The Thief on The Cross

Greeting:

Good evening everyone

Welcome visitors

Come back Wednesday night study

Lesson Text:

Luke 23:39-43

Opening:

Maybe you can think back throughout history and recall some names of some famous thieves.

I remember my grandfather always watched westerns and I remember those like Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, Billy the Kid all the names of famous outlaws or thieves...

Not saying I condone anything they did, but it made for some good movies and westerns...

Maybe there are other famous thieves that we can recall throughout history as well...

Tonight I want to look at a thief who has been talked about maybe as much as any of those i just mentioned.

One that has been poplar among conversations, discussions, debates, and much more throughout the years...

A thief that we don’t have a whole lot of information on...

We don’t even know a name for this thief...

We don’t know what he stole, we just know he was referred to in scripture as a criminal, a robber...

A man who many has deemed or titled, “The Thief on The Cross”

When we read the four gospels, we find this man mentioned in all four gospels, some with more info than the others...

But we find this man mentioned in all four gospels being crucified there next to Jesus...

Tonight we want to spend some time studying about this man.

What can we learn about this story from scripture?

So many teachings today revolve around this story and I am sure that you are familiar with some..

Maybe when the topic of salvation or baptism gets brought up, people reference the thief.

What does this story tell us concerning salvation?

What lessons can we learn from the account of the thief on the cross?

As we get ready to study this tonight I want to ask you to do what you should do every time we study or read God’s word...

Clear our minds, open our hearts, and see what God’s word teaches us...

Not what we think, not what someone else thinks or has taught you or has told you it meant, but truly look at what God’s word teaches us concerning this important story...

Lesson:

Tonight I want to begin by just looking at the references we find in scripture of the thief and see what scripture has to say...

We will focus on Luke’s account, but it is worth noting you can see as we mentioned, the other gospels speak of the thief as well...

Matthew, Mark, and John all say almost the same thing...

They speak of there being two robbers, criminals, that were crucified there alongside Christ...

Matthew 27:38 NKJV

Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.

Mark 15:27 NKJV

With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left.

John 19:18 NKJV

where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.

But tonight I want us to focus on Luke’s account.

From Luke’s account we can find a conversation between the thief and Jesus.

A conversation that has served as a battleground for many theological discussions over the years...

Luke 23:39–43 NKJV

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.” 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.”

When looking at this account that Luke provides us with, I think sometimes we miss the bigger picture.

I think we come here only to talk about and maybe discuss between faith alone, or salvation, or baptism...

I don’t think that was Luke’s main purpose for including this dialogue and this account for us.

We will look next week at part two of this lesson and see some lessons we can learn from the thief…

In these two lessons we are going to look at two main mistakes people make when studying this story…

Two mistakes or errors we need to avoid thinking when we talk about the thief or this comes up in discussions we may have...

Number one and our focus tonight…

Mistaking the means of salvation from this story of the thief on the cross.

Many today believe one can be saved by faith alone, or salvation can be achieved by exactly what the thief did.

Some today may say “I want to be saved like the thief on the cross.”

Or they will say, “All the thief on the cross did was have faith, all he did was recognize Jesus as Lord, he had faith in who he was, and that was enough for salvation.”

Many today will make the bold claim that because the thief on the cross wasn’t baptized, then we don’t have to be as well, therefore baptism isn’t essential for salvation.

So many today will make the mistake, when discussing salvation, of coming to this passage and using it to support their idea of faith alone...

And by doing this they seemingly disregard all of the other New Testament passages that we have saying otherwise...

So I want to ask yourself when we think of mistake number one here tonight...

Does this account, does the thief on the cross, does it teach us that salvation is only by faith?

Or concerning how one is saved today, can we place all our eggs so to say in this one basket?

Can we say that this one instance alone, eliminates all of the other passages we see in scripture that tells us there is far more involved in salvation than just having faith?

Paul tells baptism us into Christ... Romans 6:3-5

Romans 6:3–5 NKJV

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

In baptism we put on Christ Galatians 3:26-27

Galatians 3:26–27 NKJV

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Faith apart from works is dead James 2:20-26

James 2:20–26 NKJV

But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

And not just scripture teaching us baptism along with or a a part of our faith, but what about the need for repentance? For confession?

Can we eliminate those as well?

