The Inevitable!
Rev. J. Loren Russell
Luke 23:42-43 (NKJV)
“Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
We are in the season of Lent, the time when we look forward to the Resurrection of Christ and His conquering of death and the grave. The picture of Calvary with Jesus and two thieves hanging on crosses is the perfect scene to speak of the inevitable. At Calvary, there would be no miraculous or supernatural release from the cross for any of these three men, even though one was God in the flesh. There was just the inevitability of death.
At Calvary, we can see the fear that the inevitability of death creates. Look at the stark contrast between the three men being crucified that day; one was a sardonic, unapologetic criminal whose only concern was for the three of them hanging on those crosses; “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us” (v. 39). This was his last-ditch effort to avoid the inevitable. If Jesus, who claimed to be the Messiah, couldn’t save them, it was over. He could not see beyond his physical death. That was the first thief.
The second thief accepted that he and the other thief had been rightfully convicted and sentenced. But he recognized that Jesus was the Messiah. He criticized the other thief for his lack of repentance and asked Jesus to remember him when He goes to His kingdom. Both recognized the inevitability of their situations, but only the second thief could see beyond his physical death to the spiritual.
Many, including those who profess Christ as their Lord and Master, fear the inevitability of physical death, even though physical death is unavoidable. The only ones who will not taste death are those believers who will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air at His 2nd coming (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
In scripture, there are a lot of people who were healed, some even were raised from the dead. We pray for the miraculous healing of the sick, and the supernatural delivery of our loved ones from the edge of death. I’ve witnessed many times when those prayers were answered in the affirmative. I have seen sicknesses cured and death pronouncements reversed. But every healing and every restoration of life, even those recorded in the Bible, were all temporary. Ultimately, the inevitability of death will claim us all.
But there is good news! Whatever is inevitable from a human perspective is nothing more than a place of transformation from a spiritual perspective. Paul told the church in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”
The first thief on the cross could not see that reality. But the other thief, even though he lived a less than honorable life, believed Jesus when He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6).
The inevitable has lost its sting, the grave has lost its victory. Jesus is the Messiah! He is the Lord of Lord and King of kings! He promised the thief; “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” The same promise is given to you and me with these words of encouragement, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).
The only thing about the inevitable we need to know is that we have a mansion as our eternal home when we experience physical death.
Be Blessed!
Rev. J. Loren Russell is an associate minister at Goodwill Baptist Church and is the spiritual leader of the Evangelical Church of God, both in the Bronx, President/CEO of The JLR Company/J Loren R Consulting, LLC for Church Financial & Strategic Consulting (718-328-8096) and is the executive producer and host of “Matters of Faith: The Radio Show” on Monday nights from 8:00 – 10:00 PM on the Matters of Faith YouTube Channel and Facebook Live. Be sure to ‘Friend’ us. Email us at mattersoffaith.mof@gmail.com. Order your copy of Matters of Faith: The eBook at www.smashwords.com/books/view/993177.
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