WHAT grace on the part of God to tell us about the robber who was taken from a cross to Paradise! However useful narratives of known conversions may be to show out God’s gracious ways in dealing with souls, none can for a moment compare with the cases found in God’s word; for there we get a divine selection, perfectly narrated, with no essential feature omitted, and nothing superfluous mentioned. The two thieves are spoken of in each of the Gospels, but there is no mere repetition. In Matthew’s Gospel we get them echoing what others were saying, for we are told that “the chief priests mocking him with the scribes, and elders, said, He saved others, himself he cannot save. If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he will have him; for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.”
There are here, then, two who were, as men speak, belonging to the criminal class, and not ordinary ones either, but two of the very worst, for the Romans reserved death by crucifixion for the worst of criminals. Now, for these men to find at such a time pleasure in insulting the gracious, holy Son of God is a testimony of the Holy Spirit to their thoroughly hardened condition. The presence of God’s beloved Son was a true test of man’s state. Here it was demonstrated that the mind of the flesh is enmity against God—God come in grace! The chief priests, the scribes, the elders, the passers by, and the thieves could each find pleasure in mocking the holy, patient, suffering One. The unsuitability of these malefactors for the presence of the holy, sin-hating God few would question; and the scriptures teach plainly that God’s righteousness apart from redemption would have meant for them eternal wrath.
Mark also, in his Gospel, testifies that the thieves reviled Him; but it is reserved for Luke to tell us of a mighty change effected in one of them, and this according to a blessed and perfect design. For in the accounts of the Lord’s death as given by Matthew and Mark righteousness is prominent. In righteousness God’s Christ, as the Sin-bearer, is forsaken. Hence the cry from the depths of Calvary’s woe, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” and God’s answer in righteousness to the atoning sufferings of the Christ is the rent veil and opened graves.
But in the Gospel by Luke we constantly meet with incidents of super-abounding grace, omitted by the other Evangelists. Take a case mentioned in each of the Gospels, that of Malchus, whose ear was cut off by Peter. It is Luke only who records the Lord’s gracious act of healing. So also it is Luke who gives that gracious prayer of the Lord for His murderers, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Doubtless this was in the hearing of the two robbers, who likewise witnessed the testimony of His grace in those long hours of anguish. One has well said:
“Thy foes might hate, despise, revile,
And friends unfaithful prove;
Unwearied in forgiveness still,
Thy heart could only love.”
He endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself. When He was reviled, He reviled not again. Though He suffered, He threatened not.
One may observe that whereas two are adduced in Matthew as adequate testimony, in Luke’s Gospel we see it rather by way of contrast, as, for instance, in the case of the two debtors (chap. 7), the two sons (chap. 15), Dives and Lazarus (chap. 16), the two men who go up into the temple to pray (chap. 18). So in the same way we get in Luke the two thieves contrasted. If up to a certain point they were on the cross agreed in their animosity against the Lord Jesus, we now have evidence of a wonderful change. The eyes of one had been opened to see what he was in his sins, and what the Lord Jesus was in His sinlessness and grace. So, while we read that one, in his unbelief proposed what without the Saviour’s death was an impossibility, saying, “If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us,” we read on the other hand that “the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? and we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss.” It can be seen then that in this case the “fear of God” had taken the place of bitter animosity, and while thoroughly condemning himself he justified the One who was standing for God, though crucified. There was repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus, for turning to Him he said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom.” The gracious Lord was ready then, as ever, to respond to faith. He had come to seek and to save that which was lost, and it was a real joy to the Lord to bless that dear soul, infinitely beyond his highest expectations.
In the days of His public ministry, when He had patiently and tenderly led a poor dark soul into the light, He said to His disciples, “I have meat to eat that ye know not of”—it had been real refreshment and joy to Him. And to tell this dying man of the blessing He had in store for him was a joy beyond all our poor thoughts. Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.” It is certainly striking that the malefactor should have seen the head that man had crowned with thorns adorned with a royal diadem, and equally so that he should have desired to be remembered by the Lord when He came in His kingdom; but whether it is great faith or little faith it is Christ alone that gives either its value. Here then there is a soul saved without any title to merit; without any rite or ceremony; without any human interference. In it no priest nor any so called church has a place, but the whole thing, from beginning to end, is distinctly a personal matter between the sinner and the sinner’s only Saviour; and no saint in any age ever had a better title to the glory than the dying thief. For the alone title for any and every is the precious blood of God’s beloved Son. None of Adam’s fallen race ever went to heaven because they deserved to go there. None could ever be in the Paradise of God except upon the ground of redemption. Man was expelled, because of sin, from the paradise of creation, but here we have one of Adam’s posterity, in himself “guilty, lost, and helpless,” brought, because of redemption, in a perfectly righteous way into the Paradise of God. And the way in which he was saved is the only way in which any can be saved, that is, it is all of grace, free grace. To have God’s salvation we must have it on God’s terms, which exclude all boasting; it is a salvation without works; we receive it without in the least degree deserving it. Thus all the praise, now and forever, goes to the One who glorified God as to the question of sin by His sufferings and death. Salvation was too great and wonderful to be entrusted to any but His beloved Son. God laid help upon One who is mighty, and who at all cost to Himself became the Author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.
When we come to John’s Gospel it is very manifest that the Holy Spirit is directing our attention to the fact that everything written concerning the Lord’s death was then accomplished. “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst” (19:28). In perfect keeping with all this we get here the fulfillment of the Lord’s words to the repentant thief. When the Lord Jesus said, “To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise,” there were only a few hours to run, but no word of His could fall.
What an indescribable sweetness there is in those words “with Me”! Is it the disembodied state? Then it is, “with Me,” or “at home with the Lord.” Is it the glorified state? Then it is, “So shall we be forever with the Lord,” or “be with me where I am”—with the One “who loved me and gave Himself for me,” as each believer is privileged to say. Do not ask what will be the occupation of the redeemed in heaven, since we have been told that the Lord is going to have the believers with Himself forever; for in this we have the sum total of all blessedness.
Now, dear unsaved friend, what are you going to do with this testimony of the Holy Spirit as to how a poor wretched robber was first made fit, and then taken to Paradise? If you turn away from such grace and love you are certainly without excuse. God has provided everything in His beloved Son, and, I was going to say, all is offered to you, but that word “offered” is too cold. In grace it is pressed upon you for your acceptance; and remember, it is written, “As many as received him (the Lord Jesus), to them gave he power to become children of God; even to them that believe on his name.”
T. A. T.