, refers to those things on which society rests, or by which social order is sustained - the great principles of truth and righteousness that uphold society, as the foundations on which an edifice rests uphold the building. The reference is to a destruction of those things in a community, when truth is no longer respected; when justice is no longer practiced; when fraud and violence have taken the place of honesty and honor; when error prevails; when a character for integrity and virtue affords no longer any security. This is supposed to be the case in the circumstances referred to in the psalm, when there was no respect paid to truth and justice, and when the righteous, therefore, could find no security. It is under these circumstances the advice is given, Psalm 11:1, that the righteous should seek safety in flight.
 
What source of safety or confidence has he? His trust for his own safety, and for the good of society, has always been in the prevalence of just principles, and he has no other resource. Whatever others may do; whatever reliance they may place on such things, he can have no confidence in fraud, dishonesty, and error - in secret machinations and plans of treachery and deceit. His reliance is, and must be, in the prevalence of just principles; in the observance of law; in the diffusion of truth; in plans and deeds which are honorable and pure. When these no longer prevail, the argument is, there is nothing on which he can repose confidence in executing the plans on which his heart is fixed, and his proper course would be to flee (Psalm 11:1).
 
Part of this is true; part not. It is true that all the hope of the righteous is in the prevalence of principles of truth and justice, and that for the success of the objects nearest to his heart, whether of a private or public nature, he has no other resource or hope; but it is not always true, even when injustice, fraud, and error prevail, that he, should withdraw from society and seek his safety in flight, and leave the world to its own course. His presence may be the very thing to counteract this; his duty may be to remain and face the evil, and to endeavor to secure a better state of things. So the psalmist understood in his case.’
 
And so it was David’s duty to remain in the world, for he had a personal promise from God that he would, in God’s time, be the king of Israel.  And so it is with us; for the providence of God has so ordered it that the omnipresent tyranny of the modern state leaves us with practically no place to run to.  Where is truth and justice any more prevalent than it is where we are? 
 
Nevertheless, we must be sober in assessing our situation.  And that means we must realize that the world’s accelerating slide into the abyss of unbelief, lawlessness, chaos, and darkness has left the righteous without the means of resistance that was once available to them.  All that is left of our capability to resist now is our strength of will, and our refusal to yield.  We are still able to enter our protest, even though we can scarcely expect to be heard over the clamor and din of Pandemonium.  Is there then no hope?  None at all, humanly speaking.

 
Our Hope
 
But that may be the most hopeful thing imaginable!  For the professing followers of Christ have, for generations now, been living in practical denial of the impotence of all things human, and of the omnipotence of our sovereign God.  Yes, the desperateness of our condition is plain; and the stubborn refusal of some to see it only underscores the fact  for us who see the futility of their struggle to overcome the hosts of Hell with carnal weapons.  But God has never honored the effort to solve problems without relying on Him – and never will, because it is idolatry!
 
If we can find grace to repent of our vain self-reliance, we just may find the Lord willing to send the greatest revival and reformation in history!  But whether it is time for that or not, we will surely find Him ready to receive and comfort and strengthen and prepare us for whatever lies ahead!
 
Our spiritual forefathers faced a darkness no greater than we face today.  In most places, the word of God was virtually unknown!  They succeeded in overcoming entrenched political and ecclesiastical powers that were utterly ruthless, willing rather to shed every drop of innocent blood in Europe than to relinquish their kingdom of darkness.  The Reformers conquered, as the martyrs of the first century conquered, Revelation 12:11:  “And they overcame [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”  They were not willing to live in this world on its terms.  To them it was rebel territory, and life was to them a war to regain it for the true King.  If they had held their lives dear, they would have accomplished nothing!  But as they lay down their lives for Christ’s sake, they took hold of an unconquerable Power, and spoke words which their enemies were not able to gainsay or resist!
 
Now, the old Protestant Reformation has spent its force, though it has left us with tools that we can make use of to re-educate ourselves.  The institutions the Reformers built are corrupted, and the children have abandoned the faith and practice of their fathers; but their writings remain, ready to spark new fires, if men will but read them.  It is time to go back to the writings of the Reformers and their faithful successors, and there to find anew the old paths – that are true and right and good, and worth hazarding all for – paths wherein we may walk with the Lord, and find blessing.  There we will find the wisdom we must have to lay the strong foundations of a new and truly Christian social order.
 
The New Protestantism will emerge from this present darkness, in God’s good time, whether you or I are willing to be a part of it, or not.  For God is God, and His arm is not shortened: He is strong, yea, mighty to save!  And not one word of any promise that ever came from His lips has ever failed!  What’s more, it is just in such times as these that His glory shines forth most brightly, in those who, against all odds, by the foolishness of preaching, labor to build again what has fallen down.

