The Thief on the Cross

Interesting day today. I was thinking this morning about the thief on the cross next to Jesus. You know the one I'm talking about right? Right. When a believer hears someone say, "The thief on the cross," the tendency in my experience is that we all have the same understanding that it's the guy who made eternity with Jesus his desire in the last hours of his life. It might be because of past references in teachings we've heard that that man is placed prominently in our thinking of those events. I like to think it's because our Lord and our eternity with Him are so much on our minds that we recognize a brother in Christ by his love.

I heard our pastor refer to this man tonight as "the thief on the cross," and again we all knew whom he meant. This man's words in the Scriptures are few to be sure, but whole studies of doctrine and certainly many life applications could be taken from his brief appearance in the Word. I have always found this man a fascinating guy.

Look at where things stood at the point near his death. Until that time, when Jesus preceded him by scant hours in death, Old Testament saints went to "Abraham's bosom." This was a paradise that they went to because Jesus hadn't died for our sins yet, and evidently because of that, Old Testament believers did not yet have direct access into the Almighty's presence. That apparently was not given until the thick veil of the Temple was rent in two just after Jesus died, showing us that the way into God's very presence had been opened to forgiven souls.

It is because of the wonderful sacrificial death to which our Savior willingly went that the barrier of sin was removed for us, but mankind must repent, confess his sins and place his trust in Jesus Christ before that access is granted. Knowing His death was near, and the instant access it would provide into the presence of God, Jesus promised this dying man that, ".......Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." Luke 23:43

How did it come to that? This man had, with the other thief earlier mocked our Lord. But something happened. Something had changed this man's heart. Somewhere in his anguish, through his agonizing pain and suffering, the Lord's goodness became known to him and he was drawn to God. What must this man have gone through? We can only imagine it. He recognized too in the process of his ordeal, when face to face with the perfect love embodied in the Savior, that this man admitted to himself that he was a sinner. He must have known that filled with his sin, that he could not enter heaven. It was after this realization that his heart was changed. A startling exchange then occurred.

Luke 23:39-4239 One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"

40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

41 "And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."

42 And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"

And Jesus did remember him, and removed his sins.
I should very much like to meet that man in heaven some day, and celebrate with him, his moving story. When I was ready to leave church tonight, a woman whose name I don't know, but whom I've talked with, came up to me and tossed me a Tee Shirt as a gift. It was a nice surprise. On the front were three rugged looking crosses. Underneath them is printed simply, "Lord, remember me." The reference is dual mention I suspect, recalling the thief on the cross, but more importantly calling us to place in our every thought, our every word, and our every deed the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.