Sinclair B. Ferguson

Because the Lord Jesus said to him, Today you will be with me in paradise.

It wasn't an easy road that brought him to Jesus.

It was strewn with his own sin and failure.

But at last he was brought near to Jesus to recognize him as Savior and King, to turn to him, to cast himself on his mercy, and to find forgiveness and eternal life.

And now he's with Jesus in paradise.

That's what made this Friday Good Friday for him.

And it's the only thing that can make it good for us too.

I hope you've turned to Christ as he did, because if you have, you'll surely have, like him, a blessed Easter.

We're thinking this week on Things Unseen about some of the people who form part of the drama of Jesus' journey to the cross.

We've got a great deal to learn from them, but we've even more to learn from Jesus himself and the great issues involved in either trusting him or rejecting him.

Today I want to think with you about a what if.

You probably know what I mean by that.

I have a book that imagines some of the what-if moments in history.

What if Julius Caesar had never crossed the Rubicon?

What if the Emperor Constantine had never been converted?

What if Mohammed had been ignored?

What if Martin Luther had decided to keep his 95 Theses to himself?

And we all have personal what-ifs, don't we?

What if we'd arrived late?

What if that person had changed his plans?