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Seven words on the cross (2)         [Luke 23:34-43]                       This is the second words of Jesus on the cross: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Lk. 23:43).     Who was the “you” Jesus is talking about here?  In other words, to whom did Jesus say, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”?  He is one of the two criminals (v. 39) and two robbers (Mt. 27:38) who were crucified with Jesus.   We do not know whether that one was the robber who was hanged on Jesus' right hand or the one on Jesus' left (Lk. 23:33).   Although the punishment that robbers received at that time was not only crucifixion, when we see these two robbers crucified with Jesus, we can guess that they were robbers among robbers.   These two robbers insulted the crucified Jesus.   Look at Mat...

Seven words on the cross (1)         [Luke 23:34-43]                       Starting today, I would like to meditate on the seven words of Jesus on the cross.  Jesus said little until He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane by the chief priests, the elders, the scribes, and the soldiers who had come to arrest Him, and was taken away and crucified.  All the words spoken were the truth and the gospel (Mt. 26:34; 27:11; Mk. 14:62; 15:2; Lk. 23:3, 28-31; Jn. 18:20, 21, 23, 34, 36, 37; 19:11).   Apart from these words, Jesus did not say anything because He was in great pain or in agony.   When Jesus and the two robbers were taken to Golgotha, they probably said all sorts of things, but Jesus didn't open His mouth.   This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 53:7 – “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a ...