ON THE VANGUARD

NOT ONE FORGOTTEN
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:42-43

Tomorrow I will wake up to my children laughing with excitement that the Easter Bunny has come. There will be Easter eggs, chocolate, egg searches, and holiday classics on TV, like the Ten Commandments. Church attendance will be up, stores will be closed, and hyper kids will rule the day.
So what is the true meaning of Easter? I am sad to say that I asked my children this just days ago and my oldest (almost 7), told me he was not sure. I was sad to hear this answer after his years in Sunday school, as well as his mother and I taking time to tell our kids about the great moments of Christ. His response was that he knew about the bunny and the eggs he would get, but thought that Jesus did something of importance, but could not tell you what. As we continued to talk I was proactive to tell him the details in hopes that it would make sense and be remembered.
As I was telling my son of the Easter meaning, I began to remember this one portion of scripture. Jesus’ mission was to seek and save the lost. His time spent of earth was a time of winning hearts through His teachings, miracles, and character. He told us to ‘be holy as [He] was holy.’ He called His believers His sheep and said they would know His voice and obey. He constantly reached out to the broken and wounded, and energized their hearts with His words and touch. He truly accomplished His mission of seeking and saving.
And here, in Luke 23, we see in Jesus’ most humiliating moment that He was still reaching out. As the thief on the cross next to Jesus called out to be remembered, Jesus simply told him that he would be with Jesus in paradise. The thief knew that he was guilty for his actions and knew that he needed salvation. Jesus knew it too and He provided the way. The good news, however, is that Jesus still saves. His death on the cross was for us, just as it was for that thief. His sacrifice on the cross became our ability to live in eternity with Him.
But we do not get in by our good behavior, or on the coat tails of our parents, or even by the fact that we donate funds to charity yearly. Romans 10:9-10 makes it clear that there is a narrow path that we must walk. “That if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” We must ask God into our lives for true salvation. God has not forgotten you but waits for your heart to be willing given to Him. The challenge is to contemplate your salvation. Are you saved? Christ died and rose again for you. Maybe you are one who stumbled on this site by accident. The good news is that God loves you and paved a way for you to come into a relationship with Him. You, just like the thief, will not be forgotten by the simple prayer of, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom.” And to the one who has walked for so long with Christ, you are not forgotten either. God told the people of Israel that He would never leave them nor forsake them. So here we are, years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, and He is still working to accomplish the same task in our lives…seeking and saving us when we are lost. No one is forgotten.