✝️ The Right Side of the Cross

✍️ Ayodeji Oludapo

📅 April 23, 2025 

📖 Scripture

"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: 'Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!' But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don’t you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' 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 23:39–43 (NIV)

💡 Devotional Thoughts

On the day the world changed forever, three crosses stood on a hill called Golgotha. In the middle was Jesus — innocent, divine, and full of mercy. On either side were two men guilty of crimes, both condemned to die. But what separates them is not their crime — it's their choice.

The man on the left chose mockery. Even in death, he refused to see beyond the pain. His heart remained hard, blind to the salvation hanging next to him.

But the man on the right did something different. He acknowledged his sin. He recognized Jesus for who He truly was — the King. And with a simple plea, “Jesus, remember me,” he placed his faith in the only One who could save him. That moment, despite a life of failure, he found mercy. Jesus didn’t demand a resume, a clean history, or religious knowledge. He responded to faith with paradise.

Rahab in the Old Testament (Joshua 2). She was a Canaanite prostitute, living on the walls of Jericho — a woman with every reason to be disqualified. But when Israel’s spies came to her, she made a choice. She said, “I know the Lord has given you this land… the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” (Joshua 2:9-11)

She didn't just acknowledge Israel — she acknowledged Israel's God. That one moment of faith placed her not only in the line of Israel's salvation but also in the genealogy of Jesus Himself.

It’s not about your past — it’s about your posture.

The “right side of the cross” is available to every heart that surrenders and believes. Whether it’s Rahab in Jericho, a thief on a cross, or you in your moment of desperation, the invitation remains:

Come as you are, and believe.

Jesus didn’t die to create unreachable standards. He died to bridge the gap between a holy God and broken people — people like the thief, like Rahab, like us.

🔎 Practical Reflection

We all stand at a crossroads like those two thieves. The world offers plenty of reasons to mock, doubt, or ignore Christ. But the right side of the cross — the side of surrender, humility, and faith — leads to eternity.

Are you still letting guilt from your past disqualify you from coming to Jesus? Are you standing on the side that believes grace is too good to be true?

Jesus is still answering the cries of those who say, “Lord, remember me.”

Being on the "right side" of the cross isn't about physical location — it’s about spiritual posture. It’s where mercy meets repentance, and where brokenness meets hope.

🕊️ Closing Thoughts

No matter what your past looks like — broken choices, wasted years, deep regrets — the cross has the final word. And that word is grace. Position yourself on the right side, not by being perfect, but by trusting the One who is. It only takes one moment of genuine faith to rewrite eternity.

🙏 Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for the cross. Thank You that even in my worst moments, Your mercy reaches me. I don’t want to harden my heart like the thief who mocked You. I choose today to position myself at the right side of the cross — to surrender, to believe, to receive Your grace. Remember me, Lord, and help me to live in the light of Your redemption. In Jesus’ name, Amen.