Two Thieves - Two Responses

“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”” (, ESV)

“Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.” (, ESV)

Two men, same charges, same lifestyles - two very different responses

(1) Both thieves in the beginning teach us that our natural response is to mock the Son of God.

“And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.” (, ESV)

“Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.” (, ESV)

Matthew 27:44 ESV

And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

Mark 15:32 ESV

Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also reviled him.

(2) One thief continues in his unbelief by mocking the Son of God with a question “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”” (, ESV)

2. One thief continues in his unbelief by mocking the Son of God with a question “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

“One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”” (, ESV)

Luke 23:39 ESV

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

(3) One thief then shows us what it means when grace captures us and the fear of the Lord takes root.

“But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?” (, ESV)

Luke 23:40 ESV

But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

“And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’ ”” (, ESV)

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!” (, ESV)

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (, ESV)

“when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices.” (, ESV)

“The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” (, ESV)

“The fear of the Lord leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” (, ESV)

(4) One thief recognizes himself to be guilty and worthy of judgement, he also can see Jesus as innocent in every way.

“And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”” (, ESV)

Luke 23:41 ESV

And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

(5) One thief teaches us that for as many as received Him, who believed in His name - to them, He gave the right to be called the children of God.

“And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”” (, ESV)

Luke 23:42 ESV

And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Romans 9:14–28 ESV

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’ ” “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’ ” And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.”

Rom

“He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” (, ESV)

John 1:1–12 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

Eph 2:1-

(6) One thief teaches us that our salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone and in Christ alone.

“And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”” (, ESV)

Luke 23:43 ESV

And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Ephesians 2:1–10 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (, ESV)

(7) Two thieves - two responses, you will spend eternity with only one of these men - which one will it be?

John 6:35–44 ESV

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

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