The other criminal on the cross

(By Ria Samuel)

 At the time nearing the death of Jesus, there were two criminals who were crucified on either side of him. The first one hurled insults at Jesus, while the second one begged for mercy. Because their names are not mentioned, for the sake of this article I will refer to the second criminal as Bernas. The life of the second criminal in these verses briefly depicts the story of salvation that Christ bought for each one of us.

Let us allow our imagination to take us back in time and see life from Bernas’ perspective: 

The Gospel: Love conquers all

The people and the rulers were sneering and mocking at Jesus. The soldiers made lots of his garments and poured vinegar to give him a drink, while others on the ground taunted him saying, “Come down and save yourself if you are the Messiah!” 

If that’s not enough, the criminal on the left begins to hurl insults saying, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”. 

In all that physical pain, a blood-torn body and rejection of his own people, Jesus responds in perfect love saying, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” 

Bernas is shocked - he cannot believe what he just heard. “How can He pray for those who are crucifying Him?” “And can wicked and sinful men be forgiven?”

This has to be the Gospel he was waiting to hear all his life. The Messiah had come to save humanity from their sin. I believe his response says it all in verses 40-42. He starts by asking ‘Don’t you fear God?‘ The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Bernas had been tagged as a criminal but at that moment he had a revelation of true love, a love that conquers all. 

Confessing Sin

Bernas hung there on the cross, suffering one of the most gruesome form of death. Everything that he ran after in life, all the temporary pleasures, at that moment, mounted up to nothing. He acknowledged that he was a sinner and that death was what he rightly deserved. We see this in verse 41 where he says, ‘we are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.’

Romans 5:8 says, … “while we were yet sinners Christ died for us”. 

We must therefore all acknowledge, that we are sinful and have fallen short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24)

Faith that overcomes the world

As Bernas hung on the cross in the grimmest hour of his life, overwhelmed with pain and joy at the same time, he is convinced that the man hanging next to him on the cross, is God Almighty himself who could save him from eternal death. He turns to Jesus, and moving by his conviction, in faith, proclaims, ‘Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ 

Wow! It is this life saving faith declaration that Jesus responds to and says, truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise. Its mission accomplished for Bernas, he lost the world but gained eternal life in Christ Jesus.

The epilogue of this event in history?

I cannot even begin to imagine the amount of happiness Bernas must have felt on hearing Jesus tell him that he will spend eternity with him in Paradise, nullifying the pain of a wasted life and a grisly death.

Life on earth is temporary. If we are running after momentary happiness and satisfaction in the end it will wrap up to a life full of nothing. Let us run this life with a focus on eternity,remembering the words of Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

Life Application

Bernas’ story demonstrates the core concept of a Christian life:

1. God’s love reaches out to you first in the Good News of Jesus Christ. (John 3:16)

2. Need to confess that we are sinners. (Romans 3:23)

3. Believe and confess in faith that Christ is your hope and saviour. (Romans 10:9-10)

4. Receive the promise of eternal life which God promised to all who believe in His Son. (Romans 6:23)