(A) An Eternal Rhythm: Father and Son's Collaboration on the Calvary:

Humanity's Rejection of Jesus, the Savior -

Bible informs us that Jesus used to depart from amongst the people on reading their twisted mind against Him. However, on deciphering Almighty Father's sacred desire in His silence – 'Crucify Him, Crucify Him' - He committed Himself to the mob outside the Garden of Gethsemane, to fulfill God's sacred desire: to lift their sins (invisible crosses) due to their human frailties. However, people denied surrendering their sins (invisible crosses) due to their spiritual weaknesses to Jesus, and burdened Him with the wooden cross, and pushed Him on the path to Calvary to remove Him and enjoy their worldly desires. Thus, people unnecessarily tried to pave the path to redemption into a way to liberate Jesus, the Savior.

United in Sacrifice: Jesus and His Mother -

His mother, Mary, was proceeding with Him on the path to Calvary. Both, mother and son, put everything at stake to fulfill God's silent sacred desire: 'Crucify Him, Crucify Him'. But people were seen busy liberating the Savior, rather than being liberated.

God desires from every individual to shut down their factory of the cross (sin), and submit their invisible crosses (sins), fabricated in their factory due to their human frailties, to Jesus' shoulder. Therefore, Jesus invites humanity for their liberation, as desired by God, as written in scripture:

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. (Luke 9:23-24, NIV)

Surrendering Our Invisible Crosses (Sins): A Path to Liberation -

Regardless of who accepted or rejected Jesus' invitation, it is extremely important to wholeheartedly seek an answer to the question: Do I accept Jesus' invitation? We need to answer, as we are guided not to commit sin in God's constitution, although we have freedom to commit sin or not to commit. Therefore, it is evident that if we surrender our weaknesses (sins) to Jesus by surrendering our crosses, the deadly weapons that kill love, on the path to Calvary, then certainly He will carry our burden of sin and take our sin far apart, similar to east and west. Thus, we will still be liberated from our sins and sickness, as Jesus did spiritual and physical healing during His worldly life, as recorded in scripture:

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases. (Matthew 8:17, NIV)

Humanity's Attempt to Kill Jesus: A Futile Effort -

Thus, those who wish liberation from their weaknesses (sins) will be liberated, while those who wish to remain in their weaknesses (sins) will not be liberated. In this discussion, I will explore the example of the 'good criminal’ and his path to liberation. It is sad that we do not wish to submit the burden of our sin (weaknesses), the invisible crosses, to Jesus, but wish to kill Him on Calvary and bury Him, to enjoy worldly lust with full freedom. Is it possible to kill Him? No! He went to heaven directly from the wooden cross, as mentioned in scripture:

Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[a] When he had said this, he breathed his last. (Luke 23:46, NIV)

After His death, His physical body, which took its last breath around 3-4 pm on Good Friday, resurrected as foretold by Him on the third day, on Easter Sunday morning, around 4-5 am. He was not in the grave for 3 days, meaning 72 hours, but only for 36 to 40 hours. This substantiates that He can neither be killed nor buried because He is love, as mentioned in scripture:

‘God is love.’ (1 John 4:8)

Eternal Love: Misunderstood –

It's unfortunate that two thousand or more years ago, people failed to understand that love is immortal, as God is love (1 John 4:8), alternatively love is God; can't be killed. On the way to Calvary, they were not surrendering their weaknesses (sins) to Jesus, who is Love Himself, but were consumed by their weaknesses (arrogance, anger, envy, selfishness, quarrels, fights, drunkenness, backbiting, estrangement, and so on) and tried to crucify Him. Indeed, He Himself has no weaknesses. Such an understanding about Him will lead us to live by His holy lifestyle, far from our weaknesses, to triumph over our weaknesses, as advised in scripture:

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:29, NIV)

Therefore, Jesus, being aligned with God's sacred desires, embarks on the journey to Calvary, the path to freedom, and wants us to surrender our invisible crosses (weaknesses) to Him to attain both spiritual and physical freedom.

(B) Blessings and Grace on the Journey to Calvary:

The Promise of Heaven -

Jesus, after His death on the journey to Calvary, immediately ascended into heaven. The Lord invites us to follow in His footsteps. This indicates that those who will die while walking the way of the cross will immediately reach heaven. And so the repentant criminal.

