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Luke 23 – The Gospel According to the Thief on the Cross
The Gospel According to the Thief on the Cross
When we look carefully at the text, we will see this repentant man believed much more than we might give him credit for knowing. How do we know what he believed?
1. From the thief’s statements.
2. From the statements of others said in unbelief, but which were true. This implies the thief who believed in Jesus also believed these statements.
3. From how the thief’s statements reenforce the truths the others said.
4. From how we can infer other truths based upon what is said and done.
Some of the following points are somewhat redundant. Purposefully, I chose to “stretch” out the list because I thought different ways of saying the same things might be worthwhile by reminding us of the varied graces of the gospel. We will go in order of appearance:
1. Jesus’s desire to forgive him personally (Matthew 27:44; Luke 23:42-43)
2. Jesus as the Son of God (23:34)
3. Jesus’s desire to forgive those who sinned against Him (23:34)
4. Jesus’s willingness to forgive soon after the personal offense (Matthew 27:44; Luke 23:42-43)
5. Jesus’s prayer to His Father would be heard (23:34)
6. Jesus’s ability to save himself from the cross (23:35,37,39)
7. Jesus’s ability to save him from the cross (23:35,37,39).
8. Jesus as God’s Messiah/Christ (23:35,39)
9. Jesus as God’s Chosen One (23:35)
10. Jesus as a King (23:37)
11. Jesus as the King of the Jews (23:37,38)
12. God exists (23:40)
13. God should be feared (23:40)
14. Jesus is God (23:40)
15. He was guilty of crime/sin (23:41)
16. The other thief was guilty of crime/sin (23:41)
17. He was personally responsible for his crime/sin (23:41)
18. Justice against him as right – God had a right to punish through the state (23:41)
19. Not all “justice” as right (23:41)
20. Jesus as innocent (23:41)
21. Mercy, grace, and forgiveness (23:42)
22. It is never too late – deathbed salvation (23:42)
23. No one has sinned to great to be saved (23:42)
24. Hope of life after death for Jesus (23:42)
25. Hope of life after death for himself (23:42)
26. Same identity in life after death (23:42)
27. Jesus had a future kingdom – prophecy fulfilled (23:42)
28. Jesus’ kingdom as “not of this world” (i.e., spiritual) (23:42)
29. Jesus would “outrank” him in his kingdom (23:42)
30. There is no contradiction between cross and kingdom; Savior and Lord (23:42)
31. Jesus’ as trustworthy – Knew he was saved (23:43)
32. His reward as unworthy (23:40-42)
33. His reward as a blessing – Paradise (23:43)
34. Witnessing, evangelizing can be done anywhere to anyone.
35. This criminal is foreseen in prophecy (Isaiah 53:12)
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