As we go through the final week of Jesus’ natural life on earth, we are afforded one more opportunity to carefully examine ourselves and our faith. Over the course of this Lenten season, we have spent a great deal of time in prayer, in study, fasting, volunteering with local groups and more. Those times of prayer and fasting, study and charitable works have provided a wonderful opportunity for us to refocus ourselves on the things of God.
The seven days of Passion Week coincide with the seven declarations that Jesus made from the cross. While it’s easy to look at the seven things that Jesus said during His crucifixion and assume that they were only relevant in the moment, the fact remains that they are just as applicable to us as they were to the people He was speaking to. On this second day of passion week, Holy Tuesday we are going to take a look at the second thing that Jesus said from the cross.
In the hours just before His death, Jesus found Himself nailed to a cross and hanging between two criminals. The conversation He had with one of them would change the man’s eternity and has a direct impact on our lives today.
Jesus and the Criminal on the Cross
Then he said, “I beg of you, my Lord Jesus, show me grace and take me with you into your everlasting kingdom!” Jesus responded, “I promise you-this very day you will enter paradise with me.”
God’s plan for humanity’s salvation through the sacrifice of His Only Son involved a great deal of detail. In order for Jesus to be the Promised Messiah, He would have to fulfill every prophecy that was given in the Old Testament about His life. That may seem simple enough until you realize that there are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that point to Jesus. The prophecies ranged from discussing the city where He would be born to the most minute details of His death, including who He would be put to death with.
Isaiah 53:12 (ESV)
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
The night before His crucifixion, Jesus referenced this prophecy and told the disciples that it was about to come true:
Luke 22:37 (ESV)
“For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in me: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me has its fulfillment.”
Undoubtedly, these two men who were hanging on each side of Jesus had no idea that they were playing an important role in the fulfilment of prophecy. We don’t know much about either one of these men. There are no names given, and we don’t really even know the extent of their crimes. A historical look at the use of crucifixion indicates that the only time thieves were crucified is when the theft was committed by a slave against his or her master.
Don’t miss the importance of that fact when re-reading the story of Jesus and this criminal. Not only was the man hanging beside Jesus a thief, but he was also considered the least important person in society at that time. What’s even more ironic is that this wasn’t the first time that Jesus had put Himself in this man’s shoes. The night before the crucifixion at the Last Supper, Jesus had taken on the role of the lowest-ranked servant and washed the feet of His disciples (John 13:1-17). Today, He hung between the Heavens and the Earth with a slave beside Him. Why? Hebrews 4:15 teaches us that “we don’t have a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like we are.”
Jesus subjected Himself to the man’s position the night before the cross and now faced the same fate that he did on the cross.
The Other Criminal
Luke 23:39 (TPT)
One of the criminals hanging on the cross next to Jesus kept ridiculing him, saying, “What kind of Messiah are you? Save yourself and save us from this death!”
This criminal had the same opportunity that the repentant criminal had. He was just as close to Jesus as the other man was. He had presumably committed the same crime that the other criminal had committed. Finally, Jesus had gone to the same lengths to get to him as He had gone to in order to be close to the other criminal. Yet, this man didn’t respond with repentance, he responded with anger.
The phrase “What kind of Messiah are you” falls in direct contrast to “I beg of you, my Lord Jesus.” This man wasn’t interested in seeing a miraculous sign from God. He was simply trying to manipulate Jesus into displaying His power and getting all of them down from their crosses.
He missed his opportunity. For six hours, he was a few feet away from the Savior of the World, and he missed his opportunity. He could have asked for the same forgiveness that the first criminal sought, but instead, he held onto his pride and believed he could manipulate the situation. He wasn’t seeking Jesus; he was seeking a way out of trouble.
What Jesus’ Words Mean
Luke 23:43 (TPT)
Jesus responded, “I promise you-this very day you will enter paradise with me.”
This man had never done anything to earn God’s grace. He was a criminal who was dying a criminal’s death. He wasn’t a disciple by any stretch of the imagination. John, who was still kneeling at the foot of the cross had walked with Jesus right up until this point. This unnamed thief had never done anything like that. He wasn’t standing with Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus when Jesus called their friend out of the grave. He was nowhere to be seen when Jesus and the disciples walked down the road and gave a blind man named Bartimaeus his vision. This thief wasn’t at the home of Jairus when Jesus took the hand of a dead 12-year-old and raised her again. However, he received access to the same paradise that John wrote about in Revelation. This wasn’t about merit; it was all about mercy.
Jesus’ entire life, including His death was about presenting the Gospel to people who had never heard it. He said as much early in His earthly ministry:
Luke 4:18-19 (TPT)
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he has anointed me to be hope for the poor, freedom for the brokenhearted, and new eyes for the blind, and to preach to the prisoners, ‘You are set free!’ I have come to share the message of Jubilee, for the time of God’s great acceptance has begun.
One of Jesus’ last acts was to be “hope for the poor” and to “preach to the prisoners.” The criminals on the cross weren’t too far gone because of their actions. Their lives of crime didn’t preclude them from the opportunity for salvation. In fact, it gave them the opportunity to be a part of prophecy that God gave hundreds of years earlier.
Maybe you have some things in your past that you believe excludes you from experiencing complete forgiveness. Maybe the things behind you that bring you shame are keeping you from fully accepting the future that Christ offers all of those who would believe. The thief on the cross would encourage you to ask for grace.
Not only does this story teach us that we are never too far gone, but it also means that the people around us aren’t too far gone, either. There’s still hope for redemption. Both thieves had their opportunity. One accepted it and one rejected it. We can’t do anything to force people to accept God’s forgiveness, but when we present them with the truth of the Gospel, we can trust that the Holy Spirit will lead them into a relationship with the Savior.
A Closing Prayer
God, thank You for offering forgiveness. The sacrifice of Your Son gives me the opportunity to seek Your mercy and Your grace in the face of my mistakes. Just like the thief on the cross, I ask that You show me grace and take me with You into Your everlasting kingdom. Help me to share Your message with those around me who are far from You. In Christ’s name, Amen!