Luke 23:43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
“Confidence will be evident in our responses.”
The substratum of our confidence on the earth is rooted in our confidence in eternal life. We don’t believe that we will vanish into thin air once we die. Nor do we believe that we will come back as an animal, ant or antelope. Our hope and confidence is that we will leave our temporary home, this earth, and move into our permanent home, heaven. Confidence is not built by worldly achievements, possessions or promotions. Godly confidence springs from the core of our beliefs and value systems. For this world is not our home; we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven (Hebrews 13:14). Our ultimate focus is to accumulate wealth in heaven not hoard riches on the earth. Our worldly accomplishments pave a way to expand the Kingdom of God but our ultimate goal is heavenward.
Jesus displayed utmost confidence while He was on the cross. In the midst of the mocking mob and the slandering soldiers, Jesus boldly and confidently assured the thief next to Him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise”. While the crowd was yelling at Him, Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:40), Jesus was counseling the thief into liberty and eternity. Though the cross looked like a despondent defeat, Jesus preached the most powerful and confident sermon from the cross. There are two recorded souls who gave their lives to Jesus while He was on the cross; the thief and the centurion, but everyone around the cross were terrified and confessed that He is the Son of God. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely He was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54).
Confidence will be evident in our response:
1. Unshaken: The confidence of His mission on earth remained unshaken until Jesus accomplished all that He had to do on earth. The scorn, slander and strikes did not shake the confidence of Jesus. Our confidence is on display when insults and malign lashes at us. Let not the facebook posts or backbiting shake our confidence. Remain unshaken.
2. Unassuming: The crux of the ministry of Jesus was ‘selfless serving’. The confident do not need approval, applause or appreciation to keep going. Their confidence cannot be built by people who praise nor be destroyed by those who disparage. Serve unassumingly.
3. Undaunted: The confidence of Jesus was soaked in the eternal and everlasting gain at the cross. The temporary derision did not disturb, distract or derail His confidence. Impart undaunted courage.
The confidence of Jesus was on public display at the cross of Calvary. Jesus is the ultimate example of unshakable, unassuming and undaunted confidence.
1 Peter 2:23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, help me to draw the sap of confidence from eternal focus. May the temporary things of the world not build or break my confidence. Make the God-confidence in me contagious. Amen
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