On the third day

"Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet, I want your will, not mine."

One of the criminals hanging beside Jesus scoffed, "So, you are the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself-and us, too, while you're at it!" But the other criminal protested, "Don't you fear God even when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn't done anything wrong.." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."

This morning I read both of these verses. Today is Easter Sunday. A day we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In these two verses I see the humanity and divinity of Jesus. Just before He died, he was in anguish and pain. The sufferering was real. It was not taken away because He was God. He chose to feel it so He could relate to us. And then, just hours later, hanging from a cross next to two criminals, in His divinity, Jesus forgives one. This is our God. One who loves us so much that He would step down from heaven to become human and live among us, so that He could die for us and forgive us all of our sins, even while, like the criminals who hung next to Him, we were still sinners.

...and on the third day he rose again.

Lord, help the message of the cross never become an old story to me. I pray it would always bring me to my knees in thanks and humility.