From Christ’s Crucifixion on Good Friday followed by Holy Saturday to Easter a.k.a. Resurrection Sunday, various views/understandings have been written by various qualified personalities and published in the preceding week. There are diverse passages in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark concerning Christ’s sufferings. This write-up focuses on one particular aspect relating to two thieves amidst whom Christ was crucified and some lessons given to understand from Gospel of Luke.
Two other men, both of them criminals (thieves), were also led with Jesus to the place of execution at Calvary---the place of the skull. There Jesus was crucified between them. This was a painful and shameful death above any other. Thus he was not only treated as a transgressor, but numbered with them. The soldiers who were employed in the execution seized His garments as their fee, divided them among themselves by lots. Jesus was reviled and reproached. The people stood beholding the once in a lifetime scene and the Jewish leaders stood among the rabble, and derided Him, and they said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Messiah whom God has chosen.” The soldiers also mocked Him; they came up to Him and offered Him cheap wine, and said, “Save yourself if you are the king of the Jews.” (Luke 23:36 & 37).
The superscription over His head, setting forth His crime was “This is the King of the Jews.” (Verse 38). He was put to death (on the allegation) for pretending to be king of the Jews. This was written in the three learned languages of Greek, Latin and Hebrew that it might be known and read by all men. In these three languages, Jesus is “proclaimed King.”But God intended it to be a declaration of what He really was; He is the “King of the Jews,” and the Cross was the way to His Crown. Pontius Pilate had super inscribed the words as a mockery of Jesus firstly in Latin and the abbreviation I.N.R.I. which is now seen on the Cross stands for “Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum” meaning Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Pilate unknowingly did Christianity a great favour for the Cross is the emblem of all Christians.
“Forgive them, Father! They don’t know what they are doing.” (verse 34)---Seven remarkable words (read sentences) Christ spoke as he was nailed to the cross, and before He died, and this was the first, as soon as He was fastened to the cross, or while they were nailing Him. It is to be noted that the nails were solid and several inches long and were driven into that part of foot near the ankle which exacted the greatest physical pain. This moment He prayed His prayer. The sins they were now guilty of might justly have been made unpardonable. No, these were particularly “prayed for.” Now He made intercession for transgressors. This was the meaning and intent of His death. He prayed not only for his enemies but for all “that shall repent, and believe the gospel.” The great thing which Christ died to purchase and procures for us is the forgiveness of sin.
His plea was because if they had known, they would not have crucified Him. There is a kind of ignorance that does in part excuse sin; ignorance through lack of means of knowledge or of a capacity to receive instruction. The crucifiers of Christ were kept in ignorance by their leaders, and had prejudice against Him instilled into them, so what they did against Christ and His doctrine they thought they did God service. Such are to be pitied and prayed for. The great thing we must beg of God, both for ourselves and others, is the forgiveness of sin. To “love your enemies” is Christ’s example to His own rule.
As Christ was crucified between two thieves, in them were represented the different effects which the Cross of Christ would have upon the children of men. Now the Cross of Christ is to some a “savior of life unto life,” to others of “death unto death.” Here was one of the thieves that was “hardened to the last.” He hurled insult at Christ, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” (Verse 39). Though he was also in pain and agony, yet this did not humble his proud nature nor dared to speak good language to his fellow sufferer. He challenged Christ to save both Himself and them. There are some that have the impudence to rail at Christ, and yet confident to expect to be saved by Him.
The other thief on the other hand was “softened at the last.” This implies that it was the fear of God which restrained him from following the multitude to this end. He reproved his co-thief, “Don’t you fear God? You received the same sentence He did. Ours, however, is only right, because we are getting what we deserve for what we did; for He has done no wrong.” (verses 40, 41). True penitents acknowledge the justice of God in all the punishments of their sin. We received the rewards of our deeds. This penitent thief believed Christ to have suffered wrongfully. He was convinced by his conduct in sufferings that Christ had done nothing amiss. The chief priests would have crucified Jesus as one of the malefactors, but this thief had more sense than they. For he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom;” or, in simpler terms, “Remember me, Jesus, when you come as King!” (Verse 42). This was the prayer of a “dying sinner” to a “dying saviour.” It was the honour of Christ to be thus prayed to. It was the happiness of the thief ‘thus to pray.” Perhaps he never prayed before, and yet was now heard, and saved at the last gasp. Observe his “faith” in this prayer. In his confession of sin (verse 41) he discovered “repentance towards God.”
In this petition, he discovered “faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.” He owns Him to be “Lord”, and to have a “Kingdom,” and that those should be happy whom He favoured; and to “believe” and “confess” all this was a “great thing” at this time of day. He believed “another life” after this, and desired to be happy in “that” life, not as the other thief, to be “saved from the cross,” but to be well provided when the cross had done its worst. Observe his humility in this prayer. All he begs, is “Lord, remember me,” referring himself to Christ in what way to remember him. There was an air of importunity and fervency in this prayer. He does, as it were, breathed out his soul in it. To be remembered by Christ, now that He is in His Kingdom, is what we should earnestly desire and pray for, and it will be enough to secure our welfare living and dying.
Christ remembered this thief, hence the extraordinary grants of His favour by saying, “I promise you, that today you will be in Paradise with me.” (Verse 43). Though Christ Himself was in the greatest struggle and agony, yet He had a word of comfort to speak to a poor penitent. Even great sinners, if they be true penitents, shall, through Christ, obtain not only the pardon of their sins, but a place in the Paradise of God---eternal life.
This thief was snatched as a brand out of the burning, and made a monument of divine mercy and grace. This means not to put off repentance, for though it is certain that true repentance is never too late, it is as certain that late repentance is seldom true. In normal circumstances, one might assume that some souls of the saints would accompany Jesus on his return to Paradise but He was instead accompanied by a penitent thief. Of one thing is certain. And that is, this thief had probably never prayed in his life but at the last moment he prayed with all his heart and soul in his belief and thus stole Paradise.
Jack T. Chakhesang