What About the Thief On the Cross?

PREACHING CHRIST What About the Thief On the Cross? TEXTS: Matthew 27:38 44; Luke 23:39 44. If you teach others the gospel, you may have heard the question What about the thief on the cross? Maybe you were pointing out that Jesus said both faith and baptism were essential to salvation: He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved (Mark 16:16a). Then came the question: But what about the thief on the cross? He wasn t baptized, and he was saved. Perhaps you were emphasizing that Peter told his hearers they needed to be baptized: Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Then you heard this response: But what about the thief on the cross? He wasn t baptized, and he was saved. Maybe you were referring to another passage on the purpose of baptism such as Acts 22:16, Galatians 3:27, or 1 Peter 3:21 only to hear, But what about the thief on the cross? He wasn t baptized, and he was saved. Several years ago, a national television program featured a series on baptism. The producers of the program received a response from a denominational preacher in Florida: You say that baptism is essential to salvation. What about the famous thief? No one in the New Testament asked that question. On the Day of Pentecost, when Peter told his hearers to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38), none responded, But what about the thief on the cross? Rather, those who received his word were baptized (v. 41). In Acts 8 a preacher taught an Ethiopian treasurer about Christ (v. 35), including the need to be baptized. 1 The official did not ask, What about the thief? Rather, as they came to a pool of water, the man asked, What prevents me from being baptized? (v. 36). He confessed his faith in Jesus and was baptized (vv. 37 39). A colorful preacher of days past, J. D. Tant, wrote, Some good people think they believe the Bible, and will sing: Where he leads me I will follow all the way. 2... They start with Jesus in Capernaum, his home, and will follow him sixty miles down the Jordan river, singing as they go, Where he leads me I will follow all the way, until they get to the Jordan, and when they see Jesus going down into the water with John the Baptist, they will forsake Jesus, and run back up the bank after the thief. 3 Who was this thief? What did God intend that we should learn from him and his response to the Lord? Only two Bible references tell about the individual called the most famous thief in history. The first is in Matthew 27. I will quote a few verses to give the setting and then will give 1 This is evident from the official s response (Acts 8:36). 2 Tant evidently referred to the song by John S. Norris, Where He Leads Me I Will Follow, Songs of Faith and Praise, comp. and ed. Alton H. Howard (West Monroe, La.: Howard Publishing Co., 1996). The last line of the chorus says, Where He leads me I will follow, I ll go with Him, with Him all the way. 3 J. D. Tant, The Gospel X-Ray (Austin, Tex.: Firm Foundation Publishing House, 1933), 39. 1

the pertinent passage: After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him (v. 31). And... they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull.... And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots (vv. 33 35). At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross. In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, I am the Son of God. The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words (vv. 38 44). In Matthew s account, initially both thieves insulted the Lord. As time went by, Jesus demeanor on the cross evidently had a positive effect on one of them. According to Luke, one of the criminals who were hanged there continued to hurl abuse at Jesus, saying, Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us! (Luke 23:39). The Greek term translated hurling abuse in Luke 23 is stronger than the word translated insulting in Matthew 27. As the pain of being on the cross intensified, so did the abuse from one of the thieves. However, a change had taken place in the other robber: But the other answered, and rebuking him said, Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. And he was saying, Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom! And He said to him, Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise. It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour (Luke 23:40 44). Everything in the Bible is there for a reason. Men use fillers in their publications sometimes to fill out a page, but God uses no fillers in His Book. The story of the penitent thief is there for a reason. What is that reason? Is the purpose to teach that baptism is not essential to salvation, as some insist, or would God have us learn other lessons? In the next sermon, we will look at the positive: practical lessons we can learn from the story of the thief. In this sermon, we will start with the negative. Since the incident has been misused, we will first clear away misconceptions. I will point out two ideas the episode does not teach. Most of our time will be spent on the first of these. HIS STORY DOES NOT TEACH THE WAY OF SALVATION FOR TODAY Before I focus on how I disagree with some of my religious neighbors, let me establish a point of agreement: We agree that the thief was saved. Jesus promised that he would be in Paradise that day. Paradise is the part of the Hadean world where the saved await the Judgment. 