Thief

Jesus was crucified with a thief on each side of Him. What a different attitude we hear in their comments to Jesus. One of the criminals hanging beside Him scoffed, he wanted Jesus to prove who He was, and He was, and he makes this statement.

Luke 23:39-43 (LB)

“So you are the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself and us, too, while you’re at it. But the other criminal protested. Don’t you even fear God when you are dying? We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done one thing wrong. Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom. And Jesus replied, “Today you will be with me in Paradise. This is a solemn promise.”

As we think about these scriptures detailing this event we get a picture of what those standing around the cross must have seen and heard.

Jesus had been nailed to the cross, blood running down his brow where the crown of thorns has been placed. But let us not forget what Jesus endured before the cross. We can’t forget that He was beaten to almost death. He was so beaten for man’s healing that He didn’t even look like a man. If you allow your mind to get that graphic, and add to it, you may just be getting close to what Jesus looked like. He suffered agony and pain far beyond what anyone can imagine.

Isaiah 52: 14-15 (LB)

“Yet many shall be amazed when they see him, yes, even far off foreign nations and their kings; they shall stand dumb-founded, speechless in his presence. For they shall see and understand what they had not been told before. They shall see my Servant beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know it was a person standing there. So shall he cleanse many nations.”

I am sure verse fourteen speaks of the time when Pilate brought Jesus before the crowd that they might look upon Him after he had scourged Him. Pilate wanted to release Jesus, and thinking that when they saw Him so beaten that they would be filled with compassion and release Him. But the crowd shouted “crucify him”! Little did they know they were beholding the Son of God.

Looking to Golgotha Jesus is now on the cross, a crown of thorns on His head, beaten to almost death, huge nails in His hands and feet, blood pouring from every wound. Jesus prays that the Father will forgive those guilty of this act of murder.

One thief wanted Jesus to prove who He was by saving them from death. (People still want proof today before they will believe His Word) The other thief asked to be remembered when He comes into His Kingdom. Why did that thief ask this of Jesus? Think about the picture again. Why would this thief ask Jesus to save him, when Jesus was in worse shape then he was? What did he expect receive from Jesus? What did this thief know about Jesus? What did he see in Jesus that he would ask this request? We will never know if perhaps he may have seen Jesus perform a miracle during His ministry, or maybe he just heard that He was preaching and healing? Perhaps he just heard the good news of the gospel. Perhaps sometime during the crucifixion, their eyes met and he was overwhelmed with the love of God. I don’t know but this I do know, he looked beyond the thorns, the lashed body, the blood and beheld the Son of God, and received eternal life. As I read this again in my Bible, The Holy Spirit quickened to me that this was the first man to receive the new birth. We don’t know his name, but I do know that Jesus died before this thief and therefore, this unknown thief was the first to receive the gift of life from the eternal sacrifice, the Lamb of God.

The scriptures tell me that regardless of how close you are to death, if you call on Jesus He will hear your prayer. If you ask to be forgiven and repent of your sin, Jesus will hear and answer your prayer.

You may feel there is no hope for you, you have gone too far, waited too long, but I don’t believe anyone could be as far gone as this thief on the cross beside Jesus, yet Jesus heard his request and answered him, and He will hear your prayer of repentance also.

I want to encourage you to think about your eternal destination. Jesus is coming soon and the opportunity to receive Him as Lord will be past. Once the door of opportunity is closed it will be eternally too late. We must remember when God closed the door to the Ark no other person was saved from the flood. It was a final act of God. Once a person departs this life, the door is closed for eternity. The Bible says, “It is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgment”. Hebrews 9:27

If you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I pray you will seek Him while there is time. Don’t let this life end without your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

All you need to do to receive Jesus as Lord is believe He is the Son of God, call on Him, repent of your sin, and ask Him to receive you into His family. If you have a desire to become a child of God and don’t know how to pray, you can pray the following prayer. Be sincere when you pray, and you will be saved.

”Most Holy God, I come to you in the Name of Jesus. Your word says, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved”. I am calling on the Lord that He died on the cross for my sin that He arose from the dead and is now seated at your right Hand in Heaven. I take you at your word and believe in my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is now Lord of my life. I am now a Child of God and on my way to Heaven”.

II Corinthians 5:17 has become a reality in you if you prayed this prayer and accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior.

“When someone becomes a Christian he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same any more. A new life has begun.” (Living Bible)

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