And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
One of the two criminals crucified beside Jesus joined the priests, the mob and the passersby in reviling Him, daring Him to prove He was the Christ by miraculously saving Himself and them. At first both thieves railed upon Him, but the one continued hardened, desperate and defiant under the same torture Jesus endured, while the other was not a hardened criminal. The mocker saw Christ's saving power only as a way to escape the cross, failing to recognize His innocent, sin-pardoning character and refusing to believe in Him, thus representing those who reject Jesus and die without hope. In contrast the other criminal rebuked him, confessed their just condemnation and Jesus' innocence, and in faith grasped Him as Redeemer, Lord and Messiah who could remember him in His kingdom. His taunt deepened the suffering of the sinless Bearer of the world's sin and painfully tried the faith of His mother and disciples as they saw their hope dying as a criminal, yet Jesus' answer to the penitent thief proved that even in apparent defeat He held the right and power to forgive sin and save to the uttermost all who receive Him.
Setting and Mocking Taunt
The two men hanged with Jesus were companions of Barabbas who were to die at the same time with Him, crosses were laid upon them both, and the cross laid upon Jesus as He passed the gate of Pilate's court was the cross that had been prepared for Barabbas. The execution took place at Calvary outside Jerusalem's gate where criminals were executed, where Jesus suffered as the substitute bearing the curse of the law for transgression. He was placed between the two thieves by the priests and rulers to mark Him as the greatest criminal, fulfilling Isaiah's words that He would be numbered with transgressors, though they did not grasp its full meaning that His cross stood at the center of a sinful world.
One of the criminals railed on Him, joining the general reviling while Jesus hung on the cross amid murderers, passersby, chief priests, scribes, elders and religious leaders. He echoed their scorn and temptation by challenging Him to prove He is the Christ and the Son of God by miraculously saving Himself and them, demanding rescue from the cross rather than salvation from sin. His words were part of the scorn and derision directed at Jesus on the cross, taking up the mocking of the priests and the scornful upbraiding of religionists and passersby and throwing it at Jesus. Both men crucified with Jesus at first railed upon Him, but this mocker under the same physical torture as Jesus became only more hardened, desperate and defiant, while the other malefactor was not a hardened criminal.
His taunt added contempt to the suffering of the sinless Son of God bearing the world's sin. It was heard by his fellow criminal and drew a rebuke. It painfully tested those who hoped Jesus would display His power and silence His revilers, including His mother and disciples watching Him taunted to come down and save Himself. By showing the disciples their hope dying like a criminal in the hands of wicked men, when they had centered their hopes of eternal life in Him and thought He was to take His place on David's throne, it tried their faith and failed their hope and courage, and gave them cause to mourn and fast.
Unbelief and Saving Faith
One thief used the claim that Jesus was the Christ only to demand escape from the cross for himself and the others, failing to see divine character in the dying Sufferer beside him. He did not recognize an innocent, sin-pardoning Saviour in Jesus, and he refused to look to and believe in the crucified Christ. In that refusal he stands as the pattern of those who reject Jesus and therefore die without hope.
In contrast the other condemned man rebuked the mocker, confessed that both thieves were justly condemned while Jesus was innocent and had suffered unjustly, and turned to Jesus in faith. The Spirit illuminated his mind so that amid denial and doubt he grasped by faith the evidence that Jesus was Redeemer, Lord, Messiah and sin-pardoning Saviour. He asked to be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom, and in that appeal he found peace with God and pardon through Christ, whose suffering had impressed the sinner and whose love for sinners was thus revealed.
Jesus' answer to the believing thief proves that even in the agonies of death, humiliation and apparent defeat He held the right and power to forgive sin and to save to the uttermost all who receive Him. As the propitiation for the sins of the whole world He alone could answer the suffering thief, for while His humanity suffered the hatred and revenge of a God-hating people His divinity was at work in redemption. He alone was free to take the thief's guilt as surety, showing pity and forgiveness to one ensnared by Satan, giving His life and all He possessed so that pardon was possible and His death on Calvary was for every person.
The penitent thief's genuine conversion testified that Jesus was no impostor and fulfilled His saving mission even at the close of His life under condemnation. His words of faith were especially precious amid taunts and gave Jesus one gleam of comfort in bitter loneliness and agony. Together with the Roman centurion who commanded the guard and the man who bore Jesus' cross, the dying believer formed three widely different witnesses on the day of death giving fresh evidence of fulfilled prophecy and of Christ's divinity, showing that the Redeemer would see of the travail of His soul. At His death only that one criminal confessed His mission, yet a few days later thousands were converted to what had seemed a lost cause.
