A Dying Thief - Luke 23:42-43

“Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” Luke 23:42-43

    A sinner for life. A transgressor who only looked out for “#1.” A criminal in thought, word, and deed. Captured, tried and convicted in the highest court in the land. Sentenced to be executed for the crimes. An accurate description of a thief who would pay for his transgressions. But it could also be a figurative description of us all, could it not?
    On the last day of his life, this thief was hung upon his cross, a common criminal to be put to death by the Roman authorities in Judea, circa 33 AD. Guilty as charged, he would be crucified along with another criminal of his ilk. They were to hang together from their crosses until they were dead. Unrepentant, hardened, defiant, and unashamed, he hung in the noonday sun awaiting the inevitable. He was reconciled to his fate.
    But there was something else taking place that day; a third execution; a most curious execution of a man who by letter of the law shouldn’t have been there at all. Between the two justifiably deserving criminals hung our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. “And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.” - John 19:17-18.
    From the Scriptural accounts, two thieves hung on either side of Jesus. One would go to his death without remorse and onto eternal damnation while the other would sit at the banquet table with Christ in heaven that very evening. Why? Why one and not the other? Why not both? They both shared their last moments on this earth with Christ the Savior; why was only one saved?
    Certainly, we know that at the time of their conviction the two thieves were unrepentant. Upon their being hung, both remained angry and arrogant, even heaping scorn at Jesus. “Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him with the same thing.” - Matthew 27:44. But something took place in the dying thief that redefined his status among God’s creatures. And it began with a simple rebuke of his fellow thief. “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’” - Luke 23:39-41. This dying thief then turned to Christ and asked our Lord merely to “remember” him. His faith, much like that of the centurion (Matthew 8:8), did not require a majestic show of power on Christ’s part but merely to remain in His memory was all the dying thief asked.
    This thief could never have been justified by his works in this world as they were all sinful. The only thing that could save the dying thief was grace. The same grace that has saved all who shall be saved. The same grace of God without which none of us will see Paradise! This grace saved a criminal; this same grace can save us too. If Jesus could condescend to meet this criminal, He can condescend to meet us too.
    The truth that is Jesus Christ was revealed to this dying thief as he hung on his cross - “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” - Philippians 2:9-11.
    With his scandalous history, if this dying thief could come to the foot of the cross of Jesus, there is nothing keeping any of us from eternal salvation through repentance and faith in Christ. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. Less we forget that it is by grace and grace alone that we are saved. No matter how sinful our lives have been. No matter if we are in the throes of death, it is still not too late. But we must not wait nor hesitate. The next breath we take may be our last! We must repent and believe today so that we too can hear the sweet voice of Jesus saying to us - “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”