Introduction:
This man who died next to our saviour teaches us many great lessons. This lesson will primarily focus on this man’s attitude at the point of death.
Body:
The Man (Matthew 27:38-44)
Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.
And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”
Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.
- His reputation was that of a thief; Luke 23:39 adds “malefactor”. He was a criminal.
- He reviled Jesus, mocked and ridiculed Him just like the Jewish leaders, (Matthew 27:39-43). He was guilty.
- This was prophesied centuries before Isaiah 53:12
”Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.”
and Psalms 22:7-8 ”All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
“He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”.”
- He deserved to die. He was crucified! His crimes led to his crucifixion and death.
- He admitted before Jesus that he was getting what he deserved, (Luke 23:40-41 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”) And that Jesus was not, Hebrews 7: 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens.
- He knew Jesus was innocent of the crimes He was being crucified
- He knew Jesus was a king with a kingdom and would enter it (Luke 23:43).
- He knew that even though they would all die on the cross, they would live beyond it. He believed in life beyond the grave. Resurrection
- Sin brings suffering.
- His Repentance, (Luke 23:40-42 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”)
- He rebuked the other thief for continuing to blaspheme Jesus (verse 39). The one thief had changed his mind about Jesus, possibly because of the attitude he saw in Jesus on the cross. We know sorrow for past wrongs often leads to repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
- The thief began to show reverence for God, (vs 40). He told the other thief he should fear God because both of them deserved to die.
- He called Jesus “Lord”.
- Recall that Jesus died before the thieves, John 19:32-34 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. therefore they heard Jesus’ words in Luke 23:34 (Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
And they divided His garments and cast lots.) forgiveness. They experienced the earthquake and the three hours of darkness. They also heard the words of the centurion in Luke 23:47 So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!” So the one thief believed Jesus was a king, (vs 42). The thief did not ask to be removed from the cross, but be remembered when Christ came into his Kingdom.
- This shows that anybody, no matter how bad, can change if they come to Jesus.
- Christ’s Promise, (Luke 23:43And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”)
- because Jesus had the power to forgive sin, (Luke 5:24), and do to the penitence of the thief, Jesus made this promise to the thief. Note that this promise was only made to this one thief and no one else. A special promise.
- This was a promise of salvation, of eternal life. A promise to him of leaving this World of pain and suffering to go to be with Jesus in a place called paradise. This is the place of the righteous dead before the day of judgment. A place of comfort and rest, (Luke 16: 22, 25)
Conclusion
Sadly, many people look to this account of the thief on the cross and say that this shows one does not have to be baptized to inherit eternal life. But the thief did not need to be baptized for the same reason that Moses, Abraham, and David did not. The thief was not subject to the New Testament command to be baptized into Christ’s death, (Romans 6: 3-4). Why? Jesus had not died yet! The new covenant did not come into force until after Jesus died Hebrews 9:16-17). For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.
Lesson delivered by: Bro Petras
