"Wherefore Jesus!" - Two

 "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate." (Hebrews 13:12 KJV)

  "It was now about noon on the day of preparation of the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, "Look, here is your king!" "Away with him," they yelled. "Away with him! Crucify him!" "What? Crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the leading priests shouted back. Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it." (John 19:14-20 NLT)

 Well, we that have the truth within us, know that this was not just something that the Jewish leaders had plotted and carried out; as it was the reason Jesus came to this earth, to be nailed to a cross and to die for our sins! What makes this illustration from John so complete, is the way he describes everything in such detail, especially the other two that hung beside Jesus; one on each side of Him! 

 If you don't know already, all the other disciples were off at a distance, as they were afraid to be seen in the public, especially in the crowed of Jewish leaders. Only John was brave enough to stand at the foot of the cross, having Jesus' mother right beside him. There was something about John that made him, somehow, entitled to hang around those of authority; as he previously got Peter into the courtyard, because John was acquainted with the high priest. 

 Anywho! The two men on either side of Jesus is an illustration of "Right and Left." I know it might be a little hard to understand, but there are several religious groups that have the belief that, if you have not been baptized, you have not been saved. Well, there was one of those that was on the side of Jesus, who was saved; and the other was left! 

 You could probably make the case that his crucifixion was a form of baptism; but I would beg to differ, as there are many people I know of, who never get a chance to be baptized. They get saved at some sort of church or other way, and next thing you know, they have been killed in some sort of accident. Being baptized is only us showing the outer expression of an inner happening; or as they say, "It is an outward ceremony representing spiritual changes in a person's life." 

 Whatever the case might be, salvation is given to us by accepting Jesus Christ into our heart and confessing that He is LORD! Which is all that thief who was right had to do...  

"One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, "So you're 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 have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, 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."" (Luke 23:39-43 NLT)