And He said to them, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)

Have you ever thought about how lonely Jesus was as He made His way to Calviary’s hill and hung on its cross to die?

Someone has compared it to the feeling you get in the hospital as you are being wheeled into the operating room. You feel radically alone as you wave good-bye to your family and friends, because they can’t undergo your surgery for you! You have to do it yourself. You are surrounded by people - the orderly is pushing your bed down the hall, the nurses and aides are walking beside you, other strangers are scurrying by - but still you feel completely alone.

Jesus was surrounded by people on Calvary; some were jeering Him and some were weeping for Him, yet surely our Lord felt as a…