LUKE 23:39-43 PLUNDERER PROMISED PARADISE

PLUNDERER PROMISED PARADISE

LUKE 23:39-43

(see also Matthew 27:44, Mark 15:32)

Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.

Susie: The other two synoptic gospels report that both of the criminals which Matthew calls “thieves” joined the jeering crowd in demeaning Jesus. Perhaps early in the process they both reviled Him, but one changed his tune.

Matthew 27:44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

Mark 15:32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

Susie: Only Luke records the conversation between Jesus and the thief on His other side.

Luke 23:40-41 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

Susan: The other thief turned to the one scoffing at Jesus and called him on the carpet. He reminded him that he, too, was hanging naked on the cross and asked him, “Don’t you even fear God considering you are dying for crimes you actually committed?” The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and apparently this guy was not wise at all!

Susie: The believing thief then pointed out that Jesus was innocent, not deserving their mutual sentence of crucifixion. How did he come to the realization that Jesus was innocent? Perhaps he was there when Pilate pronounced Jesus blameless. He may have based his statement on Jesus’s calm and forgiving demeanor. Perhaps he had heard Jesus preach or heard about His ministry.

Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

Susan: We do not know how much this man understood about the Kingdom of God. He asked no special favors, but only that Jesus remember him when He came into His kingdom. The assumption is that he be remembered in positive way as the one who ceased to degrade Jesus.

Susie: His question presumes that Jesus is, indeed, a king (maybe even THE KING, the Son of God) and He will somehow survive crucifixion. This man may have heard Jesus predict His resurrection, but I doubt it. The Holy Spirit drew this penitent thief and gave him the basic understanding he needed to be saved.

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Susan: The only way to be saved, to join Jesus in paradise, is to believe He is the Son of the One true God. Jesus promised the thief he would be with Him in Heaven. Therefore, the thief must have believed Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, because Jesus can see into our hearts.

Susie: Note that the thief was not going to live more years to serve his newly professed Savior. He had done no good works to earn a place in Heaven, but he had done plenty of evil that should have sent him to Hell. Jesus granted this man salvation purely on the fact that he believed. The Holy Spirit revealed the truth to him, and he expressed that belief in asking Jesus to remember him.

Susan: After a person dies on this earth, it is too late to be saved. You might say this man scooted in under the wire in the nick of time. That may not seem fair to those who have served the Lord all their adult life, but Jesus is God and has a right to redeem anyone He chooses. After all, it was He who shed His blood to purchase their freedom.

Ponder this and Apply it: Good works are not the criteria for entering Heaven. If so, the thief would not have qualified. The only thing necessary for Jesus to bring you into right relationship with God is faith—belief—and the Bible says that even the faith we need to believe in Him is a gift:

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV) For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.