Seven Sayings of Jesus on the Cross, #2

“Today, you shall be with Me in paradise” — Luke 23:43

Jesus knew the time of His death. Most men and women throughout history did not have a clue when they were to die. When death finds us, we hope to be ready. Since we do not know the time of death’s appearance, it is best for us to be ready at all times.

The two thieves upon the cross next to Jesus knew of the time of their death. They were unprepared. However, they were blessed with a chance to be next to the Son of God. One of the men seized the opportunity to meet death with hope in his heart. To understand Jesus’ saying to this criminal it would be best to first read the context: Luke 23:32-43.

The Two Thieves

▸ Condemned with Jesus

Three times Luke described them using the Greek term kakourgoi, which literally means “those who do evil works.” Both Matthew and Mark use the word lestai meaning “armed robbers”. These two men are career criminals. If you were to visit the Post Office in Jerusalem the week of Jesus’ death you might have seen them on the Most Wanted List. We are like them in that all have robbed God and have done evil works at some time or other in our lives.

Being numbered as one of the thieves was a humiliation to the Son of God. Why should one so perfect and holy be condemned along with the most unholy of men. Jesus loved publicans and sinners and would often eat with them (Luke 15:1-2). However, now He is being executed with criminals. It would be like being hung with the likes of Jesse James or Jeffery Dahmer.

This event is a fulfillment of a prophecy. Jesus told his disciples later, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (Lk. 24:44). Jesus was numbered with the transgressors so that you and I could be numbered with the redeemed.

▸ Crucified with Jesus

Jesus and the two thieves did not live the same life, but they died the same death. They represent the human race. All have sinned and all are worthy of paying the wages of death. Jesus did not have to die this death. He chose it according to the Father’s will.

▸ Railed at Jesus

While on the cross the executed were often taunted. Jesus was to receive taunts and mocking of the rulers and soldiers. But even the criminals railed at him which literally means they “kept up a railing” (Vincent, 1.431). They may have just wanted to get the focus off of them and onto Jesus as the focus of all the railing. The other thief said, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us” (23:39). This is said in ignorance. For Jesus to have come off the cross would have aborted the plan of God and reject the will of God to save mankind through the death and suffering of Christ. Notice Christ did not extend the offer of salvation to this impenitent thief. He demonstrated a hard heart.

The Penitent Thief

There is a lot that can be learned from the few words spoken by the penitent thief. It appears that at first, he too railed at Christ with the others. “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. (Matt. 27:42). Notice this saying to the thief took place before the three hours of darkness, the earthquake, and before the veil of the temple was torn in two. Fortunately, this thief came to his senses and realized that railing at Jesus was not the way to go. He was a justly condemned criminal and needed mercy.

He professed his belief in Jesus’ innocence. His belief may have resulted from seeing the events leading up to the cross. He may have seen Pilate wash his hands and declare His innocence. The soldiers mocking him as “king of the Jews”. He may have heard His words to the women of Jerusalem He may have saw Simon bearing His cross. Additionally, he may have noticed Jesus’ refusal to drink the alcoholic concoction that would have dulled His senses and his pain on the cross. He could see the inscription: “This is the King of the Jews”. (23:48). He had just heard Jesus say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (23:34). Perhaps he wanted to avail himself of this forgiveness. As a boy he may have remembered the Messianic prophecies or remembered seeing or hearing about Jesus’s miracles and claims.

The penitent thief may have started out just like the other thief, but he had a change of heart. As a result, he rebuked his partner in crime. He demonstrated a reverential fear of God’s judgment which was due him. As a result, he was willing to confess his sinfulness and accept his consequences of his criminal behavior. His was in an utterly hopeless situation which he had brought upon himself. In contrast, he was able to affirm Jesus’ innocence. Perhaps he had been able to witness some of the trial of Jesus before Pilate. The governor did pronounce Jesus as innocent no less than three times.

The thief was able and willing to pronounce his newfound faith in Jesus in this very public forum on Calvary. Not conforming to the mob’s popular opinion of Jesus, he was instead willing to confess Him as Lord and recognize him as the Messiah. By mentioning the coming Kingdom of Christ, the thief manifested his faith in Jesus at the King. Jesus came preaching, as did John, repentance because the kingdom of Heaven was at hand. This is amazing in that Jesus was about to die and the Jews believed in a militaristic Messiah who would overthrow the Roman yoke. Yet here is Jesus right next to him and both are about to die on Roman crosses. This man may have had a belief in life after death. No one survived crucifixions by a trained Roman guard. He believed that Jesus could save him even while hanging on that cross. He no longer saw Jesus as someone who needed saving. He saw a Savior.

Jesus Saves the Penitent Thief

• Why?

What was Jesus’ motive for saving the thief? The thief did not earn it or deserve it in any way. Jesus could have said, “I’m in agony dying for men’s sins, don’t bother me now. Besides you’re not good enough. You have said so yourself. You deserve to perish. You railed at me like the others. You blew your chance.” Jesus knew that there was no way for the thief to be saved without His mercy and grace. Pink wrote, “He could not walk in the paths of righteousness for there was a nail through either foot. He could not perform any good works for the was a nail through either hand. He could not turn over a new leaf and live a better life for he was dying.” Jesus mission statement read: “for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

• When? “Today”

It was very late for someone to be saved but not too late. He was saved that day. Jesus did not delay. Jesus was not promising him some concept of “soul sleep”. After all, he would be with Jesus in Paradise. He would know that very day that Jesus had fulfilled this promise when he met him on the other side of death. He would not slumber in unconsciousness until the day of the resurrection. Jesus did not offer him a time to spend in purgatory enroute to paradise. Purgatory is not a Biblical concept. Men do not go to a place of suffering to “burn off” their sins in hope of one day going to be with Jesus in Paradise. Jesus’ forgiveness of the thief was complete and immediate. Jesus gave a promise to the thief of the assurance of eternal salvation. If He failed with the thief, how can anyone have hope in the afterlife?

• Where? “Paradise”

The Greek word for “paradise” is a transliteration of the Persian word meaning “the king’s garden of pleasure and delight.” It is not the grave. Paradise is not Heaven. Christ didn’t go directly to heaven. After His resurrection He said that he had not yet ascended to the Father (Jn. 20:17). Peter declared that he went to hades (Acts 2:27,31). Hades is the realm of the dead consisting of Tartarus for the wicked in torment (2 Pet. 2:4; Lk. 16:19f) and Paradise for the righteous. Paradise is “that part of Hades which was thought to be the abode of the souls of the pious until the resurrection.” (Thayer, p. 480). It is also known as “Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22). This “man who was our Lord’s last companion earth” was His “first companion at the gates of paradise” (Lutzer 5).

• How?

How did this criminal end up in paradise? He did not receive last rites or Holy Communion. He did not get baptized in the likeness of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:2f). He died under the Old Law. We cannot be saved like the thief. After all, Jesus was still on the cross when the promise was made. Jesus had power on earth to forgive sins (Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:10; Luke 5:23-24). Grace was granted by God. Get your eyes off the thief and look upon the man in the middle. Only He can save you.

– Daniel R. Vess