Jesus' best grace

We are in the midst of a sermon series that is examining the last words of Christ before he gave up his life on the cross. Knowing that they are precious and few, the last words that anyone speaks carry great meaning and weight. My Lord's and Savor's final words are no exception. They offer insight like no other and reveal a heart that I wish was mine. Growing up in the church I always found comfort in the promise that Jesus made to the criminal on the cross: that he would be with Christ in paradise that very day. Yet, that comfort gave way to shock when it was brought to my attention that Jesus not only offered grace to the criminal, but he offered his best grace. 

His best grace.

Now, Jesus could have given the criminal anything. He could have alleviated his pain as he hung there or maybe even allowed him an hour's peace from his agony. He could have stricken his torturers with remorse (or something worse) allowing the criminal to gloat over the turn of events. But he didn't. Not at all. Jesus threw open the doors of paradise to someone who may have not even given God and his Law a second thought as he broke it time after time and, to such an extent, that he knew exactly what he deserved. To say that this is grace (a gift the criminal did not deserve) seems to not capture the completeness and perfection of it all.

This was no half-hearted, glance over the shoulder concession. This was the most excellent gift that Christ could have given. The criminal didn't deserve it and Jesus could not have cared less. He simply lavished the best gift on him that he could have given. But not only that. You see, Christ could have decided in his heart that he was going to save him and not said a thing. Yet, dying, with fewer and fewer breaths to take, Jesus told him that he was saved from the consequence of his sin. Why not let the thief just hang there wondering if Christ would grant his dying wish and then allow him wake up in Paradise with Jesus? That wasn't even good enough. Not for Christ.

He told him. 

Most excellent grace from a most excellent Savior. And it is a good thing. Because I need it. My God, you know I need it.