Digging Deeper: Hope in Him
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[a] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:39-43 (NLT)
HOPE IN HIM
In my general life, I’m a pretty optimistic person. I’m normally positive and enjoy trying to be a source of encouragement for other people. I do have kryptonite, though, and there’s one aspect of my life that can cause me to be more cynical and pessimistic than I usually am—the fact that I’m an Atlanta sports fan.
Whether it’s “28-3,” Leyritz taking Wohlers deep, or even the recent slew of injuries to the Braves’ rotation, it seems I’ve developed a negative reflex when it comes to my sports fandom. This drives my wife—the eternal sports optimist—crazy. She will sit and watch until the last out or until the clock hits zero, believing her team can still win. She has a hopefulness I envy—and one we should all seek to maintain.
As Andy Dufresne says, “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things.”
Not being persuaded out of your hope by negativity is a worthy pursuit. But when you find yourself in a perilous situation, staying hopeful becomes much more difficult than simply trying to have faith in the Braves’ bullpen this season.
As we discussed Luke 23 this week, we visited the scene of the two thieves alongside Jesus. Both were condemned to death for crimes that are not fully detailed—both were set to face eternal judgment. As the two men hang there, there’s a stark contrast in how they speak to Jesus.
The first cares only about escape. Both men would likely have had knowledge of who Jesus was and why he was there, and by simply looking at him, they would see that his punishment was far more barbaric and severe than theirs to that point.
The first thief doesn’t seem to care about Jesus but offers a faint, last-minute plea for freedom, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” In his words, there’s a drip of desperation—and maybe even doubt.
Knowing the fate that awaited them, the other thief isn’t persuaded to join in. His initial response is a rebuke: “Do you not fear God?” This tells us two things—he did fear God, and that fear was driving him more than the terror or madness of the moment.
We may not face crucifixion, but we all encounter moments in life that can cause us to doubt. We read tragic headlines, see loved ones walk through dark valleys, or experience depression and sadness like we’ve never known. In those moments, it’s easy to cry out, “Jesus, why aren’t you coming down off that cross to help me?”
It’s a human response—but not a godly one. Instead, we must remain hopeful, full of repentance, and walking in a healthy fear of the Lord.
The last out hasn’t been recorded yet, so never give up the hope you have in Him.
Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.