1.0 Statement

Jesus’ Second Statement on the Cross – “Today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43).  Whenever an Individual acknowledged and received Jesus Christ, as his Lord & Saviour, he experienced an amazing experience:

• It is amazing because a miracle takes place – being “born-again,” by God’s Word and Spirit (John 3:3-8; 1Peter 1:23; Titus 3:5).
• The spiritually dead Sinner (Romans 5:12; 1Corinthians 15:22a) is raised to Eternal Life (John 3:16).
• The Individual is brought from Darkness into Light (1Thessalonians 5:5).
• The Individual received God’s Divine Nature (2Peter 1:4; 2Corinthians 3:18).

But the situation surrounding the “born-again-experience,” of some, is much more spectacular; when we considered the “born-again-experience,” of the Thief on the Cross, we must admit that it is really most amazing – Luke 23:35-43 “And the people stood looking on. But even the Rulers with them sneered, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God. The soldiers also mocked Him. coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, ‘If You are the King of the Jews save Yourself.’ And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEW. 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 his 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.” This was Jesus’ Second Words from the Cross – “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The First Words: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Jesus first prayed for His Enemies. In His Second Words, He turned to the Repentant Thief (Sinner) and gave him (the Thief) the assurance that he (Thief) was going to Heaven (Paradise of God). We would consider the amazing aspect of the Thief’s Salvation.

1.1 Amazing Situation

First of all, we cannot help but see the Amazing Situation at Calvary – When Jesus was crucified, He was placed between the two Thieves, in fulfilment of the Prophecy in Isaiah 53:12b “He was numbered with the Transgressors.”  The Romans could have put the two Thieves together, and not in between Jesus; in fact, that would have been the natural thing to do. We get the impression that these two Thieves were Partners in crime, and certainly it would have been a good thing for the Soldiers to put these two friends together. Instead, the Soldiers put the Lord Jesus between the two Thieves – this is an Amazing Situation, prophesied in the Scripture: Acts 4:26 -28 “The Kings of the earth took their stand, and the Rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ. For truly against Your Holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.” (Acts 2:23). For the unfolding of the event that would follow.  

1.11 Fulfillment

It was in fulfilment of the Prophecy given in Isaiah 53:12b that states: “He was numbered with the Transgressors.” And affirmed in historical fulfilment: “And with Him they crucify two thieves; the one on His right hand, and the other on His left. And the Scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And He was numbered with the transgressors” (Mark 15:27-28).  Thus, we see God’s Hand (Isaiah 53) and the hand of man at work (Mark 15:27-28); Jesus was numbered with the Transgressors (Thieves). So that Amazing Situation began with the fulfilment of the Prophecy in Isaiah 53:12. God’s Word is settled in Heaven – Psalm 119:89 “Forever, O LORD, Your Word is settled in Heaven.”

1.12 God’s Wisdom

God arranged that Jesus was crucified between the two Thieves (Isaiah 53:12; Mark 15:27-28; Acts 4:26-28; Acts 2:23), so that the two thieves could hear Him Prayed: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

• God’s Spirit took Jesus’ Prayer and touched the heart of both Thieves, but one Thief responded (Luke 23:39-43).
• Both Thieves were on either side of Jesus, they could see the title, written in three common languages of that time (Greek, Latin and Hebrew), and the Thieves, probably knew at least two of those languages – “Jesus, the King of the Jews.” (Luke 23:38).
• The title “Jesus, the King of the Jews” was perhaps the first Gospel track ever written, and it hung over the head of Jesus.
• Those two Thieves, as they looked at each other, must look at Jesus! As they looked at Jesus, they must see that title – and that title told them who Jesus is. He is Jesus, which means “Saviour.” He is Jesus of Nazareth. He came from a despised and a rejected place, identified with the outcasts, called Nazareth – John 1:46b “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
• Jesus is King of the Jews – Jesus is the Saviour who has a Kingdom. And so, in reading this title, they could get the message of the Gospel.  
• God used the mockery of the Crowd (Luke 23:35), the Rulers (Luke 23:35), the Soldiers (Luke 23:36-37), and One of the Thieves (Luke 23:39), to win the Other Thief (Luke 23:40-43). How Amazing is the Working of God’s Gracious Providence? 

1.2 Amazing Supplication

The Prayer that the one Thief prayed is truly one of the Amazing Prayer: Luke 23:42 “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.’” God’s Spirit must have touched his (Thief’s) heart as the Scripture declares: 1Corinthians 12:3b “And no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” The “substance,” of the Thief’s Prayer:  

• Initially, both Thieves reviled Jesus – Matthew 27:41-44 “Likewise the Chief Priests also, mocking with the Scribes and Elders,……Even the thieves who were crucified with Him (Jesus) reviled Him (Jesus) with the same thing.”
• Then, he (Thief) rebuked the other Thief who spoke evil against Jesus – Luke 23:39-40 “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him (Jesus), 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?’
• He Confessed that he feared God – Luke 23:40b “‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?’”
• He Confessed that he has committed crime and deserved the punishment – Luke 23:41a “And we justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds.”
• He Confessed that Jesus is Sinless – Luke 23:41b “But this Man (Jesus) has done nothing wrong.”
• He confessed and acknowledged the Lordship and Kingship of Jesus – Luke 23:42 “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.”  
• He Confessed that there was the life after death – Luke 23:42 “Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.”
• He Asked with courage – asking Jesus to remember him, when He (Jesus) comes into His Kingdom (Luke 23:42).
• He Received an affirmative assurance from Jesus – Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said to him, ‘assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”

The Crowd, the Rulers, the Soldiers and one of the Thief mocked Jesus, yet this Repentant Thief dares to ask Jesus to remember him; he, believing that Jesus is the King with His Kingdom. It can be said that the Repentant Thief who received Jesus, his faith ranks very high; because Jesus, while hung on the Cross, looked hopelessly defeated, yet he (the Repentant Thief) believed in Jesus and experienced Salvation – Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said to him, ‘assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.’”

