Hanged for Murderers

Today I cannot give the normal devotion, being that today is the day Jesus rose again so very many years ago. I am going to begin with a instance of conversion in Spurgeon’s life, then challenge our minds and lives. Mr. Spurgeon writes,

I could tell many stories of the remarkable conversions that were wrought in those early days. Once, when I was in the vestry, an Irishman came to see me. Pat began by making a low bow, and saying, “Now, your Riverence, I have come to ax you a question.” “Oh!” said I, “Pat, I am not a Riverence; it is not a title I care for; but what is your question, and how is it you have not been to your priest about it?” He said, “I have been to him; but I don’t like his answer.” “Well, what is your question?” Said he, “God is just; and if God be just, He must punish my sins. I deserve to be punished. If He is a just God, He ought to punish me; yet you say God is merciful, and will forgive sins. I cannot see how that is right; He has no right to do that. He ought to be just, and punish those who deserve it. Tell me how God can be just, and yet be merciful.” I replied, “That is through the blood of Christ.” “Yes,” said he, “that is what my priest said, you are very much alike there; but he said a good deal besides, that I did not understand; and that short answer does not satisfy me. I want to know how it is that the blood of .Jesus Christ enables God to be just, and yet to be merciful.”

Then I saw what he wanted to know, and explained the plan of salvation thus: — “Now, Pat, suppose you had been killing a man, and the judge had said, ‘That Irishman must be hanged.’” He said quickly, “And I should have richly deserved to be hanged.” “But, Pat, suppose I was very fond of you, can you see any way by which I could save you from being hanged?” “No, sir, I cannot.” “Then, suppose I went to the Queen, and said, ‘ Please your Majesty, I am very fond of this Irishman; I think the judge was quite right in saying that he must be hanged; but let me be hanged instead, and you will then carry out the law.’ Now, the Queen could not agree to my proposal; but suppose she could, — and God can, for He has power greater than all kings and queens, — and suppose the Queen should have me hanged instead of you, do you think the policemen would take you up afterwards?” He at once said, “No, I should think not; they would not meddle with me; but if they did, I should say, ‘ What are you doing? Did not that gentleman condescend to be hung for me? Let me alone; shure, you don’t want to hang two people for the same thing, do ye?’” I replied to the Irishman, “Ah, my friend, you have hit it; that is the way whereby we are saved! God must punish sin. Christ said, ‘My Father, punish Me instead of the sinner;’ and His Father did. God laid on His beloved Son, .Jesus Christ, the whole burden of our sins, and all their punishment and chastisement; and now that Christ is punished instead of us, God would not be just if He were to punish any sinner who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. If thou believest in Jesus Christ, the well-beloved and only-begotten Son of God, thou art saved, and thou mayest go on thy way rejoicing.” “Faith [*this word is used like we would say “my word” or “by golly,” not as “faith” proper],” said the man, clapping his hands, “that’s the gospel. Pat is safe now; with all his sins about him, he’ll trust in the Man that died for him, and so he shall be saved.”

Now, as it is Easter, I would like to challenge you. At this moment, what is it that is the object of your hope for That Day? The day hen you stand before God and He recounts to you all of your deeds. What will be your reasoning? Will you say “I am a praying person,” or “I am a Baptist” or something of that ilk? Would you trust in something that you did? Surely you will be disappointed if you do. I would spend time on illustration, but I think Mr. Spurgeon has done that for us already. Now for my second question.
And are you consistent with your life right now? Do you live like that? And wait a minute before you answer, because I know for a fact that I don’t. That is why I try never to leave the Gospel out of these devotions even though many of us are genuinely converted, if not all of us (why else would you read?). I need to hear it every day. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think that I could have lived more urgently. My friends are the murderers from Spurgeon’s illustration just as much as I am and you are. They need Jesus in a bad way. Justice will be done. Payment will not be made twice. But it must be paid. Now can I say that I am consistent? How about you? How I wish I could! But I cannot. I am a life-time fail-er and I always will be (until I am dead!). I will never and cannot possibly be too urgent. I can never care too much. And I need to hear the Gospel of Jesus’ marvelous Substitution over and over again—because I forget Him so quickly. He alone is our Hope for eternal salvation. As we are given this day to obey Paul’s command to Timothy, let us not be neglectful but “remember Jesus Christ” (II Tim. 2:8)