4 I believe that Jesus kept His promise that, when the thief died, he was taken by angels to Abraham s bosom, even as Lazarus had been (Luke 16:22). Nevertheless, this fact does not prove that the account was given to teach the way of salvation for non-christians today. Much is assumed regarding the thief. For instance, it is assumed that he was an alien sinner and that his salvation therefore set a precedent for alien sinners 5 that is, non- Christians. I would suggest, on the contrary, that the thief did not fall into the alien sinner category, but into the erring child of God 6 category. Think about this: Who crucified him? The Romans. Did the Romans crucify Roman citizens? No. 7 Whom did they crucify? Disobedient subjects in a given vicinity. The subjects in that particular area were Jews. I think that we can safely assume that the thief was a 4 See pages 42 and 43 in The Life of Christ, 14. 5 The term alien basically means one who is not a citizen; it is sometimes used in the Scriptures to refer to someone who is not a citizen of God s kingdom (see Ephesians 2:19). 6 The word err refers to going astray (that is, from God s way). Compare James 5:19 in the KJV and the NASB. 7 On the rights of Roman citizens, see Acts, 11, Truth for Today (July 1996): 4. 2

Jew. 8 He was not an obedient Jew; he had violated at least one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:15). Nevertheless, he was a Jew. That made him a child of God, because up to the death of Jesus the Jews were God s chosen people (see Deuteronomy 7:6). If the thief s salvation is to serve as any kind of example today, it is an example of how an erring Christian, not a non-christian, can find forgiveness. Also, it is assumed that the thief had not been baptized. He died near where John the Baptizer s ministry had begun several years earlier. Matthew wrote of John s initial popularity: Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins (3:5, 6). Many who lived in that area had been baptized by John. Later, when Jesus began His ministry in the same general area, He and His disciples baptized even more than John (John 4:1; see 3:26). Is it not possible that, at some point, the thief had been baptized by either John or Jesus disciples? 9 Whether he was or not is unimportant, but an argument made from a biblical text should not be based on assumptions. Why do I say that whether or not the thief was baptized is unimportant? As previously stated, his salvation was never intended as an example for non-christians today. Let me share three reasons for making that assertion. The Thief Was Saved Before The Old Law Was Removed Using the story of the thief as an example of conversion for non-christians today violates a principle taught in 2 Timothy 2:15: Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (Emphasis mine.) One way to handle accurately the word of truth is to distinguish between that which relates to the old covenant 10 (Old Testament) period and 8 His words to the other thief Do you not even fear God? indicate that he was a Jew. The majority of Gentiles would have referred to the gods instead of one God. 9 If that were the case, the thief would have heard either John or Jesus teach. This would help to explain the thief s words about Jesus kingdom. 10 The word covenant refers to an agreement between two parties. The Old Testament was a covenant that which relates to the new covenant period. The Bible teaches that Jesus death is the dividing point between the old covenant and the new. Paul wrote to the Colossians that God made you alive together with Him [Christ], having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt 11 consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:13, 14). In case there was a question regarding what regulations the apostle had in mind, he listed several categories in verse 16: rules in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. The phrase Sabbath day proves that Paul included the law of Moses in his statement; one of the Ten Commandments was Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8). The phrases canceled out and taken it out of the way are strong terms indicating that the Law had been abolished. When did that occur? Underline the words having nailed it to the cross. This is not a reference to the piece of wood on which Christ was impaled, but rather an allusion to the death of Jesus. Jesus, and Jesus only, fulfilled the old covenant, keeping its demands perfectly. At the end of His life, it became a fulfilled (completed) agreement. The old covenant was taken out of the way at Jesus death. At the same time, the new covenant came into force. Look now at Hebrews 9:15, where the writer said that Jesus is the mediator of a new covenant. He then explained what had to transpire before that new covenant came into effect: For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a between God and the Israelites (Jews). The New Testament of Christ is referred