 
Our Duty
 
Yes, by preaching – not by clever marketing schemes, petition drives, election campaigns, home-schooling, mega-church building, or any other thing but what He has decreed that He will use to lay the battlements of Hell in ruins.  By the preaching of the old, old gospel of the kingdom of Christ – nothing more, nothing less, nothing else!
 
Yes, we must understand more to build a Christian social order than the way for sinners to be saved.  But I think we Reformed Postmils sometimes underestimate the power of simple obedience and submission to God’s agenda.  If we think we can somehow fix things without renewing our commitment to the Great Commission – that is without making the salvation of lost souls and the perfection of the saints in holiness the top two priorities, then we do not understand what the Reformation was, nor do we deserve to be called the heirs of the Reformation.
 
He has designed an institution and a plan for the fulfillment of that Commission, called “the church”.  He has given her a constitution and lawbook that will never need amendment.  We should not let the fact that the Protestant churches have become synagogues of Satan deceive us: the plan is as good as it ever was, and there is no “Plan B”!  We must not abandon God’s means if we wish to achieve God’s ends.  Nothing should dissuade us from obedience to that plan, for it is certain that it was disobedience of just that kind that has created the present mess!
 
We have grounds for hope.  We have a job to do.  We have the recorded wisdom of better men to consult.  We have an institutional plan to go by.  Who is on the Lord’s side?
 
Howard Douglas King

Atheists and skeptics often raise the question, “How do you know that the religious writings of the Hindus, the Moslems, and others are wrong, and only the Bible is right?” How would you answer that question? Why should they believe that the Bible is the Word of God? 



The Bible is Self-evidently God's Word

One way to answer it would be to point out that if they would seriously read the Bible, without prejudice, they would plainly see that it is God's Word.  As the Westminster Confession of Faith says:

… the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God... (WCF 1:5)

The Bible evidences itself to be God's Word.  Things that are “self-evident” do not need further proof.  If God had given us a book, wouldn't we expect it to bear upon its pages the stamp of His genius?  Would it not be filled with wonders, just like the world that He has made?  Could such a book possibly be mistaken for a merely human product by any right-minded person?

As anyone knows who has read extensively in the Bible, and also in such books as the Koran, the Bhagavad-Gita, the Book of Mormon and the I Ching, none of the so-called “holy books” of man-made religions compares to the Bible.  The Bible was the first, and the rest are counterfeits.  The Bible is rooted in real history, and was written by eyewitnesses to the events it records, over a period of time spanning thousands of years.  It contains writings of the highest quality in every genre, by men of every station; yet notwithstanding all the variety, there is a fundamental unity of doctrine and purpose.  The Bible progressively unfolds the divine revelation of the Savior of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ.  It comprehends all that is necessary to be known for our salvation.  It is a complete rule of faith and practice.  There is no other book that even approaches it.

 

The Bible Reveals the God we already Know is There

Second, I know that the Bible is the Word of God because I discover in the pages of Scripture the very God that I have known all my life.  I was not brought up a Christian, though there were some influences from time to time.  Nevertheless, when I was converted in my 19th year, it was not to a God wholly unknown before. 

Deep inside, I knew God, and my conscience often stirred up a fear of Him.  Sometimes, when I was in trouble, I prayed.  I knew that right and wrong are not just rules made up by my parents, or by society.  I knew that truth is the same everywhere and at all times and finally inescapable.  When God called me, I knew who was calling and why, for I knew that my life was wicked, and had no trouble believing that I needed to repent and sue for mercy, or I would surely go to hell.

 


Christianity is the Only True Religion

How do I know that Christianity is the only true religion?  First, because all religions cannot be true.  They all contradict each other, and most of them make the same claim of exclusive truth that Christianity does.  This leaves us with two options.  Either none of the religions of the world are true,  or only one of them is.  Atheists take the first position.  But they have no right to claim that anything is true, because “truth” has no meaning and no basis in a world without God.  One can only assert a point of view, for the rational basis of meaning and of knowledge would be missing in such a world.  Atheism therefore refutes itself whenever it claims to be the truth!

Do you realize that it is impossible to even conceive of a world without God?  It is an exercise in pure irrationality!  For it is impossible to say anything “true” about anything unless there is something called “truth” that applies to the propositions that I state.  And it is obvious that this thing called truth must be omnipresent (the same everywhere) and unchangeable (the same at all times).  But how can such a thing exist of itself?  Where could it come from?  How could it exist in an impersonal universe?  It cannot stand alone – it can only be conceived of as an attribute of the eternal, omnipresent, self-existing, unchangeable God! 

