The Thief on the Cross

“The Thief on the Cross” was preached by Pastor Mike Ray at Hopewell Baptist Church on Sunday Morning, 10/1/2023.

If you have your Bibles, would you open them, please, to Galatians chapter 6 this morning? Galatians 6:14. I’ll read the text, and here’s what it says.

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

So the Apostle Paul is basically saying, “You want me to brag?” He said, “I’m not going to brag on anything about me.” He said, “but I’m going to say a lot about that cross.” I love that about Paul.

And then if you want to look at one other passage in Matthew chapter 27, if you would. Matthew 27. As you’re finding it, I’ll quote a verse from 1 Corinthians where it says, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” There’s something special about the cross, something mighty special.

So this passage Matthew 27 is taking place while Jesus is on the cross. And notice as we look in Matthew 27:37:

“And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, 42 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. 43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. 44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.” (Matthew 27:37–44)

I’m going to speak about the thief on the cross this morning. I don’t know if we’re going to call him the good thief. I don’t know if there is such a thing as a good thief and a bad thief. That’s what we’re going to speak about this morning, and we will explain why there were three crosses.

Heavenly Father, would you help us as we draw a truth out of this story? Help it to be a help to us. Help our understanding be opened and the truth make us free. In Jesus’ name we ask, Amen.

At Calvary

If you could step inside of a time machine (if they had one) and you could go back 2,000 years — if you could push the button to be in Jerusalem and on a certain street outside of the city walls — you would see a place that they call Calvary, which in Latin means “cranium” and in Greek it’s the word which means the “skull.”

It was a place where public executions took place. It was not “on a hill far away.” It would have been at street level with the hill as the backdrop. Criminals were crucified in Rome. It was a common way to torture. They were usually crucified at ground level. They were not raised 20–30 feet up in the air. Rome wanted the citizens to know you don’t mess with Rome — if you break our laws, this is what happens to you.

Also, as people walked down this major thoroughfare, they got to see criminals up close and dying. It was not something they heard about in the newspaper or something someone told them. They saw it publicly. A public lesson — don’t break our laws.

You would have seen three crosses. On that day, there would have been an angry mob. There would have been three people on crosses, and in the middle, a Savior. On one side, the sinner and on the other side (eventually) a Saint.

The Circumstances

Let me give you the circumstances leading up to it. If you’re new to Christianity, Jesus was God. He performed miracles, healing, preaching change lives. A church established. Prophecy in the Old Testament fulfilled. “Hosanna to the king.” Then envy, “crucify him, crucify him,” hatred by religious leaders, a betrayal, arrest a fake trial. Crucifixion, the beard, the thorns, the nails, the spear, the spitting, the beatings, the whippings. It all happened there at the cross.

Someone said,

The cross is the greatest positive sign God offers a negative world. The cross is the big plus sign where God blesses you.

The cross crosses out all the negatives in our lives.

A thief on each side of Jesus represents all of mankind. Believers, nonbelievers, lost, saved. Both were just feet apart from the Savior. Both had the same opportunity. But we talk about one that went to Heaven and then we talk about one that went to Hell.

Scripture calls them thieves. It never gives us their names. It doesn’t tell us about their families, their upbringings. It never mentions their religion. It does not mention where they lived or what part of the region they grew up. It doesn’t give us details. Were they the smash and grab thieves? (No, they didn’t live in America.) Were they stealing from the blind? Were they stealing from the government? It doesn’t say. Did they begin as children stealing things in the marketplace when no one was watching? Were they thieves as teenagers? It doesn’t say.

Later, the Bible adds they were also murderers. Who did they murder? We’re not told that. Did they perhaps kill a Roman soldier? Did they perhaps kill someone while they were robbing? Was it premeditated? The Scripture never said. It doesn’t give us all of the details. All we know is that

Earth’s worst were crucified by Heaven’s best. The prince of glory was associated with sinners when he died.

Both thieves had mocked Jesus. Both.

Can you imagine being mocked while you’re dying? It’s one thing the be suffering while you are dying, but don’t pick on another guy that’s dying at the same time! “Hey, you saved others, won’t you save us if you’re the son of God? Hey, will God have you? If God will have you, let God save you. Come off the cross and save us as well.”

What were they saying?

They were both saying, “We don’t believe in you.” And how many people in our society are like that? They don’t scream it. They don’t cry it. But that’s what they’re saying. “We don’t even believe in you.” What did they feel, Pastor? They felt burning hands because they also were nailed; they felt burning feet. They felt their strength waning and blood loss. Heart rate increased.

What did they see?

They would have seen an angry mob. The Bible says, sitting down, they watched him there. It’s one thing for someone to die. It’s another thing for the room to be crowded with strangers that are mocking and taunting the dying man.

They saw gambling — Jesus’ clothing being gambled for by the soldiers.

They saw people sitting — they saw Mary, they saw John.

What did the thieves see? They saw the blood from Jesus dripping down. They saw the spit coming off of his face. They saw the sign over Jesus, “Jesus of Nazareth, king of the Jews.” By the way, he wasn’t just Jesus of Nazareth. The world has always minimized the importance of Christ and His deity. He was Jesus from Heaven, and He was not just king of the Jews; He’s King of all kings, King of the universe. People still minimize Jesus today.

What did the thieves hear?

They heard the scribes, they heard the religious leaders, they heard the mocking, they heard women weeping, they heard the laughter, they heard the repeating of words.