1.3 Amazing Salvation

There is the third aspect of this Amazement; – not only the Amazing Situation and the Amazing Supplication (Prayer) but also the Amazing Salvation. He (the Repentant Thief) turned to Jesus and asked Him (Jesus) to “Remember him when He (Jesus) comes into His Kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Jesus gave him an Amazing Salvation: “Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The Sevenfold Aspects of this Amazing Salvation:

1.31 God’s Grace

What are the characteristics of the Salvation experienced by the Repentant Thief on the Cross, that is so amazing? To begin with, this Salvation was wholly by God’s Grace, as the Repentant Thief did not deserve to be saved and he admitted it; he said, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And We indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds.” (Luke 23:40b-41a). He admitted that he deserved to be Punished and not Salvation; yet he (the Repentant Thief) experienced the Salvation from Jesus Himself – 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.” Paradise is Third Heaven (2Corinthians 12:2-4) and is also the Throne-Room of God wherein laid the Tree of Life (Revelation 2:7; Revelation 22:2).   

• Third Heaven & Paradise – 2Corinthians 12:2b-4 “One was caught up to the Third Heaven…caught up into Paradise….”
• Tree of Life & Paradise – Revelation 2:7 “From the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”
• Tree of Life & God’s Throne – Revelation 22:1-2 “And He showed me a Pure River of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the Throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the River, was the Tree of Life,….”

Salvation is wholly by God’s Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9); this Repentant Thief could not have earned his Salvation, he simply received Salvation by Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – Luke 23:42b “Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” And 1Corinthians 12:3b “And no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” Wherever there is Faith, there is God’s Grace; wherever there is Law, there is Works. The Repentant Thief could not work for God’s Salvation; all he could do was receive God’s Salvation as God’s Grace and God’s Gift – “For by Grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

1.32 Certain and Secure

The Repentant Thief’s Salvation, in Christ, was certain and secured because Jesus Himself gave him the Assurance – Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me Paradise.”

• The Repentant Thief was an underserving Sinner both condemned by the Romans Law “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And We indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds.” (Luke 23:40b-41a);
• Condemned by the Adamic Sin – Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” And 1Corinthians 15:22a “In Adam, all die.”  

However, the Repentant Thief received Jesus as his Lord – Luke 23:42b “Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” And 1Corinthians 12:3b “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”

1.33 Personal

There is a third characteristic to this Salvation. It was wholly of God’s Grace; the Salvation was certain and secure; and the Salvation was Personal – Luke 23:43 “Assuredly, I say to you.” You see God loves the Repentant Thief personally; Jesus’ Love was shown to him (the Repentant Thief) personally; and Christ saved him personally – Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me Paradise.”

1.34 Present

The Repentant Thief’s Salvation was Personal and the Salvation was Present Salvation: Luke 23:43 “And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me Paradise.” The Repentant Thief had said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” (Luke 23:42); his thought was “sometime in the future, you are going to have a Kingdom. Please remember me when that happened.”  God’s Salvation is not a process; Salvation is instantaneous spiritual experience by God’s Power when he (Thief) put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – “Lord, remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” (Luke 23:42). A Personal Present Salvation!

1.35 Centered in Christ

The Repentant Thief’s Salvation is centred in the Lord Jesus Christ – “To day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43). Jesus Christ was identified with this condemned Thief, and this Thief was identified with Jesus Christ, in Salvation. That is what the Cross is all about. Salvation is not centred in Moses or Keeping of the Law. It is not centred in John the Baptist. Salvation is centred in Jesus Christ. Salvation is wholly based on God’s Grace, Certain and Secure, Personal, Present and Centred in Jesus Christ.  

1.36 Glorious

Salvation is Glorious – “To day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43). All the Repentant Thief had hoped for was to share in a future Kingdom about which he has no knowledge – Jesus told him that “Today he shall be with Him in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43). Paradise is Third Heaven (2Corinthians 12:2-4); and the Throne Room of God (Revelation 22:1-2).

1.37 Amazing

It is also remarkable that the Thief’s Salvation took place before the supernatural phenomena of that day:

• Before the 3 Hours of Darkness (12pm {Noon} to 3pm – Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Amos 8:9).
• Before the Earthquake and the Rock-Splitting (Matthew 27:51b).
• Before the Centurion’s Confession: “Truly this was the Son of God.” (Matthew 27:54).

God purposely set the Thief’s Salvation before these “happenings,” took place, so that God’s Sovereign Grace is magnified, and His Sovereign Power acknowledged.

• God designedly chose to save this Thief under the most un-favourable circumstances that no flesh should glory in His Presence (1Corinthians 1:29).
• God deliberately arranged this combination of unnatural conditions and surroundings to teach us that “Salvation is of the LORD,” to teach us not to magnify human instrumentality above Divine Grace – to teach us that Salvation is the direct result of the supernatural operation of God’s Spirit.