Skip to main content

The Two Criminals

 

The Russian Orthodox Cross is unique in that it has three cross beams: one where the words 'King of the Jews' was written in Greek, Roman, and Hebrew at the top. The second is the cross bream where Jesus' hands were nailed to. The third is where Christ's feet were nailed to a post. This post is sometimes not as pronounced, but in the Orthodox tradition one side is elevated and the other is titled downward. The reason for the titled third beam is because it symbolizes the story of the two criminals who were crucified on both sides of Jesus Christ.

The Scripture says, "One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him (Jesus): Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and Us! But the other criminal rebuked his fellow criminal and said, "Don't you fear God," he said, since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this Man has done nothing wrong. Then this penitent (repentant) criminal said to Jesus, "remember me when you come int your kingdom." Jesus responded, "truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:39-43)

On the Orthodox Cross, the part of the foot beam that is titled upwards refers to the criminal who admitted his wrongs (sin and repented) and to whom Jesus promised would be in paradise. The part of the foot beam that tilts downward represents the criminal who insulted Jesus and mockingly called for Him to save himself and them. That criminal was not repentant.

Here the Gospel is contained in vivid detail at the very site of salvation! The two criminals are the two examples of how one can respond to the call to repent and to Jesus Christ. A person can either respond like the wicked criminal and ask God to get them out of the consequences of their evil deeds or a person can be like the criminal who admitted they deserved a horrible death for their sins and yet cries to Christ for mercy. The heart of the criminal who ridiculed Jesus was unrepentant, not sorry, and unwilling to admit his fault. He was a man who mocked God and would be unwilling to do what is necessary to follow Jesus. The other criminal who admitted his wickedness and asked the Lord Jesus to remember him was given the promise, that he would be with Jesus in Paradise! Many churches have semantics and specific prayers of salvation, but this criminal merely confessed he was sinner and deserved punishment, but then look to Jesus, knowing the Lord is innocent and God, asked for mercy. This criminal believed Jesus was the Christ and acknowledged his evil. This is the Gospel simplified! Repent and Belief. Repent of all your bad deeds and choices and believe Jesus Christ can save you and take you with Him to Paradise.

In this life people have a choice to be one of these two criminals. The choice is to be criminal who mocks and will take not responsibility for their wicked deeds and ends up dead to God and without salvation or to be the criminal who confess and acknowledges their wicked deeds and asks Jesus for to remember them (have mercy, forgive) and Jesus responds, "You will be with me in paradise." This is a heart issue, until you admit what you have done is sin and worthy of being punished, you are still not ready to reach out to Jesus or rather have Him reach out to you. Once you admit your wrongs and acknowledge Jesus can pardon them and take you to paradise by believing in Him, then it is finished! Choose today to be Confessing Criminal who could admit his wrongs and who believed in Jesus and that He could remember (assure his salvation in heaven) him.

Trivia: The Russian Orthodox Cross is also called St. Nicholas' Cross, The Byzantine Cross, and Suppedanuem Cross. In some countries the titled beam is in opposite direction.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Israel’s Conquest of Canaan: The Nephilim and Giants

  Christianity Today asserts that the conquest of Canaan can be a “stumbling block” for believers. This probably is because of a foolish idea of comparing it to a modern conquest happening in our world. The truth is that God had Israel conquer Canaan because it was ruled by evil giants, “We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (Numbers 13:33). These are Anakim or Nephilim, the children of angels and human women, “When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God (angels) saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. The...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dispensationalism

John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) was a man who did two things, he took 70th week of the Book of Daniel and stretched out to the End Times, and he was the father of  Dispensationalism , a belief system that God dispenses different peoples with separate blessings and covenants. According to Darb'ys doctrine of Dispensationalism, God dispenses different covenants. There are total of seven dispensations that divide the history of man: I. Dispensation of Innocence (prior to the Fall, "Do not east of the Fruit of Good and Eve, Eden), II. Dispensation of Conscience ( You must assuage guilt and sin with blood sacrifices.) III. Dispensation of Human Government (Multiply and Subdue the world, example the Tower of Babel Gen 11:1-9, and Genesis 1:28). IV. Dispensation of the Promise (Dwell in Canaan, Jerusalem) V. Dispensation of the Law ("Obey the Law of Moses and the Prophets"). VI. Dispensation of Grace (The Church, Jesus Christ has come...
Post a Comment
Read more

Jesus’ Name in Aramaic

There has been a trend to render Jesus’ name Hebrew, יֵשׁוּעַ , Yeshua. The problem is neither Christ nor his apostles, nor the Jews in 30-33 A.D. spoke Hebrew, they spoke Aramaic. A ramaic is the oldest language on earth and was the language Jesus spoke. In fact, the oldest Old Testament is the Septuagint a Greco translation around 132 B.C.E. (165 Years Before Christ)that was translated from Aramaic. The Masoretic Text, The Hebrew Old Testament most Bibles use, dates from 7th to 10th Century A.D. (Medieval Times).  This translation does not cross reference with the words of Christ in the New Testament which are Aramaic and Koine Greek.  If the Aramaic was what Jesus spoke, then by what name would have been called? Jesus’ name in Aramaic is Isho or Eesho, spelled ܝܫܘܥ . That is the name of our Lord in Aramaic! He would have heard his name in this dialect, “Hail Isho or Eesho!” as well as the Greek, Ἰ ησο ῦ ς , Iesous.  Aramaic is disappearing, only a few peop...
Post a Comment
Read more