THE THREE CROSSES

Recently I was reading a gospel tract and it was entitled The Three Crosses:
“Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them.” (John 19:17-18)

The Cross of Rejection
“One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” (Luke 23:39)
On the first cross was a criminal who died the way he lived in rejection of God’s grace. He showed no remorse for his sin.

The Cross of Repentance
“But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” On the second cross we see the sinner who admitted his guilt. This change of heart and mind was repentance. Jesus accepted him into Paradise.

The Cross of Redemption
“For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” (Revelation 5:9)
Jesus, our Redeemer, laid down his life on the middle cross. To redeem means to to buy back. He died for us to take upon himself the punishment for our sins. He died for us, so we can live with him forever.”

The choice of The Crosses is still the same today as it was that day at Calvary.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Jesus