Luke 23:38-43 (ESV)
38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Matthew 27:44 (ESV)
And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
To watch the salvation of the thief on the cross next to Jesus is to see, in a very brief moment, the plan of salvation at work. We see the thief believe what he must believe in order to be saved. In watching, we can see what all must believe in order to be saved.
Look first at the thief who will be saved in his response to the other thief. He acknowledges both Christ’s innocence and the thief’s own sinfulness. Jesus does not deserve the cross upon which he is hanged. No, but the thief, he has committed crimes that are clearly punishable by death.
The first parts of the gospel are here. God is holy, and we are sinful. God is perfect. Christ, God in flesh, is perfect. We have sinned against God and we deserve his wrath. This is where the gospel begins.
When the thief turns to Jesus, he references Jesus’ coming kingdom. While the thief knows that Jesus is about to die on the cross, he somehow has the faith to foresee that Jesus will reign as King. God has opened the thief’s eyes to see that Jesus is more than a man on the cross next to him. IN fact, Jesus is the Messiah, the promised King of kings. Jesus will rise from the dead. Somehow, we cannot say how fully, the thief understands that the cross will not defeat Jesus.
All who will be saved must recognize that Jesus died on the cross to do things only God can do. All who will be saved must also recognize that Jesus did not remain in the grave. Jesus died to pay for the sins of all of God’s children. Jesus rose from the grave to complete the work of redemption. Jesus will return, and he will reign forever as King. All who will be saved must have faith in the death, burial, resurrection, and return of Christ.
The thief asks Jesus to remember him. This is a clear cry for grace. The thief knows that he can do nothing to earn his way into God’s kingdom. The thief is a condemned criminal. He simply cries out to Jesus and asks for mercy.
All who will be saved must cry to Jesus for mercy. We are sinners. We are condemned. We are under God’s wrath. However, if we will trust Jesus and ask him for grace, he will grant that grace. God will save our souls by grace through faith in Christ.
The only thing we do not get to see in the thief in this passage is a long-term changed life. That is because he will die soon after his conversion. Yet, we know he has been changed. There is repentance. Matthew’s account of the crucifixion declares that the robbers (plural) near Jesus hurled insults at him. Apparently this man who has faith in Christ, saving faith, was previously one of those who was insulting Jesus. Thus, we also see in this man a turning from sin in order to place his faith in Jesus.
We see in the thief everything we need for saving faith in Christ. Believe in Jesus. Believe in Christ’s perfect work that is the only payment for your sins. Believe in the resurrection of Jesus and his coming kingdom. Turn from your sins and cry out to Jesus for mercy. All who have genuine faith in Jesus will be saved. This is the gospel, and it is marvelous.
Pastor Travis Peterson 