At last night’s Good Friday service, they read one of my favorite passages of scripture.  Dying on a cross, a convicted criminal turns to Jesus, who is being crucified beside him.  The criminal acknowledges his own sin and the innocence of Jesus.

The criminal, just like us, is flawed and in so many ways unworthy of forgiveness.  In that moment, however, Jesus not only provides comfort, but also a glimpse of the afterlife.  “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).  The guilty and the innocent together in Paradise.  The criminal granted ultimate forgiveness by the grace of God alone.  An eternal gift for us all, a reason to celebrate.

So tonight, as you go to bed, remember that when you wake on Easter morning, live life with joy.  Live life with hope.  Live life renewed, because you have been given a priceless gift.  Smile and celebrate.