The Thief and Christ’s Second Coming
The Christian Standard says of the request of the thief on the cross, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom" (Luke 23:42):— "He had no doubt reference to the kingdom as it will be manifested at the second coming of Christ—the kingdom of the glorified, though he had no clear conception of its nature." Nobody can tell how clear a conception he may have had of the kingdom of Christ, but it is certain that in his request he had reference to the second coming of Christ. This truth is more clearly marked by Griesbach's text, which reads, "Remember me in the day of thy coming." And since Christ's coming in his kingdom is at his second coming (Matt. 25:31) we see that the thief made his request intelligently. What Christ promised was simply that his desire should be fulfilled. An emphatic declaration was made to the effect that when Christ should come the second time the thief should then be with him; he should be remembered. The word "to-day" simply makes the declaration the more emphatic.