DID THE GOOD THIEF

BELIEVE THE

GOSPEL?

Two "malefactors" were crucified on either side of the Lord Jesus Christ on that fateful day just outside the walls of Jerusalem. Luke's gospel (Luke 23:39-43) tells us that one thief "railed on him [Jesus]," and dared him to save himself and them. The other was miraculously "saved" that day, but why? Did this condemned criminal know the gospel? Did he understand that Christ was dying a substitutionary death on his behalf so that by simply believing in his death, burial, and resurrection, he would be saved? Of course not! Christ had not yet died, been buried or risen. Was Jesus simply being magnanimous in granting him entrance into "paradise" as a reward for his being sympathetic to him? Surely there's more to it than that!

The words of both thieves indicate that they were Jews who did have a rudimentary knowledge of the claim that Jesus was Israel's Messiah. The unrepentant thief said, "If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us." If we examine the words of the other, repentant, thief, we will find some clues as to what this man believed about Christ: "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." By calling Jesus, "Lord," he acknowledged that he is worthy of the highest respect. When he asks Jesus to "remember me," he is implying a belief that Jesus will survive beyond that day. By referring to Jesus coming "into thy kingdom," he is revealing that he believed Jesus was Israel's messiah who would someday certainly sit

on the throne of David.

This condemned man understood and believed the Gospel of the Kingdom! He was convinced that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the messianic prophecies given to the fathers of the nation Israel. He believed that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel; and because of that, he received the promise "that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:15).

Some Christians point to the thief on the cross to prove that water baptism was never necessary for salvation. But Acts 2:38 and many instances of water baptism taking place after conversion in the Book of Acts would destroy this argument. We understand today, through the epistles of our apostle, Paul, that the "one baptism" (Eph. 4:5) necessary for believers today is the Spirit baptism into Christ's body at the moment we believe. (1 Cor. 12:13). But at the time that the thief hung on that cross next to our Lord, water baptism was very much required as a prescription for cleansing for the believing remnant of the nation of Israel. So what about our thief? He was never water-baptized! No, but unlike most other kingdom believers, he could answer yes to Jesus' question of his disciples, "Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" (Mark 10:38b). The thief suffered to a much lesser extent, of course, and unlike Christ, was deserving of his punishment, but yet he did experience an excruciating crucifixion also.

The "good" thief on the cross that day represents all those Jews who believed in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, their Messiah and King. Israel was never required to believe or understand that Christ shed his life's blood in our place as a propitiation for sin, or that his resurrection justifies us from all sin. It was enough that they believed he was who he said he was: Israel's Messiah, the Son of God.

Today, we are saved by the gospel of the grace of God revealed to us through a new and different apostle - the Apostle of the Gentiles, Paul. His epistles make it clear that we must place our faith not only in who Christ is - the Son of God - but what he accomplished for us at Calvary. He's not our Messiah; he's our Head; we're his Body.

Believe what God tells us today and be saved!