Hope RevealedSample

“I didn’t want any of this to happen… I screwed up.” This is Sam Bankman-Fried, the former “king of crypto”. The billionaire who once inspired the world with a vision of innovation and generosity turned out to be a fraud. His rise and fall was simply spectacular — the whole world now sees him for who he is.

Two millennia ago, a man hanging on a Roman cross faced similar disgrace. That’s Jesus. There are two other men crucified with him, one on each side of him, but only above Jesus’ head a notice read,“This is the King of the Jews.” So here in the centre is the man whose rise and fall was the most spectacular of all. Just yesterday he was a “mighty god”. Now everyone mocks him; soldiers, people passing by, even one of the criminals crucified with him!

But not the other one. The other criminal has a moment of clarity. “We are punished justly,” he says, “but this man has done nothing wrong.” So he sees Jesus for who he is, and he truly sees himself.

Then he says what everyone should have said but didn’t. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

We all need that same clarity. We may be no criminals, no fraudsters like Bankman-Fried, but we can all look at God and say, “I’m sorry. I screwed up”. Actually, we must. One day our entire lives will be laid bare… before God and before everyone — we may rise to a life of happiness and success, but if we keep on ignoring our sin and ignoring God, our fall will be certain and final.

But Jesus gave that criminal an answer that can reach us. If we too confess our sin, in prayer, right now, we can have instant peace with God, listening to Jesus saying to us, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”