to as the new covenant (Hebrews 8:8, 13; 9:15; see Jeremiah 31:31). It is an agreement between the Lord and those who commit themselves to follow Him. 11 Instead of certificate of debt, the NIV Study Bible has the written code, with its regulations, with this footnote: Written code. A business term, meaning a certificate of indebtedness in the debtor s handwriting. Paul uses it as a designation for the Mosaic law, with all its regulations, under which everyone is a debtor to God (Gerald F. Hawthorne and Wilber B. Wallis, notes on the Book of Colossians, The NIV Study Bible [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Publishing House, 1985], 1815). Some scholars believe that the Colossian Christians considered this written code to be more than the law of Moses; but most agree that it includes the law of Moses. 3

covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives (Hebrews 9:16, 17). The analogy is based on a special covenant (or agreement) called a last will and testament. When does a last will and testament go into effect? When the will-maker dies and not before. Many Bibles have these words on the page before Matthew: The New Testament of Jesus Christ. When did Jesus New Testament go into effect? When He died. The death of Christ was the end of the Old Testament Era and the beginning of the New Testament Era. 12 The thief is not an example for the salvation of non-christians today because he was forgiven before the old law was taken out of the way. True, he was promised Paradise just a few hours before Jesus died, but the promise was still given on the Old Testament side of the cross. The thief on the cross is not an example of salvation today because he was forgiven before the old law was removed. The comparison between the New Testament and a last will and testament can be extended. A principal purpose of a will is distribution of the will-maker s property. After the willmaker dies, people must adhere to the terms of the will to benefit from the provisions of the will. As long as the will-maker is alive, he can distribute his property on any basis he desires. Keeping this in mind, let us look at an incident from the life of Jesus. In Matthew 9, four friends brought a paralytic to Jesus. In verse 2, we read, Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven (v. 2; emphasis mine). As far as the text is concerned, Christ forgave the man on the basis of the friends faith. 12 There was a transition period after the death of Jesus until the new covenant was revealed and preached throughout the world. Preachers sometimes compare this with the probation period of a last will and testament. There is no need to go into this detail in this particular sermon. Did the paralytic also believe? We are not told. If the thief on the cross can be used as proof that baptism is not essential to salvation, this story might be used to prove that personal faith is not essential. In neither case, however, was it Jesus intention to establish the terms of our salvation today. Rather, in Matthew 9, at least one reason Christ forgave the man was to establish His spiritual authority. Let us continue with the story: After Christ said, Your sins are forgiven, His critics began to murmur (v. 3; see Mark 2:6, 7). Then,... Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up, and walk? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins then He said to the paralytic, Get up, pick up your bed and go home (Matthew 9:4 6). The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. That is another way of saying, While I am alive, still walking on the earth, I have the right to distribute My spiritual assets (in this case, forgiveness of sin) in any way I choose. When the man on the mat heard Jesus command, he got up and went home (v. 7). [W]hen the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men (v. 8). As far as the inspired record goes, during His earthly ministry, Jesus exercised His right to forgive sins only a handful of times: in the cases of the paralytic (Matthew 9:2 6), the woman taken in adultery (John 8:3 11), and the thief on the cross. All are examples of Jesus distributing His spiritual assets before His last will and testament came into effect; none should be used to try to establish the basis on which a non- Christian is saved today. Since the thief was forgiven on the Old Testament side of the cross, his salvation is no more an example for today than the salvation of Noah and Abraham. Have you ever heard anyone say, I do not need to be baptized because Noah was not baptized and he was still saved or I do not have to be baptized because Abraham was not baptized and the Lord saved him? I would thus first emphasize that the thief on the cross is not an example of salvation today 4