Punishment and Accountability –

Let us examine this concept further, based on the events that occurred on the way to Calvary and according to the holy words of God. Let us also recall that two criminals were crucified, one on Jesus' right and another on the left. One of them was abusing Jesus, as recorded in scripture:

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39, NIV)

It's essential to note that this criminal has been fabricating an invisible cross (sin) because of his own weaknesses. Is it right for humans to rebuke God? God did not create us to be abused by us:

• God should not be blamed – He is innocent and sinless forever and ever.
• We must not challenge Him – He is not there to accept our challenge.
• We must not intimidate Him – He is not there to hear our intimidation.
• We must not insult Him – He is not there to be insulted by us.

Triumph Over Weaknesses -

He is God, the creator; therefore, when we behave in such a manner, we sin against the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not respond to the cursing criminal, as God has given us the freedom to speak, along with the command to refrain from speaking improperly. Thus, He has commanded us to triumph over our weaknesses. Those who fail to overcome their weaknesses, commit sin. Therefore, the other criminal rebuked the criminal insulting Jesus, as recorded in scripture:

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.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:40-43, NIV)

Remorse to Align with God’s will -

Dear brothers and sisters, let us appreciate the good criminal who surrendered his invisible crosses (sins), fabricated due to his weaknesses, to Jesus, as the Almighty Father had expressed His divine will in the Garden of Gethsemane – 'Crucify Him, Crucify Him'. He was reflecting on His own weaknesses while walking the path to Calvary. Therefore, the lifelong criminal, condemned to crucifixion, regretted seeing his own weaknesses (the burden of sin) borne by Jesus, saying, 'He has not sinned, but we have'. Seeing his true repentance, Jesus, from the cross He was nailed to, relieves him from all his weaknesses, spiritual and physical, as written in scripture:

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43, NIV)

A Decreed Criminal Fulfills God's Desire -

Can a criminal be good? Your immediate response would likely be 'no'. But why not? We find an example of a repentant criminal in scripture. Do you know why? This is because while the arrogant crowd on the way to Calvary was piling up sins due to their weaknesses, this very criminal was condemning himself for his weaknesses (sins). With genuine repentance, he entrusted his invisible crosses (sins) to Jesus, as God had expressed His divine will in the Garden of Gethsemane – 'Crucify Him, Crucify Him'. And so, he walked the path to salvation alongside Jesus, entrusted his weaknesses to Jesus, and experienced a transformation of heart, becoming like a child in innocence. He became fit for heaven, as recorded in scripture:

Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” (Luke 18:17, NIV)

Multiple Destinies at Calvary –

The criminal who talked first to Jesus loaded Him with the wooden cross (suffering) and hardened his heart, while the other criminal, walking alongside Jesus, humbly surrendered his invisible crosses (sins) to Him and transformed his heart to childlike innocence. Consequently, the first criminal was left behind, as recorded in scripture:

No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3, NIV)

While the repentant criminal was raised, as recorded in scripture:

And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43, NIV)

(C) Stay Graced through Rigorous Toil:

A Contrast: Good & Evil -

What a stark contrast! Two criminals were crucified alongside Jesus, who was bleeding in His human body:

- One of them was left behind due to his weaknesses, even though Jesus' body and blood, which symbolized His grace, did not benefit him.
- While the criminal who surrendered his weaknesses received an abundance of blessings, as written in scripture:

I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. (Luke 17:34-35, NIV)

Freedom: Choice is Yours -

He blesses those who strive to make themselves worthy or who tirelessly seek Him. The repentant criminal was deemed worthy due to his genuine repentance, whereas the other criminal was deemed unworthy because he chose to persist in his weaknesses. Consequently, those who desire salvation will be saved, and those who do not will be left behind.

(D) The Status: Repentant Criminal

We are all lifelong sinners due to our weaknesses. God's grace is certain to be poured out on those who strive to overcome their weaknesses by following Jesus on the path to salvation. Now, we must decide: do we want to be free and blessed, or not? Do we wish to be left behind like the first criminal, or lifted up like the second one? We must acknowledge that, due to our weaknesses, we have spent our lives rejecting Jesus and neglecting our neighbors' love, as stated in scripture:

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.’ (Matthew 25:40, NIV)

This means:

• If we are envious of our neighbor, we are envious of God.
• If we hate our neighbor, we hate God.
• If we are angry with our neighbor, we are angry with God, and so on….

