Christ the King

Dearly Beloved,

The crowd sneered at Christ and said: “This man save others, but he cannot save himself.” It is not that Christ is powerless to save himself. He chose to freely lay down his life because of sacrificial love.  It is love for humanity that kept him on the cross, not the nails.

Although one thief joined the crowd and mocked Christ, the Repentant Thief was different. He is different in these ways.  First, he respected God by saying to the other thief: “Do you not fear God!” Second, he acknowledged his own sin by saying: “The sentence we receive corresponds to our crimes.” Thirdly, he knew that Christ was innocent: “This Man has done nothing wrong.” Fourth, he called out to Jesus. Fifth, he believed that Christ was king: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Sixth, he believed that Jesus is the one that will open the gates of paradise.

When the Lord said: “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” In other words, heaven is not just a place, but a place in the presence of Christ (With Me).”

Now, it doesn't seem fair if someone like the repentant thief, who had a deathbed conversion would be in heaven like the righteous. For humanity, it doesn't seem fair because God's grace overwhelms human merits. However, humanity can only take in so much the glory of God, the joy and heavenly rewards. For instance, it would be like if I was trying to draw water from the well. Now, I can only draw as much water as my container could hold. My human merits will only enlargen my capacity to take in the heavenly glory.

Now, breath would've been invaluable on the cross. So when Christ said the words: “Today, you will be with me in paradise” it would've cost him dearly. It would've been difficult and excruciating. Just as he paid the price to assure the repentant thief, he also paid the price for human redemption on the cross.

Christ is Priest, Prophet and King. He is Priest in the sense that he prays for the Father's mercy on the cross: Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. He was Prophet because he spoke about his impending death and resurrection. He is King because He assured the Repentant Thief, salvation and entrance into his Kingdom.