because he was saved before the old law was removed. Once a car salesman was trying to sell an elderly man a new car. The old gentleman kept saying, No. Finally, the salesman asked, Why not? The man said, I have twenty-five good reasons. Let me hear them, responded the salesman, confident that he could answer each of them. First, said the man, I have no money and, second, my credit is no good. The salesman stopped him. That s enough! I don t want to hear the other twenty-three reasons! The fact that the thief lived and was saved while the Old Testament was still in force is sufficient to prove that his case does not provide a pattern for non-christians to follow today. Nevertheless, I want to share two more thoughts along the same line. The Thief Was Saved Before Christ Gave the Great Commission During Jesus personal ministry, He made reference to requirements for salvation. For instance, He spoke of a new birth (John 3:3, 5) and the need for conversion (Matthew 18:3). He emphasized the need for faith (John 8:24), the necessity of repentance (Luke 13:3), and the importance of confession (Matthew 10:32). Nevertheless, it was not until after His death, burial, and resurrection that He gave His Great Commission. It spelled out His terms of salvation: what men must do to appropriate God s grace. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you... (Matthew 28:19, 20). He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned (Mark 16:16). And He said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem (Luke 24:46, 47). A basic legal principle is that a law cannot be retroactive. This provision is included in the US Constitution, Article I, Section 9: No... ex post facto Law shall be passed. 13 One application of 13 Grolier s Multimedia Encyclopedia, 1999 ed., s.v. Con- that provision is that, if a legislative body passes a law today, an individual cannot be brought into court because he violated the terms of that law yesterday. The same principle applies to the story of the thief: Since that famous robber died before the Great Commission was given, its terms did not apply to him. Nevertheless, they do apply to us. The thief did not have to be baptized, but we do. Why, then, do people try to use his salvation as proof that baptism is not essential today? Maybe this illustration will help: In the US, as in many countries, citizens are required to pay income tax. What if the time for paying your tax has passed and you are called in by the Internal Revenue Service? 14 The IRS agent tells you, You have to pay your tax. Good citizens do their part. You respond, But what about George Washington? He didn t pay income tax, and he was a good citizen. What about Abraham Lincoln? 15 He didn t pay income tax, and he was known as a good citizen. If these two great men could be good citizens and not pay income tax, then so can I! Do you think the agent will be impressed? Do you think he will say, I never thought of that! Of course you don t have to pay your tax? The agent could point out that the Sixteenth Amendment, which made provision for an income tax, was ratified in 1913. It therefore did not apply to those who lived before that time including Mr. Washington and Mr. Lincoln but it does apply to you. Actually, it is likely that he (or she) would do something much more unpleasant! You will have no trouble making application to the subject at hand: We cannot point to the thief as an excuse for not being baptized since he was saved before Jesus gave the terms of salvation in the Great Commission. stitution of the United States. If the country where you live has a similar legal provision, substitute that as an illustration. 14 Assuming that your country collects an income tax, substitute the government agency that is responsible for collecting that tax. 15 George Washington was the first president of the United States, while Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth. Both are well known to US audiences. If the country where you live has an income tax and you decide to use this illustration, find out when the tax became a law in your country. Substitute names your listeners will recognize names of people who lived before the income tax law was in effect. 5

The Thief Was Saved Before the Gospel Was Preached in Fact According to Paul, the heart of the gospel ( the good news ) consists of three key events: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. He wrote to the Corinthians, Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1 4; emphasis mine). The sequence of the death, burial, and resurrection had been set in motion at the time the thief was promised Paradise, but Jesus had not yet died; His burial and resurrection were still in the future. The gospel could not be preached in fact until after the Lord arose from the dead. The first time it was preached in its fullness was ten days after Christ s ascension, on the Day of Pentecost, by the apostle Peter (Acts 2:23, 24, 32, 36). Today this wondrous gospel is God s power to salvation (Romans 1:16). We cannot be saved without it. In contrast, the thief died before it was ever publicly proclaimed. He lived and died without ever hearing the full gospel story. Therefore, his salvation is not an example for non- Christians today, who must hear that gospel and obey it (1 Peter 4:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:8). HIS STORY DOES NOT TEACH DEATHBED REPENTANCE Before I close, I want to mention briefly that the story of the thief was not included in the Holy Scriptures to teach so-called deathbed repentance. 