One might could make the argument the thief confessed and repented when he acknowledged Him as Lord and asked for Jesus to remember him in his kingdom...

Those will claim that repentance, confession, forgiveness, all of this happens simultaneously when we profess our faith, when we have this internal change of heart..

But is that what God’s word teaches us?

Does scripture teach us that sin is forgiven at any point in time other than when we are baptized?

If so why was Paul still in his sins after he had done everything else?

Paul prayed, he was sorrowful, he was repentant, he confessed, yet what did Ananias tell him in Acts 22:16?

Acts 22:16 NKJV

And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

If salvation came through faith alone, sinners prayer, confession, change of heart, anything else we want to falsely claim then again why did Ananias, an inspired man sent from God, tell Paul this?

Would he have told him wrong? Would he have given him bad instruction?

Something else to consider tonight...

So many will make the statement, some very boldly and confidently, that the thief wasn’t baptized...

Ask them this next time…where in scripture does it tell us that?

Where did they read or know that the thief wasn’t baptized?

I don’t know about you but I haven’t read of a single verse in scripture that tells us that...

So why couldn't we equally make the bold claim that he could have been baptized?

Scripture not only doesn’t tell us specifically that he wasn’t baptized, but it also doesn’t tell us that he wasn’t either...

I will never add to or take away from scripture, I will always speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where it is silent...

The truth is we don’t know if he was baptized or not...

But, here is something to consider, something for you and those maybe that you discuss this and study this with to consider...

Go back and look at what the thief said to Jesus in verse 42...

He said Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom...

Have you ever wondered how did the thief know about the kingdom?

Of the seven statements Jesus made on the cross, none of Jesus’s statements referenced the kingdom...

So how did the thief know?

John the Baptist according to Matthew 3 was going everywhere preaching what? That the kingdom of heaven was at hand...

Then what was John doing?

According to Mark 1:4 he was baptizing these people for remission of sins...

The people came confessing their sins Matthew 3:6 and were being baptized in the region of Judea and all around...

The same very area the crucifixion took place.

So it isn't impossible that the thief had heard it preached himself, or maybe even jesus himself before, because Jesus went around according to Matthew 4:17 preaching the kingdom was at hand as well...

So we cant say he definitely was, nor can we say he definitely wasn’t, there certainly could have been the possibility either way...

But we are not going to stake out salvation on what if’s or what he did or didn't do because of a very important reason....

And that reason is we don’t live under the same covenant, or law that the thief did...

The thief wasn’t under the New Covenant as we are...

Christ hadn't died yet...

This man, he thief on the cross he was still under the Old Covenant...

The Law of Moses had been given some 1500 years earlier and that was the law they were under..

That Law pointed to the coming of Christ Romans 10:4 to the New Covenant...

The Old Law isn’t what we will be judged by, it isn't what we live under...

We live under the New Covenant, the New law that took place, that was established, that was placed in force by Christ dying and shedding his blood for us on the cross.

Matthew 26:28 NKJV

For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Look also with me...

Hebrews 9:15–18 NKJV

And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood.

The Hebrew writer tells us here of what that dividing line is, what separates us from whether we live under the Old or New testament...

He says that where there is a testament there is a testator...

Who was the testator of the New Covenant or New Testament?

Christ...

When Jesus said what he did to the thief was Jesus dead or alive?

Alive...

He had not yet died, so since he was alive and a testament is only in force after the testator dies, then the New Testament hadn’t been enforced yet...

His death signified that change, his death put into force that New Testament, so everything before his death was under the Old...

Which is when the thief lived… he lived under a different law than we do today...

So when we compare our salvation to his, its like comparing apples to oranges...

Fast forward, after the death of Christ, after the establishment of the New Covenant, to Acts 2 and we see the inauguration so to say of the New Covenant...

And those men on that day when they wanted to know what they needed to do to be saved what were they told?

Were they told to remember the thief on the cross and do what he did?

No...because they are under a different testament...

Peter told them in Acts 2:38 to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins...

And besides all of that, remember who we are talking about.

We are talking about Jesus here...

The one who had all power, power to even forgive sins while he was on Earth...

Mark 2:10 NKJV

But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic,

Jesus himself spoke of his power he had...

While on Earth Jesus could and had the power to forgive people of their sins...

So if Jesus wanted to look at someone and tell them they were saved, he certainly had the power to do it...

