Second in a series on the Seven Last Words of Jesus
by Pastor Paul Wolff
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at (Jesus), 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.”
(Luke 23:39-43)
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| One of the criminals … said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” |
There is a sarcastic saying which says, “No one is useless. You can always serve as a bad example.” In the ancient Roman empire crucifixion was the ultimate expression of this adage. “Don’t be like this guy, or else you will suffer the same humiliation and torture as him.”
The two men who were crucified
along with Jesus were just such people. They were the dregs of
society. Roman society had no more use for them, except to use them
as a lesson for others. Jesus did not look at them that way. When
Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them …” He wasn’t only talking
about those who were crucifying Him, and those who conspired
for his death. Jesus was praying for the forgiveness of all sinners,
including those two who were crucified along with Him.
One of the criminals next to Jesus mocked Him saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself, and us!” This taunt sounds like Satan’s temptations of Jesus. “If you are the Christ … If you are the Son of God …” He said this as if he expected Jesus to do what he thought the Christ should do, instead of what God sent Him to do. “Save us!” he said. For what did he want to be saved? Did he want his sinful life restored so he could continue to lie, cheat, steal, and murder? That is not salvation.
The other criminal saw his situation, and he probably heard Jesus praying for his forgiveness, and he repented. He wanted the peace that would lead a crucified man to pray for his tormentors. Such a thing did not happen often, if ever. First, he called his friend to repentance as he confessed the guilt of his sins. “Don’t you fear God? … Our punishment is just, for we are getting what we deserve for what we have done, but this man has done nothing wrong.” The Second use of God’s Law is to show us our sin. The repentant thief recognized his sin and confessed it. The wages of sin is death. All sinners deserve to die for their sins. All sinners deserve to be there dying on the cross. The one man who did not deserve to die was Jesus. Yet there He was dying for sinners.
Then the repentant thief looked to Jesus to save Him. “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.” Truly this is a great example that faith is a miraculous gift of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was being crucified just as the thieves were. Jesus had the power and authority as the Son of God to avoid death, but He didn’t use that power to save Himself. Jesus would die like a man to rescue mankind from sin and death. “Jesus, King of Israel, remember me when you come into Your kingdom.”
Jesus did not laugh at the condemned criminal. He did not treat him like an irredeemable piece of worthless human trash – as the world considered him. Jesus saw him as a beloved child of God – the likes of which Jesus had come to save. Jesus once taught, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7) Jesus rejoiced to save this lost sinner. Jesus came to save sinners. Here was one looking to Him for salvation. This man was lost, and now he was found. Jesus was not so preoccupied with his own suffering, but He gave comfort to the repentant thief. “Truly, today you will be with me in paradise.”
“Today!” There is no waiting for salvation. There is no purgatory to add to the suffering of life after death. “Today you will be with me in Paradise!” As a sinner, this thief was an enemy of God by nature, but, through faith, Jesus adopted him as his beloved child, and would share with him the inheritance of his heavenly kingdom that very day. What a joy it is to be rescued from sin and death by Jesus. It is sad that this former thief did not have the comfort of salvation earlier in his life. He was late to the party, but not too late, and better late than never.
The salvation of the repentant thief is another example of how salvation is free through faith in Jesus. This man did nothing to save himself. He was dead to the world in the last hours of his life. Yet, Jesus suffered and died to redeem him of his sin. This man’s sin only brought him trouble and hardship in life and directly led to his early death. Yet, the Holy Spirit gave him faith in Jesus and led him to repent of his sin and receive the forgiveness and salvation that Jesus won for him as He died on the cross next to him.
The world has nearly as little use for Jesus as it did for the two thieves crucified on either side of him, and the world tries to get rid of Jesus, even to this day. They do this to sin more – thinking that to sin freely is freedom. Yet, “everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34) But “if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.” (John 8:36) Jesus forgave the repentant man condemned by the world. The world had told him how fun it was to lie, cheat, steal, and murder, then condemned him to death for learning his lesson too well. He still had to die for his crimes, but as a forgiven child of God, heaven was opened to him to live forever in paradise.
Jesus was not ashamed to suffer and die for people such as this poor thief. If Jesus could rescue him from sin and death and give him salvation that very day, then Jesus can also take joy in rescuing you from your sin and death. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” The repentant thief looked to Jesus and found salvation. Today salvation is yours through faith in Christ who rescues sinners from death to give them eternal life in Paradise.
Articles in this series:
Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.
I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.
Woman behold your son. Son, behold your mother.
My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
I thirst.
It is finished.
Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.
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