Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43, ESV)
The history of golf has some memorable examples of last-minute circumstances. In 1991 at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana, an unknown rookie golfer qualified as the 9th alternate for the PGA Championship. For any of the four Majors, withdrawals are usually minimal; maybe two or three alternates might get in.
By the day before the tournament, however, this rookie had moved up to fourth alternate, so he decided to make the seven-hour drive from Memphis. He arrived late at night to find he had been added to the field. John Daly took advantage of that last-minute entry to win the PGA Championship.
Shifting from heroics to tragedy, I’m reminded of Jean Van de Velde at the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie. He stood on the 18th tee box with a three-stroke lead. All he needed was a double-bogey 6 to claim the title and become the first player from France to win The Open in 92 years.
But what happened next was perhaps the biggest last-minute collapse in Majors’ history. A comedy of errors including a shot into the Barry Burn resulted in the iconic image of Van de Velde wading into the water to see if the ball was hittable (it wasn’t). He ended up with a triple bogey and lost in a four-hole playoff. To this day, golfers know what someone means when they say, “I pulled a Van de Velde.” I know I’ve done it more times than I care to admit.
The Bible has many great last-minute stories, one of which is from the 23rd chapter of Luke. In the text, Jesus has been tried and convicted, and is now hanging on cross, crucified between two thieves. He’s been abused, humiliated, and tortured – “pierced for our transgressions…. crushed for our iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:5). The crowd of scribes, soldiers, and others standing below are verbally abusing the One who came to save them.
But one thief somehow makes the startling realization that this suffering, bleeding, disgraced, and dying man next to him is the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of God. So, he begins to speak to the other thief and to the crowd around him.
First, he confesses his own sin, saying, “We are getting what our deeds deserve.” Then he acknowledges that Jesus is without sin: “This man has done nothing wrong.” And finally, the dying thief makes a last-minute request: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus had more than a few things going on. His followers had abandoned him, he was close to death in horrific pain, and he was facing the terrifying prospect of knowing he was about to be separated from his heavenly Father as he took God’s wrath for bearing our sins.
Jesus could have ignored the request, or truthfully responded with “you don’t deserve it.” Or he could have said “I’ll save you if you show me your faith with good works.” But of course, good works weren’t possible since the thief was hanging from a cross and near death himself.
So how did Jesus respond? He gave a last-minute affirmation of salvation, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
Is there any better illustration that salvation is not about what we do, but what he did? What a powerful demonstration that Jesus saves all who come to him – even at the last minute!
Prayer – Remind me today and every day that salvation is because of who you are and what you have accomplished.