He isn’t here today, not physically in this sense to be able to forgive sin in that way.

Circling back for just a second to this idea of the kingdom and sort of tying this all together...

When we look at scripture and we see the kingdom, Christ blood, and baptism, we see those three so closely woven together...

They are inseparable...

When Jesus established this New Covenant, he established it with his blood, when he shed his blood on the cross he purchased his church or his kingdom that he had been preaching about for years...

Telling people it would come, that His kingdom would come, his church...

And of course it did come, on the day of Pentecost it came and those who obeyed the gospel, they became a part of his kingdom...

Throughout the New Testament there is an undeniable connection between the church, His blood, and us being baptized for the remission of sins and being added into his body, his church, his kingdom...

I used to have this professor at Tech, one of my favorites, probably my very favorite actually...

And he was very passionate about what he taught, he was my Ag engineering professor...

Extremely smart guy, and like I said super passionate about what he was talking about and he could really sort of just nerd out on stuff and go full information overload...

After he would finish one of his rabbit holes he would go down, he would always look at us smile and say, “Sorry, I digress.”

I now know how he felt...

We can go down so many rabbit holes with this tonight and that isn't my intent, we also just did a lesson on some of this same stuff just a bit ago...

In particular the idea of calling on the name of the Lord.

So if you have questions on that let me know, but I don't want to spend all night on this part of the lesson, I want to get back to the thief, but I think these are points we have to make and understand...

So mistake number one with this account is using it to claim the Bible teaches salvation by faith alone...

Looking ahead at mistake or error number two for next week...

We must be careful that we, the church, doesn’t go here and just go to the far other side or extreme.

And by that I mean we must be careful that we don't only use this lesson of the thief to talk about all the ways we cant be saved...

Yes what we talked about tonight is important and yes many valuable lessons can be learned from tonight..

But to only view this story in terms of what we spoke about tonight I feel like that misses Luke’s main points entirely...

This is where we will pick up next week in our sermon Lord willing.

We will look some other valuable lessons that come from the thief on the cross...

Conclusion:

Tonight as we end though...

When we look at and study the New Testament and we see all of those conversions that take place we see baptism mentioned.

Maybe you have saw one of these and I should try to print one off sometime but it shows a list of all the conversions that take place...

It shows hearing believing, confess, repent, and baptism...

When you look down those charts, or when you read through them on your own what will you find over and over?

Baptism...

Maybe not in every one of them do we see faith or belief explicitly stated but we know they had to have it...

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Not every time do we maybe see they had to repent, but we know God commands it...

It would be irresponsible of us to say that just because faith isn't mentioned explicitly here then its not required...because there are plenty of other passage that clearly teach it is...

Same with repentance, maybe again not every time is it explicitly stated but they must have done it because God commanded it...

Acts 17:30 NKJV

Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,

Confession, maybe not every case explicitly states the confessed but again what does scripture teach us?

Romans 10:9–10 NKJV

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Hearing, believing, repenting, confessing , being baptized are all parts of God’s plan of salvation for us...

This is God’s plan, not my plan, and I would encourage anyone and everyone to pick up their Bibles and read it for yourself...

Study it and see what his word tells us...

Ephesians 1:7 NKJV

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Paul tell us in Him, the little phrase is found some 35 times in Ephesians some 169 times in the writings of Paul...

That tells me that being in Christ is to be in a very important place...why?

Because salvation is in Christ 2 Timothy 2:10

2 Timothy 2:10 NKJV

Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

Scripture thankfully tells us exactly how one gets into Christ...

It isn't just hearing or believing or having faith, it isn't just confession or repentance, and it isn't just baptism...

It’s all of Gods plan of salvation working together, its all of those commands we find in scripture...

Tonight if someone here isn't a Christian I hope this lesson helps...

I hope that you can look into Gods word, read it, study it, and know what you need to do...

Tonight if you know you have sin in your life, if you know you are not in Christ, if you aren’t a part of his body, lets change that.

Hear believe repent confess and be baptized for the remission of your sins...

Tonight if someone here is a Christian already lets examine our life as well...

Sometimes we are quick to act like the Bible stops teaching after baptism but it doesn't...

Revelation 2:10 teaches us that if we want that crown of life we are to be faithful until death...

Are we a faithful child of God tonight?

If not then lets come back home and make sure of our home in heaven one day with him...