Atheism is against everything we know to be true.  It is nihilistic by nature.
Christianity, on the other hand, is the truth.  Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

 

The Incomparable Christ

Which brings me to the ultimate argument for the exclusive truth of Christianity: Christ Himself!  The man depicted in the pages of the New Testament is wholly unique in all of human history and in all the writings of mankind.  It is not enough to say that He was a good man, or a great man.  He is altogether beyond comparison, unprecedented, without equal!  He does things, says things that were never heard before – things so memorable for their nobility and beauty that even His enemies often admit their admiration. 

No one could have invented this person.  To do so would have required an author who was at the same time of the most elevated mind, and a deliberate deceiver. 

Jesus cannot be both a good man and only a man, for He claimed most emphatically to be God.  Not only that, but He made this claim the center of the faith He proclaimed, saying “He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” and  “If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.”

This same Jesus uttered a prophecy so unlikely, so contrary to all the expectations of the Jews and his followers, so remarkable for detail, and so completely fulfilled long after He left this earth, that it must be seen as one of the strongest proofs of His divinity.  I refer to the prediction of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, and the ages-long dispersion of the Jews predicted in the Olivet discourse.

Furthermore, He predicted His death, the manner of it, the meaning of it, and His triumph over it!  His resurrection put an exclamation point to all the mighty miracles of His life, which He did almost casually and routinely through the course of His ministry.  (No one dared to dispute the miracles while He lived; the Jews just said they didn't prove His claims!)

Yes, we can know beyond all doubt that the Bible is true, for in it we find Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ bears witness to its infallible truth.

 

Howard Douglas King



 

A Meditation

 

And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.  But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:39-43)

 

God hides himself, and the glory of the Son of God is veiled in the true flesh and blood of Jesus Christ.  Never was His glory more hidden from men, who look on the outward appearance, than when He was crucified in weakness.  Yet to those with eyes to see, never did Jesus’ glory shine as brightly as it did during His holy Passion.

Jesus hangs upon the cross, supported only by the nails that tear His hands and His feet.  All his bones are out of joint, and his muscles are in spasm.  A cruel thirst torments Him, and He is mocked by the offer of some wine that has gone bad.  Roman soldiers, beasts in human form, have stripped Him naked, and are gambling for the spoil, the only thing of value that He possesses, His linen tunic. His enemies, whose implacable malice is never satisfied, have so contrived that He should bear one more insult, being crucified between two common criminals, as if He were no better than one of them!  Deprived of even the smallest comfort that mere humanity would have provided, He groans under the awful weight of God’s inexorable justice.

One of the wretched ones who suffer with him breaks silence.  Sure to pass soon into that world from which no man returns, he might have been thinking serious thoughts about his eternal destiny.  But no – he is enraged against God, and pours out mockery on the head of his hapless fellow-sufferer: “If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”  Perhaps he is exasperated at Jesus’ passive acceptance of his fate, since He was known to have made great claims for Himself.  No matter.  Jesus does not bother to rebuke him.  He is only repeating the gibes of the crowd. 

But then something unexpected happens!  The other, in whom God’s Almighty Spirit has been secretly at work, instead of taking up the insult, rebukes his partner in crime, and then turns to Jesus with the sinner’s humble plea, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom!”

Who else but Jesus would even have thought to pay attention to the appeal of a criminal at such a time – even though he was a fellow-victim?  After all, he was getting what he deserved.  Yet He who is full of grace not only forgave, but spoke the words which would allow him to die in peace!  “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

What a balm to the dying thief!  What were his thoughts?  “To day… this very day!  With me… in the blessed presence of my gracious Lord!  In paradise… resting with my fathers, in Abraham’s bosom!”

And what a rebuke to the other, and to the taunting crowds; whose blind wickedness kept them from seeing who Jesus was, and what an opportunity was theirs!  Look how the Son of man answers their challenge!  Had He chosen, He could easily have saved Himself and both the malefactors from their tormentors; but instead he performs a greater and enduring act of divine power, and with a royal dignity and grandeur never seen in an earthly sovereign!  He saves a filthy, bleeding, stinking, dying, worthless sinner from the terrors of Divine justice.  He sets a human heart, seething with agony,  at rest.  He has come to seek and to save that which was lost, and He is so set on his work that, forgetting His own misery, He pursues His task to the last minute of his life!
 

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

 

 

Howard Douglas King