From the Pastor:

 

THE CRUCIFIXION

 

John 19:17-18

 

They took Jesus to a place called "Golgotha." Golgotha in Hebrew simply means "The Place of the Skull." Perhaps the little hill on which he was crucified the looked like a human skull. In Latin the word is Calvary. This, however, we do not know for sure. But this we do know: it was the place of the gallows, a place of execution. That could have given the place it's name -- skull and crossbones, signifying death.

 

Adding to the indignity of His execution was not only the fact that Jesus was made to carry His cross (although Simon of Cyrene carried it from the city gate to the place of death itself), but when His cross was lifted, He hung there between two criminals. They were of the worst sort: two men who lived violent lives; two men who had no respect for the law; two men who did not care about the lives of others or about the pain and suffering that they might inflict upon them. Note, that Christ was not only next to them but BETWEEN them.

 

Ah, now we see clearly: there is Jesus, our Lord, and He is also the robber, an adulterer, a murderer, one who curses, man of violence and shameful behavior. All of this, all the sins of those two men between whom His cross stood, and all of our sins too; the unspotted Lamb of God must bear them all. We see all of our guilt on His shoulders.

 

Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them." His heart was so full of the fire of love that not even the cruelty He was suffering could smother its flames. He acted as if He did not experience the shame of the moment. Instead, He was only thinking of our sins and of the Father's judgement and of our need to be forgiven.

 

That is why that at that moment Jesus turned to the one repentant man crucified with Him and forgave him, forgave him everything. (Tradition has it that his name was "Dysmas".) Jesus opened the gates of heaven, of His Kingdom to him. Perhaps we should call this man the "First Saint" of the New Testament: Saint Dysmas. And, because Jesus says to us as He said to him, we too as repentant Christians are now saints just like him, just like Saint Dysmas.

 

"Lord, we too are reprobates, scoundrels, in need of Your forgiveness. Embrace us with mercy as You embraced Dysmas, the malefactor crucified next to You."

 

Pastor David M. Albertin

 

Welcome to

New Tracy, IN

8705 S 100 E

 Hamlet, IN  46532

(La Porte County)

 SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE @ 9:00 AM

 

 

Holy Week Worship: Maundy Thursday @ 6:30 PM

Good Friday @ 6:30 PM 

Easter Worship @ 9:00 AM