Good morning. Our Thursday thoughts are given to considering Bible characters. Today, I would like to have us consider one of the thieves who was crucified with Jesus.
We do not know much more about the thief on the cross other than he was:
- He was a criminal whose crimes were worthy of capital punishment
- He was crucified next to Jesus
- He was brought into paradise at his death by the promise of Jesus
His powerful story is told in Luke 23:32-43, the passage that describes the conversation between Christ and the two criminals crucified alongside of him.
Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The first criminal mentioned mocked Christ, “Save yourself and us!” (23:39). The other criminal defended Jesus in a humble manner, acknowledging the justice of God and the innocence of Christ. His response to the mocker was, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong”. (vv. 40-41)
Then he pleaded with Jesus to “remember me when you come into your kingdom.” This desperate and humble cry for mercy is all that God needed to welcome him into the family of God.
Jesus answered, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (v. 43)
What an incredible story! This is a man who presumably led his entire life in opposition to God, but by the great mercies of God, was able to be saved in his dying moments. This demonstrates that a humble heart that cries out to God for salvation will be heard!
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10:13
I think that the truth of this man, who was hung on a cross for the brutal purpose of public crucifixion, speaks to us today and should be remembered. In the course of any given day, we are, by the weight of our sins, worthy of hanging next to Jesus on our own cross. We could react in anger and shout out mocking words at God, but I pray that none of us would ever do such a thing.
Or we could react like the thief that turned to Jesus for mercy. We can acknowledge our sins and the justice that is required for them but turn to Jesus for mercy.
The thief that does this didn’t ask that his sins be taken away, cast as far as the east is from the west and remembered by God no more. I am quite sure that he would have believed at that moment that he was not worthy of even begging for such a thing. He simply asks Jesus for a crumb. “Please, Jesus, remember me.”
But the grace of God that is ours in Jesus Christ is far superior to our expectations. It goes far beyond anything we could hope for, let alone deserve. Casting our sins away and remembering them no more is exactly what is promised to us as we turn to Jesus. His promise to us is the same, that we will join Him in His glory on the day that is right for us, and until then we live our lives free from the chains that bind us.
Praise God for His grace!
Vern