16 I can hear someone saying, That thief was smart! He lived his life the way he wanted to live it even taking advantage of other people but then, just before he died, he repented and the Lord saved him. That s the way 16 This is a common phrase where I live, but it may not be where you live. Nevertheless, I think the meaning is clear: It refers to the supposition that one can wait until just before death to repent and turn to God for forgiveness. If necessary, you can rephrase to fit your locale. I want to be saved! I cannot emphasize too strongly that the Bible does not teach or encourage putting off obedience to truth after learning truth. 17 Paul wrote, Behold, now is the acceptable time, behold, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2b; emphasis mine). If you decide to put off repentance until just before you die, any of several things could happen. First, the Lord could return before you have that opportunity. (He can come at any time.) Second, you could die unexpectedly. (Not everyone dies on a soft bed with ample warning.) Third, even if the Lord does not come and you do not die unexpectedly, your heart will probably be so hardened that you will find it impossible to repent (see Hebrews 6:6). The writer of the Book of Hebrews urged his readers, Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts (4:7b). Never, never, never put off doing what you know the Lord would have you do. CONCLUSION Earlier in this sermon, I stated that everything in the Bible is there for a reason. In the next sermon, we will discuss some positive truths we can glean from the story of the thief on the cross. However, as we close this sermon, I want to make clear that all the incidents surrounding the cross Jesus caring for His mother, forgiving the thief, or any other detail have one major purpose: to enhance the cross, to increase our appreciation for what Jesus did for us. At this time, then, let me urge you to turn your eyes from the side cross, where a thief died, and focus on the center cross, where the Savior died for you. If you really love Him, you will do what He has asked you to do (John 14:15). You will not invent excuses to postpone obeying Him. Rather, with a heart overflowing with love and gratitude, you will surrender to Him in penitent trust. If you need to be baptized today, do not ask, What about the thief on the cross? Rather ask, as did the Ethiopian nobleman, What prevents me from being baptized? (Acts 8:36b). If you will do that, my answer will be that of the evangelist: If you believe with all your heart, you 17 For additional thoughts on the dangers of procrastination, see the comments on page 24 in The Life of Christ, 9. 6

may (v. 37a). Then you can confess your faith and go down into the waters of baptism, that you might arise and go on your way rejoicing (vv. 38, 39). If you need to be baptized, now is the time to do it! NOTES I made flannelboard presentations for both sermons on the thief. At the start of the first sermon, the top of the flannelboard looks something like this: WHAT ABOUT THE THIEF ON THE CROSS? Col. 2:14, 16 Heb. 9:16, 17 DOES NOT TEACH WAY OF SALVATION FOR TODAY NOT ALIEN SINNER, BUT ERRING CHILD WHAT ABOUT THE THIEF ON THE CROSS? DOES NOT TEACH The word pieces and the crosses are made from suede-backed paper that will cling to the flannelboard. The outline of the cross is formed with dark yarn which will also cling to the flannel surface. For the title, the words WHAT ABOUT and the? are put on separate pieces so they can be removed before the next sermon is preached. That way, the words THE THIEF ON THE CROSS can be used again. The three crosses are referred to as the story of the two thieves is told. The penitent thief is represented by the cross on the left. When application begins in the sermon, the cross on the right is removed. At the appropriate time, pieces with the passages Colossians 2:14, 16 and Hebrews 9:16, 17 are added to the left and right of the center cross. The space to the left of the cross is designated as the period before Christ died, and the space to the right as the period after Christ died. As the sermon progresses, the points discussed are added to the bottom half of the board, one at a time. The words DOES NOT TEACH are on separate pieces of suede-backed paper. When I say that I want to point out two things the story of the thief does not teach, I put those two pieces on the board (with just the words DOES NOT TEACH ) in the two appropriate spots. Then, when the first point takes a long time, my listeners will remember that I have another point to make before I finish. At the end of the sermon, the board looks like this: WHAT ABOUT THE THIEF ON THE CROSS? Col. 2:14, 16 Heb. 9:16, 17 DOES NOT TEACH WAY OF SALVATION FOR TODAY NOT ALIEN SINNER, BUT ERRING CHILD SAVED BEFORE OLD LAW REMOVED SAVED BEFORE CHRIST GAVE COMMISSION SAVED BEFORE GOSPEL PREACHED IN FACT DOES NOT TEACH DEATHBED REPENTANCE The lessons on Acts and the Life of Christ that are referenced in this article are not available on biblecourses.com, but are available in commentary form. Contact Truth for Today for more information. Copyright, 2003 by Truth for Today ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 7