What's That I Hear?

Luke 23:42

And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

They came and got Him in the garden while He prayed. As an enemy, they grabbed Him with force. The beating began... The slaps, the kicks, the punches, the spitting... But much more than that, the verbal attack upon Jesus began. 

All night the Jews sought witnesses to speak evil of Jesus. Person after person came and told of things that were not true against Him. During all of this no one said anything on His behalf. Peter stands beside the fire warming his hands from the cold while they mocked and tortured Jesus. One person came to Peter and said, "I know that you were with Jesus, your speech gives you away". And he said, "I know not the man". Over and over false accusations arise against Jesus and again there is no one to defend Him. 

On the morning Jesus is taken to the Romans. He has been bruised and battered throughout the night and now He stands before Pilate. The Jews are still talking lies about Jesus with no one to say other wise. Pilate looks at Jesus and says, "Don't you know I have power to release you?" Jesus assures him that he has no power unless His Father gave it to him. Still no one in the crowd yells, "Stop, that's my Lord". No they continually yell, "Crucify Him, Crucify Him!"

As His hands and feet are nailed to the cross, again there is no one to speak up for Him. When they lifted Him up between Heaven and Earth, the crowd mocked and shamed Him louder and louder... "If you're the Son of God, come down..." Yell after yell... Screams of wrath and hate are shouted all over the hill of Calvary. 

...But then out of the screams... Something that Satan never counted on... Something that even the demons in Hell tremble at... It could be heard over the Pharisees mockery. It was louder than the soldiers gambling at His feet. This voice was amplified from a sinners heart as he said, "Lord, remember me..." He moved from saying, "If you're the Christ, save us..." To crying out for salvation. Out of all the screaming and mockery that day Satan never bargained on a sinners prayer from a dying thief.

Through all the chaos and turmoil God still hears the prayer of a repentant sinner. "And there may I though vile as he wash all my sins away Lord!"