God’s gift . . .
The Man on the Middle Cross
Many people today live as if this life is all there is,
but the Bible says that your soul lives forever
and that it will abide in one of two places—heaven or hell.
(Will Graham)
The cross represents many different things to different people . . . sometimes it is just a pretty piece of jewelry . . . maybe a decoration for the home . . . For believers, it’s a symbol of the sacrificial love of Christ and how He conquered the grave . . .
I wear a cross as a reminder—every time I feel the shape I know I’m not alone on this earth, and I also need to live humbly, because God paid the price of my sins with His Son—It’s not about me; It is always about Him.
During the Lenten season, we often see three crosses standing together . . . representing the day Jesus died—Christ in the middle and a thief on either side . . . We need to remember that the cross and the salvation it embodies is not about what we have done . . . it is about what Jesus has done for us . . . it is not about what we are “doing for God” . . . it is about what God has done for us.
In a sermon years ago, Pastor Alistair Begg focused on one of the crucified thieves who placed his faith in Christ as his life slipped away, and was rewarded with the promise of salvation . . . Looking ahead, we envision this man now approaching heaven ~~~The thief is questioned by angels—"Why are you here?” . . . “Why should you be allowed entry?” . . . “Do you understand the doctrine of justification by faith?” Never heard of it . . . “What about the doctrine of Scripture?” No idea . . . This man never attended a Bible study, never was baptized, didn't know what church membership was—Who did he think he was? . . . After a lot of questioning, the angel finally asked him, "On what basis are you here?" . . . To which he replied, "The Man on the middle cross said I can come."
I remember the first time I saw those words, on a sign in a little shop on the Square in Glen Rose, Texas . . . I got chills then—I still get chills at the depth of meaning every time I hear them . . . If I believe in what God has done for me, no matter what, no matter how messed up I am, Jesus Christ paid my debt, and I can be in heaven with Him . . . and you can too!!
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free;
For God, the just, is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
(Charitie L. Bancroft)
INSIGHT . . .
“The second criminal said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’
And Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.’”
Luke 23:42-43
Jesus was crucified between two convicted criminals—and those criminals both heard what Jesus had to say, yet they responded very differently . . . The first dying man regarded the cross as a contradiction—because Jesus was on the cross like them, He was no Savior . . . But the second man saw the cross as confirmation of who Jesus was—he recognized that because Jesus, a sinless man, was on the cross, so he must be the Savior.
This criminal had seen and heard enough from Jesus in His final hours to conclude that He was innocent . . . The Holy Spirit opened his eyes and he realized that not only was he being punished correctly, receiving the judgment his sins deserved, but his punishment would stretch out into eternity if he lacked the forgiveness that Jesus was talking about.
So, the condemned man made a humble request to Jesus . . . for something he knew he didn’t deserve . . . “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” . . . Pastor Alistaire Bregg writes, “Presumably, he had processed the evidence, concluding, ‘If this man is the Messiah, then He’s the long-promised King. If He’s that King, then He’s going to have a kingdom—the eternal kingdom of God. And when He reaches His kingdom, then perhaps He will remember me when He arrives there.’”
And Jesus promise that this man—even this man—would go to heaven . . . this criminal offered nothing and asked the King for everything . . . And Christ, the King, said yes.
You and I are in the same position as that criminal . . . We have nothing to bring to Jesus . . . All we bring is our sin . . . But that’s why Jesus endured the cross . . . so that we can bring our sin to Him, and He will take it and bear it . . . Jesus promised the criminal just like He promises every believer who dies . . . “Today you will be with me in paradise.” . . . Let that sink in, give you hope and reassurance . . . One day, you—even you—will be with your King in paradise.
INVITATION—TO TALK WITH GOD . . .
We are separated from God because of our sin, and we stand guilty before Him . . . the only hope we have is when He provided a way for each of us to be reconciled and reunited with Him . . . that is what He did for us, when He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay the penalty of the sins of all who believe in Him . . . It is through God’s perfect sacrifice for sin and Christ’s resurrection three days later that we can have eternal life if we believe.
The song “Man on the Middle Cross” (co-written by Rhett Walker, Matthew West, AJ Pruis, and Matt Jenkins in 2023) focuses on the perspective of the thief who found salvation with Christ.
I heard the preacher talking about three wooden crosses up on a hill for everyone to see
Two sinners on the outside couldn't save themselves if they tried
All I could think is man, that sounds like me
The bible does indeed tell us there were three crosses together, with Jesus being on the center cross and felons on the other two crosses.
“When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there,
along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.”
Luke 23:33
Three crosses with Jesus in the middle, and two criminals on either side . . . Yet, even while dying, the criminals felt compelled to argue and debate their opinions about Jesus.
“One of the criminals who hung there, hurled insults at him:
“Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
But the other criminal rebuked him.
“Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.
But this man has done nothing wrong.”
Luke 23:39-41
Spiritually speaking, we are just like the two criminals . . . We’ve made bad decisions and messed up . . . We’re guilty, we’re not perfect, we’re not always right.
Take some time and talk with God about where this fits into your life.
Is there anything about either of these men that sounds familiar to you, or me?
The chorus of the song says . . .
I've been the one on the left, full of guilt and regret, long gone on the wrong side of livin’
I've been the one on the right always looking for a fight, thinking I could never be forgiven
I'm standing here today, overwhelmed by grace cause I know who paid my cost
Thank God for the man on the middle cross
As you think about Jesus on the cross, remember that we are the ones on the left and the right of Him . . . We are the ones unable to save ourselves alone . . . Thankfully, Jesus—the Man on the middle cross—stayed and died in your place and my place.
