Because of the world’s hatred for his beliefs and what he told people about his Savior. The world doesn’t like hearing the Truth from God’s Word or from His servants. So…sometimes those in the world, who don’t believe in Jesus Christ, take drastic measures to silence those who are telling God’s Truth to the world.
They thought by silencing him, it might stop the message but it actually backfired. More people have heard his message and the message of Jesus Christ since he died than those who heard it before. God knew what was happening and when and He knew that the message that needed to get out to those He wanted to hear it would get out to all of those He wanted to hear it.
The thief on either side of Jesus knew that Jesus was innocent and didn’t belong there. He had done nothing that would require death by the cross. Even the priests knew that Jesus didn’t deserve the punishment that they had yelled for but that didn’t mean much to them. They just wanted Him gone because they didn’t see Him as their Messiah. They didn’t want a Savior like Him.
Even His disciples didn’t understand the type of Savior He was until He was resurrected on the third day. Some of them knew that He was the Messiah but He didn’t fit their definition of a Savior. Many of them wanted a military figure to rescue Israel from the Romans. Jesus didn’t come to bring that kind of Kingdom to Israel. That Kingdom would be later when He comes after the Tribulation as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Now, go to the cross and see how the thieves looked at the Messiah. One of them berated Him and was saying the same as some of the priests, “Come down from the cross and we will believe in You”; “Save us and yourself, if you are who you say you are”. The other thief believed that Jesus was innocent and was the Messiah. He asked Jesus to “remember me when you come into your kingdom”. Jesus told him “today you will be with Me in Paradise”.
Believe in the love of God that Jesus showed to everyone during His ministry and ask Him into your life to be your Savior. It sounds too simple, but that is the way to salvation. He is the only way to salvation, so seek Him for your eternal Life!
Whoever believes in Jesus and His sacrifice for their sins will be saved…period.
Why is our country and much of the world so divided? We, as human beings, can’t seem to agree on anything, especially religion. Even the church in America can’t agree on how we believe in our Lord. We seem to have polar opposite ideas on how, when, and Who we are worshiping. I am not speaking of one specific religion, although Jesus prayed for us to be united in our worship. Our religion is fractured in America and in some areas of the country Christians are hated almost to the point of violence. Last week there was a Christian speaker gunned down because he was speaking about the Truths of the Bible. Yet, the shooter said “I can no longer stand to hear his hatred” or something like that.
Our world is becoming more dangerous every day and even more intolerant than ever before. The message that many preachers and other speakers have been telling the truth from God’s Word is categorized as “hate speech”. Why is this happening?
Jesus foretold this in Matthew 24 and in the book of Revelation. He warned His followers that they would be hated because of the message He was giving them to take to the world. God expects us to be His ambassadors in the world but not of the world. We are to take His message of love and salvation to those who need to hear it which means everyone who hasn’t heard the Word of Truth. God loves all of humanity but their sins keep getting in the way of a relationship with Him. He still watches over all of us and He is patiently waiting for us to realize that we need a relationship with Him as well.
We are living at the end of the “Church age” or the age of grace. With all of the wars and violence in nearly every country, it is certainly getting close to the coming of the Lord to take His Bride, the believers of His Church, home to be with Him. I pray that many more people, young and old and from many countries, will come to know Jesus as their Savior soon. Seek Him while there is time because none of us is guaranteed tomorrow.
The Living Message of Christ 