A Thief, The Cross, And The Gospel
The interaction between Jesus and a thief crucified next to him is the essence of the Gospel.
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:42–43
Do you read this passage with joy and thank the Father for His abundant love and grace, or do you read it and think, but the thief didn’t…
Your response is the Gospel; you believe and share with the world.
The birth of Jesus, Christmas, promised salvation to fallen man; His death and physical resurrection delivered that promise to all who believe. This is why we must understand Jesus’ interaction with the thief on the cross.
What The Thief Didn’t Do On The Cross
Religion places expectations of what we must do to be saved. In truth, these expectations are the reason so many people won’t accept Jesus.
So, what are some things the thief didn’t do on the cross:
- He never said the sinner’s prayer.
- He was never baptized.
- He never worked at the church rummage sale or as a greeter.
- He never went on a mission trip.
- He never worked at becoming justified or holy.
- He never attended a bible study.
The list goes on. If we continue the list and include everything religion says is required, it will resemble the Law of Moses. When we insist on all these works, we appear more like the Pharisees Jesus rebuked than Jesus Himself.
What The Thief Did On The Cross.
The true Gospel is simple, and the list of what the thief did is short:
- He believed in Jesus.
- He believed Jesus could and would take him to Paradise.
- Nothing more was needed!
Consider Paul’s words in Pisidia-Antioch,
“Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus, the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him, everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses. Acts 13:38–39
In this passage, Paul clearly states that we are freed of Every sin and justified by believing. Justification by faith is a common theme in Paul’s letters:
- Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1
- If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:9–10
- “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. Galatians 2:15–16
But preacher the thief never repented. Repentance means to turn away from your old ways.
The thief on the cross did just that. He recognized the futility of trying to save himself; at the same time, he believed Jesus was the Messiah and was willing to redeem him.
The thief’s asking to be remembered was the equivalent of his repenting and asking for forgiveness. Jesus answering, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise,” was Jesus saying You’re forgiven.
This is the Beauty of the Gospel, and it is what we should share with a broken world. All we need to do is believe, and Jesus has done the Rest. His promise is for every day, not just for Easter.