All of us make mistakes and carry regret close to our hearts, maybe the weight of sin and shame threatens to wear you down . . . Remember our Lord and Savior and cling to the hope of Jesus . . . there was a Man on the middle cross, and He came for all of us.
Have you seen the world through the eyes of this condemned criminal?
Do you understand your need for The Savior, and—more importantly—
have you looked to Him for your salvation?
ILLUMINATION . . .
Pause for a moment and think about a compass . . . Have you ever used one to help you find your way? . . . to help you not get lost? . . . A compass is a handheld tool that helps people find their way by pointing toward North, then you can identify North, South, East, and West so you know which way to head.
The Bible is frequently described as a spiritual compass . . . it offers guidance, direction, and truth for “navigating” life's challenges . . . serving as a reliable, unchanging moral guide, that helps us make honest, respectable decisions in a chaotic world . . . "True North" is Jesus Christ.
We ask for a map to deal with life,
but instead Jesus gives us a compass and says,
“Follow me.”
(Jennifer Dukes Lee)
Sometimes we need help finding our way back . . . need guidance to lead us down a new and right path . . . or we need to be shown how to build a stronger relationship with God . . . We need a compass, and that compass is God’s Word.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Proverbs 3:5-6
This compass, the Bible, the Word of God, is God’s gift for you and me . . . Through the Word, the way to salvation and a righteous life is laid out before us . . . Trusting His compass provides us with peace and hope, knowing that we have this “instrument” to depend on as we navigate this life . . . Let God be your compass!
God will meet you where you are
in order to take you where He wants you to go.
(Tony Evans)
INSPIRATION—PRAYING THROUGH MUSIC . . .
We get nearer to the Lord through music
than perhaps through any other thing except prayer.
(J. Reuben Clark Jr.)
I encourage you to take time to listen to any or all the songs below . . . there is no right or wrong style of music—it is what speaks to you . . . listen to the melody and the lyrics and feel the response of your heart to what God wants you to hear . . . and I do understand that music doesn’t speak to everyone . . . and that is okay too.
♪♬♪ Current . . . How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlyMxBj17LE&list=RDTlyMxBj17LE&start_radio=1
♪♬♪ Praise & Worship . . . Man on the Middle Cross
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpbvOA8cRJI&list=RDdpbvOA8cRJI&start_radio=1
♪♬♪ Traditional . . . Nothing But the Blood of Jesus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcnhS8DzTdY&list=RDmcnhS8DzTdY&start_radio=1
INTO EACH DAY AHEAD . . .
Nothing can harm us, including death, when we have trusted Christ as Savior,
because Christ has conquered death – and so shall we.
(Billy Graham)
When I see the three crosses, my eyes always go to the one in the middle, because I know that is where my Savior hung and died for me—to pay the price for my sins . . . after all He endured, the Man on the middle cross said I can come too—I can come with Him!
There on the cross to the side, a condemned man looks across and sees the Messiah himself . . . he understands that Jesus is not an impostor, and that he will still receive the Kingdom that belongs to the Messiah . . . The thief on the cross believes . . . his prayer to Jesus is packed with faith . . . more faith than any other human observing this gruesome scene that day . . . the thief looks to the Man on the middle cross for compassion, unconditional love, and eternal life.
Who do you look to for compassion, love, guidance, and help?
Or, are you trying to do life all alone? On your own?
When was the last time you took the time to listen to God?
When someone guides you, or gives you guidance, it implies an offer to help or suggestions about how to do something or deal with personal problems . . . God’s guidance goes further, into the mind, but also to the depths of the heart and soul, into eternity.
The Word of God, or the things God has said,
“is a real substance that nourishes our body and soul.
Jesus Christ is the Living Word,
and the Bible is the Word of God in its unique written form.”
(Dallas Willard)
“For the word of God is alive and active.”
Hebrews 4:12a
Jesus Christ is alive! The Word of God is alive . . . God is alive! . . . Through prayer, listening, waiting, and watching a living, breathing relationship with Him is available for everyone . . . God, through Christ and the Holy Spirit, knows it all, and He is there to listen, guide, care, love, forgive, grant grace, give mercy, and more . . . He is there, through it all with you—you can depend on it!
Jesus isn’t hanging on a cross today, but prayerfully the faith of the thief hanging once beside Him inspire us to also have a faith that believes what seems unbelievable—and a faith that hopes when all seems hopeless . . . a faith that holds fast, trusting that the Kingdom of God will come—even when all seems lost.
My only prayer, my only plea, the only hope for a sinner like me
There was a price I couldn't pay, but Jesus did and HE's the only way
When I'm standing at the gate and it's all said and done
The Man on the middle cross, He said I could come
(Scotty Inman/Jason Crabb)
Lord Jesus, we need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for our sins.
Thank you for forgiving us and for giving each of us eternal life.
We open the door of our lives and receive you as our Savior and Lord.
Come into our lives and change us from the inside out.
You paid our cost and we thank God for the Man on the middle cross!—Amen.
~ + ~ + ~ + ~ + + ~ + ~ + ~ + ~
Prayer Paths (written by Dr. Debbie Parcel)
is a weekly email letter designed to “fuel”
your active prayer life, help you stay engaged in
focused prayer, and encourage a
growing relationship with our Triune God.
To receive Prayer Paths by email each week—send a request,
with your name and email,
to BarnabasRoad2025@gmail.com
(Prayer Paths is offered through Barnabas Road Ministries)