As I consider the current decaying condition of our world, the one word that seems to discourage me the most is “injustice”. We are aware of the ongoing physical persecution of Christians especially in foreign lands. Currently, we read of the daily merciless atrocities being inflicted on the innocent Ukrainian people. And, in America, our justice system often requires the victims of crimes to prove their innocence while the true criminals are allowed to go free unpunished. It is a terrible injustice when the innocent are convicted and imprisoned – even worse when they are executed.


In the first part of Luke 23, we read of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. His innocence was declared by Pilate, but the Jews demanded the freedom of Barabbas, a convicted criminal of sedition and murder, in exchange for Jesus to be held and crucified. Even though He was a righteous man and totally innocent, He was executed by crucifixion. The apostle Peter explains it like this: ‘For Christ also had once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit’ (I Peter 3:18). ‘Righteousness’ is ultimately about right relationships – a right relationship with God and right relationships with others. Jesus was certainly living in a right relationship with God as evidenced by His last words, ‘Father, into they hands I commend my spirit’ (v.46).


The righteousness of Jesus is contrasted with the two criminals who hung on each side. One of them hurled insults at Jesus. The other, however, rebuked his fellow criminal and, turning to Jesus, recognized his own sin: ‘And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man has done nothing amiss’ (Luke 23:41). In his response to his request to be remembered when Jesus comes into His kingdom, ‘Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with me in paradise’ (v.43).


The contrast between the two criminals and their reaction as to who Jesus was lays before us the decision we all need to make. We can reject Jesus as one of them did and spend eternity in hell separated from God. Or we can put our faith in Him as the other one did and spend eternity in glorious Heaven with our Lord and Savior. This is the most important decision we will ever make so it is imperative that we get this one right. We can be comforted in the passage of Luke 23 that there is nothing we can do to make God love us more and there is nothing we can do to make God love us less. It's all about the Great Exchange found in II Cor. 5:21, ‘For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’