What Jesus Did : John 19:16-18 - Between Two Thieves
by Phil Ware
Between Two Thieves - John 19:16-18
So Pilate gave Jesus to them to be killed on a cross. The soldiers took Jesus. Jesus carried his own cross. He went out to a place called "The Place of the Skull." (In the Jewish language the name of this place is "Golgotha.") At Golgotha they nailed Jesus to the cross. They also put two other men on crosses. They put the men on each side of Jesus with Jesus in the middle. (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
Jesus came to earth to live among us and to pay the ransom price to buy us out of sin and death. So where should we expect to find him in his death? In between two sinners offering forgiveness and grace! Jesus entered our world in humility as a baby placed in a manger. Jesus died in humiliation placed on a cross between two thieves. In between the two events, Jesus ministered, served, blessed, taught, and called all sorts of different people so that we could know that he wants to save, serve, and bless us. No matter where you have been or what you have done, God wants you to know that Jesus' grace is close to you.
Today's Prayer
Father, thank you for making sure that I can see that you can love someone that is a sinner like me. I know that Jesus was perfect in every way; but in his death, between two sinners and before an angry mob, I can see that his love triumphs over every other virtue in the moment of horror. Thank you for your gracious love. Help me as I try to display that same love with those around me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
So Pilate gave Jesus to them to be killed on a cross. The soldiers took Jesus. Jesus carried his own cross. He went out to a place called "The Place of the Skull." (In the Jewish language the name of this place is "Golgotha.") At Golgotha they nailed Jesus to the cross. They also put two other men on crosses. They put the men on each side of Jesus with Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote a sign and put it on the cross. The sign said, "JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS." The sign was written in the Jewish language, in Latin, and in Greek. Many of the Jews read the sign, because this place where they killed Jesus on the cross was near the city. The leading Jewish priests said to Pilate, "Don't write, 'The King of the Jews.' But write, 'This man said, I am the King of the Jews.'" Pilate answered, "I will not change what I have written." After the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross, they took his clothes. They divided his clothes into four parts. Each soldier got one part. They also took his tunic. It was all one piece of cloth woven from top to bottom. So the soldiers said to each other, "We should not tear this into parts {to divide it}. We should choose lots to see who will get it." This happened so that it would be like the Scripture said: "They divided my clothes among them. And they threw lots for my clothing." So the soldiers did this. Jesus' mother stood near his cross. His mother's sister was also standing there with Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Jesus saw his mother. He also saw the follower that he loved very much standing there. He said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son." Then Jesus said to the follower, "Here is your mother." So after that, this follower took Jesus' mother to live in his home.-- John 19:16-27 (ERV)
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