What did they hear? They finally heard Jesus speak seven sayings on the cross. What did he say? “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) And that statement I am told is in the linear. He said it more than once. He kept saying, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

Jesus, Our Example

What an example to us: as Jesus Christ is being mocked and spit upon and perhaps hit as people walk by, He’s constantly saying, “Father, forgive them.” What an example for us. The thieves are hearing him say this, and then He says to Mary, His mother, “Woman,” which means sweet lady or kind lady, “behold your son.” In other words, John’s going to take care of you; behold thy mother. On the cross, responsibility. He is still handling business on the cross. “I’m the oldest son of the family. Mom, I’ll take care of you; John, take care of mom. I’m about to leave. I want to make sure this business is handled.” Boy. I just love that.

Hey, where were all the people He healed? Where were the thousands he fed? Where were those that He raised from the dead? Where were the lepers that He cleansed? And the blinded eyes that He held? Where were all those people to help rescue Him? We forget so quickly.

What did the thieves hear? They heard, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) You never hear that elsewhere in Scripture — Jesus on Earth during His ministry always called God His Father. But on the cross now He says “my God,” as if speaking to the Father, and then “my God,” as if speaking to the Holy Spirit.

Why did He only say “my God” twice? Three in one — God the Father, Son, Holy Ghost — three in one. We call it the Trinity. For the first time ever, there was a strain in the relationship. God is holy and perfect, and sin had now been put on Jesus. He became sin for us, became our substitute. There that holy relationship was strained. “Why have you forsaken me (turned your back on me)?”

Then He said, “I thirst.” What was Jesus feeling? I believe he was feeling the sorrows of Hell. The Bible says the sky turned dark, the sun was hidden, it was black and dark in the middle of the day. There is darkness in Hell, thirst in Hell, the fire in hell. Many scholars believe that was the moment God put the sins of the world on Jesus Christ. He became our substitute.

Then He said, “It is finished.” Boy, I love that. That’s my favorite saying on the whole cross. “It is finished.” What’s finished? “I paid the debt. I paid the sins for mankind. Past, present, future. Who would ever be born, who was not born, who was living at that time.” He had paid it in full. His blood had paid for the sins of the whole world, yours and mine.

But at the very end, he said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46) I love that.

Now the Thief Speaks

You say, “Well, Pastor, what are you getting at there?” I want you to see this for a moment. Jesus spoke, and now the thief speaks. It’s in Luke 23. Finally, the thief speaks up. We have the crowd speaking, we have Jesus speaking, and now both thieves are speaking. It’s now about six hours or so on the cross.

What is this thief saying? This thief has seen the angry mob, and he too has mocked Jesus. But now he is hearing, he is hearing Jesus speak seven times. Guess what? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. God himself — Jesus — is speaking. So the thief is actually hearing the literal words or the Word of God.

At first the thief doesn’t believe. “I don’t believe in you. I don’t believe you’re the Son of God.” Six hours pass and look what he says then.

“And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?” (Luke 23:39)

He rebuked the other thief — “Shut up!” He says, “And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.” (Luke 23:41)

He said, “We deserve this. We’re thieves. We’re murderers. We ought to be executed.” I love this. He didn’t play the victim card. He didn’t blame his daddy. He didn’t blame his mama. He didn’t blame the priest at the synagogue. He didn’t blame the Roman government. He says, “Hey, we deserve this.”

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23) “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23a) “We deserve this.” But notice what he says here. He says, “…but this man hath done nothing amiss.”

Even Pilate said it when he had the fake trial. He said, “I find no fault in this man at all. I find no fault in him.” And you can look for a billion years and never find one fault in Jesus Christ. He has no faults. He’s the altogether lovely one. Twelve disciples slept next to Him and lived with Him for three years and traveled with Him and preached with Him yet. They couldn’t find one fault or one blemish because He was the perfect Son of God.

So what does the thief say to the other thief? “Be quiet. We deserve this.”

Luke 23:42: “And he said unto Jesus, Lord…” In other words, Savior, Master, God.

Just that one word “Lord” made all the difference.

By the way, Judas who ended his life and went to Hell, in the garden he said, “Master.” “Hey boss.” Judas never called Jesus “Lord” because he never believed Jesus was the Lord, God’s Son. He thought it was some political guy going to take over and overthrow the Roman government.

Here’s a thief on the cross. He looks and says, “Lord.” Guess when this thief got saved? Immediately. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:10)

He didn’t have time to get baptized.

He didn’t have time to put money in the plate.

He didn’t have time to go to some addictions program and whip all his habits.

He didn’t have time to tell the murdered family, “I’m sorry” and try to make amends.

He didn’t have time to restore stolen goods.

He was nailed. He’s dying. His feet are filling the flames of fire. The demons are making room in hell for him.

He says, “Lord,” and immediately God wrote his name in the Book of Life; and God says, “Start building his mansion”; and God covered his sins; and all these things happened immediately on that cross because of one word and what it represents. “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

You know how Jesus could have responded? “Hey, what was it you were saying about Me the last five hours?” Jesus could have literally said this and it wouldn’t have been cussing: “Go to hell.” He was already on his way to Hell. There’s a lot Jesus could have said… “Oh, you bashed Me, and now you want me to save you, huh? You steal and you murder, and you never needed Me your whole life, but now, at the last minute, you want Me. Hey, forget it. Not going to do it. Pay for your own sins. You don’t really believe I’m the Savior. Die without one.” There are so many things He could have said.

But I love what he did say: “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) “Thou — kind of personal. Here’s your get out of jail card, pal. Here it is. Get out a Hell card. Salvation. It’s your lucky day. You got crucified, but you’re one foot away from the Savior. Wow! What a, what a grace-giving God!

With the remaining time, I want to give you lessons from the cross. What can the thief teach us?

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Hopewell Baptist Church is an Independent Baptist Church in Napa, California pastored by Mike Ray. It is Bible-based with a warm, friendly atmosphere. Hopewell is dedicated to bringing the water of life to the Napa Valley and beyond.