Apr
3
2015
Remember Me
Posted in Holy Week 2 Comments
What a privilege it is for me to teach women’s Bible study.
It is such a blessing to open the Word of God and dive into the riches we find there.
Some of us have been studying together for many years.
All of us have grown in love for our Lord and in the knowledge of Him.
We have been studying the book of Genesis this year.
We now find ourselves in the chapters about Joseph.
Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers.
Joseph who was wrongly accused of seduction and thrown in prison.
Joseph who God blessed and prospered.
Joseph who never wavered in his faith despite his circumstances.
It was one story that I have read many times before that impacted me in a new way.
It was the story about the cupbearer and the baker’s dreams while Joseph was in prison.
The cupbearer and the baker each made Pharaoh angry and were both thrown in prison.
One night each man had a dream.
This culture strongly believed in the interpretations of dreams to predict the future.
Joseph knew that the interpretations of dreams belonged to God alone.
At a time when God’s Word was not yet written down, God used dreams to instruct.
Each man told Joseph his dream and God allowed Joseph to interpret them.
The cupbearer would be restored to his position, placing the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.
The baker would be killed.
When Joseph gave the interpretation to the cupbearer, he asked one thing of the man.
But when all goes well with you, remember me and show me kindness; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this prison. For I was forcibly carried off from the land of the Hebrews, and even here I have done nothing to deserve being put in a dungeon…He restored the chief cupbearer to his position, so that he once again out the cup in Pharaoh’s hand, but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had said to them in his interpretation. The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. (Genesis 40:14,15, 21-23)
People forget other people.
Even with the best of intentions, life gets in the way.
We get busy with our own responsibilities and forget to act when we said we would.
We feel bad about it afterward and try to make amends.
That is never the case with Jesus.
Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified Him, along with the criminals – one on His right, the other on His left. Jesus said, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. And they divided up His clothes by casting lots. The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at Him. They said, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked Him. They offered Him wine vinegar and said, “If You are the king of the Jews, save Yourself.” There was a written notice above Him which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: “Aren’t You the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 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, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.” (Luke 23:32-43)
Joseph said the same words to the cupbearer: remember me.
The cupbearer did not remember Joseph.
The criminal on the cross next to Jesus said those same words.
Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.
Jesus remembered.
Jesus always remembers.
The call for mercy is always heard.
The plea to save is always answered.
It is a wonderful thing to be remembered by Jesus.
It is comforting to know that we are always on His mind.
Jesus’ promises are not empty.
Jesus fulfills His Word.
The criminal understood the truth of the Gospel.
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.
But this man has done nothing wrong.
The Righteous One took the punishment for the guilty one.
On the cross, the criminal understood.
All the pieces came together as he hung there next to Jesus.
I am getting what I deserve.
He asked Jesus for the one thing, knowing that he did not have the right to ask.
The criminal said two words that were pregnant with meaning.
Remember me.
He knew that He did not have the right to ask to be remembered but he asked anyway.
He knew that he did not deserve the mercy he was asking to receive but he asked anyway.
That is the kind of request Jesus loves to answer.
Jesus never turns away from someone that calls out to Him in faith.
Jesus never forgets the cries and pleas of His people.
Jesus remembers when the rest of the world forgets.
You don’t understand the cross if you do not understand Jesus’ remembrance.
You can’t comprehend Jesus’ suffering until you realize that He did not deserve it.
Jesus hung in our place on that cross.
We deserve the just punishment for our sins.
God the Father placed His wrath on His Son.
God the Father turned away at the very moment Jesus needed Him most.
God the Father could not look at our sin that was laid on Jesus.
We must ponder the question the one criminal asked the other.
Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence?
We admit that the crucifixion historically happened but we remain unaffected.
We know the story but we fail to see ourselves on the cross next to Jesus.
We do not consider the gravity of our sin and the sentence of death that we all deserve.
It was our sin that put Jesus on the cross, but it was Love that held Him there.
Remember Me, Jesus.
And He did.
And He does.
And He will.
Alleluia!
Aren’t we blessed as Christians that God remembers us? That Jesus remembered us on the cross? that the Holy Spirit remembers our needs and helps us? Let us rejoice in praise!
Sue,
We are so very blessed by the One who always remembers us.
How very precious we are to Him.
Gina