Time to Embark -

Come! Don't delay! Let us surrender all our sins – the invisible crosses born from our lifelong weaknesses – to Jesus. Let us fulfill God's sacred desire, as expressed in the Garden of Gethsemane: 'Crucify Him, Crucify Him'. Let us receive salvation and become a repentant criminal. And embark on the way to Calvary, the way of the cross, which leads directly to heaven. There, the innocent criminal dwells with God. Those who walk this path will attain the status of innocent criminal and receive God's blessings to reside with Him in heaven.

(E) Forgiveness of Sin through Confession:

The repentant criminal was reflecting on his weaknesses while walking alongside Jesus on the way to Calvary to Golgotha. He saw all his weaknesses (sins) on the body of the crucified Jesus, filled with deep remorse due to his sin; He confessed to the incarnate Jesus and sought forgiveness, as recorded in Scripture:

But the other responded, and rebuking him, said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving [a]what we deserve for our crimes; but this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:40-41¸NIV)

(E) Beware of Rumors of Liberation:

A Big Concern -

In churches worldwide, there are rumors of liberation. Let us be cautious, since these claims are unfounded and not supported by God's Word. Following is a list of such claims:

• Attending holy mass continually on the first nine Fridays and eight Saturdays will guarantee direct entry into heaven.
• Using the holy door of salvation, decorated during the year of compassion, will bring salvation.
• Salvation comes through grace, not through surrendering sins. However, why did the resurrected Jesus' last instruction emphasize preaching forgiveness of sins?
• Jesus' blood cleanses sin. Yet, why was the criminal crucified alongside Jesus not cleansed by Jesus' blood? • And so on…

Jesus' Enduring Readiness: Bearing Humanity's Sins -

Humanity is still plagued by weaknesses. Consequently, the resurrected Jesus continues on the path to Calvary, a painful journey, to fulfill God's silent will, ‘Crucify Him, Crucify Him’, as expressed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Therefore, only Jesus can free us from our sins.

To receive His blessings, we must surrender our sins (invisible crosses), which stem from our weaknesses, and obtain spiritual and physical healing from Him. Even today, Jesus continues on the path to Calvary, ready to bear our weaknesses.

Whoever desires salvation will be saved, but those who seek to oppose Love will never prevail.

(F) Right Time to ‘Way of the Cross’

Repentance Must Immediately Follow Sin -

We often, rather daily, transgress God's sacred desire – 'love one another' – due to our weaknesses, commit sins, means create invisible crosses. Therefore, we must emulate the innocent criminal's example and lay our sinful burdens, the invisible cross, on Jesus' shoulders to find liberation.

Whenever we sin, we must walk the path of the cross, experience deep remorse, and confess, following the example of the innocent criminal. Therefore, Jesus told his disciples, lacking the knowledge of the time to pray, outside the Garden of Gethsemane, as recorded in Scripture:

Then he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” (Luke 22:45-46, NIV)

Sin by Disciples: En Route to Gethsemane -

Jesus' disciples had just finished the Last Supper and were about to settle outside the Garden of Gethsemane. As they had just celebrated the Last Supper, why were they pale? Let me tell you: they had fallen asleep, weighed down by the sadness of their sins (invisible crosses). Therefore, Jesus wants them to awaken their soul, asleep in the sadness of sin, through prayer, which is true repentance, as mentioned in Scripture:

It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. (Luke 12:38, NIV)

An Invitation from the Publican and the Innocent Criminal -

Jesus' parable in Luke 18:9-14 records that two individuals, a Pharisee and a Publican, were praying in the temple. The Pharisee, praying near the altar, boasted about his achievements while condemning the Publican, who stood far from the altar, weeping and mourning for his sins against God with deep remorse. God accepted the Publican's prayer, not the Pharisee's. There is no prayer like 'true repentance and confession,' which requires rigorous toil.

As Jesus hung on the wooden cross, He prayed to God for humanity's sake, pleading for mercy and forgiveness. He knew humanity had developed the habit of killing the Savior rather than seeking liberation. We must load our invisible crosses (sins) onto Jesus' shoulders and confess to liberate ourselves from sin, just as the Publican and the innocent criminal exemplified. As Scripture invites us:

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. (Luke 9:23-24, NIV)

Therefore, In the next article, we will explore God's love for human souls and His call for liberation through a story, as He goes to an ultimate extent to save humanity.

To be Continued…..

==> Stay tuned for our next article, where we'll uncover how 'A Poignant Story’ that transforms our faith journey.

Amen!

Praise be to God, Thanks be to God.

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