His case shows that even the vilest sinner may receive pardon and salvation through Christ's merits when accepting the light given him, for the gospel was preached to him on the cross and the Lord accepts all who receive and believe. It is no reason to delay repentance or presume on a deathbed conversion, for neglecting opportunities for light deepens darkness toward hopeless deception. He had no light until that last moment and waited only until then, whereas those shown duty in God's Word should serve God at once with heart and ability, and Judas likewise could have been saved and freely forgiven if he had yielded and confessed his betrayal.
As those who looked on the lifted brazen serpent in the wilderness lived, so those who now look in faith to the Saviour are pardoned, since without shedding of blood no one can be saved. Christ gave the confessing, believing thief peace, assurance and the promise of being with Him in Paradise, which did not mean that day because Jesus died and lay in the tomb. The thief was a guilty soul who could not save himself and suffered justly for his crimes, yet he was far less guilty than those who sentenced and executed Him, the priests, scribes and rulers who took active part in demanding the Son of God's death. The loving compassion shown to this sinful soul shows the tender consideration the Lord has for all who look to Him in faith, trusting His power to save them and give them victory.
One of the two criminals crucified beside Jesus joined the priests, the mob and the passersby in reviling Him, daring Him to prove He was the Christ by miraculously saving Himself and them. At first both thieves railed upon Him, but the one continued hardened, desperate and defiant under the same torture Jesus endured, while the other was not a hardened criminal. The mocker saw Christ's saving power only as a way to escape the cross, failing to recognize His innocent, sin-pardoning character and refusing to believe in Him, thus representing those who reject Jesus and die without hope. In contrast the other criminal rebuked him, confessed their just condemnation and Jesus' innocence, and in faith grasped Him as Redeemer, Lord and Messiah who could remember him in His kingdom. His taunt deepened the suffering of the sinless Bearer of the world's sin and painfully tried the faith of His mother and disciples as they saw their hope dying as a criminal, yet Jesus' answer to the penitent thief proved that even in apparent defeat He held the right and power to forgive sin and save to the uttermost all who receive Him.
Setting and Mocking Taunt
The two men hanged with Jesus were companions of Barabbas who were to die at the same time with Him, crosses were laid upon them both, and the cross laid upon Jesus as He passed the gate of Pilate's court was the cross that had been prepared for Barabbas. The execution took place at Calvary outside Jerusalem's gate where criminals were executed, where Jesus suffered as the substitute bearing the curse of the law for transgression. He was placed between the two thieves by the priests and rulers to mark Him as the greatest criminal, fulfilling Isaiah's words that He would be numbered with transgressors, though they did not grasp its full meaning that His cross stood at the center of a sinful world.
One of the criminals railed on Him, joining the general reviling while Jesus hung on the cross amid murderers, passersby, chief priests, scribes, elders and religious leaders. He echoed their scorn and temptation by challenging Him to prove He is the Christ and the Son of God by miraculously saving Himself and them, demanding rescue from the cross rather than salvation from sin. His words were part of the scorn and derision directed at Jesus on the cross, taking up the mocking of the priests and the scornful upbraiding of religionists and passersby and throwing it at Jesus. Both men crucified with Jesus at first railed upon Him, but this mocker under the same physical torture as Jesus became only more hardened, desperate and defiant, while the other malefactor was not a hardened criminal.
His taunt added contempt to the suffering of the sinless Son of God bearing the world's sin. It was heard by his fellow criminal and drew a rebuke. It painfully tested those who hoped Jesus would display His power and silence His revilers, including His mother and disciples watching Him taunted to come down and save Himself. By showing the disciples their hope dying like a criminal in the hands of wicked men, when they had centered their hopes of eternal life in Him and thought He was to take His place on David's throne, it tried their faith and failed their hope and courage, and gave them cause to mourn and fast.
Unbelief and Saving Faith
One thief used the claim that Jesus was the Christ only to demand escape from the cross for himself and the others, failing to see divine character in the dying Sufferer beside him. He did not recognize an innocent, sin-pardoning Saviour in Jesus, and he refused to look to and believe in the crucified Christ. In that refusal he stands as the pattern of those who reject Jesus and therefore die without hope.
In contrast the other condemned man rebuked the mocker, confessed that both thieves were justly condemned while Jesus was innocent and had suffered unjustly, and turned to Jesus in faith. The Spirit illuminated his mind so that amid denial and doubt he grasped by faith the evidence that Jesus was Redeemer, Lord, Messiah and sin-pardoning Saviour. He asked to be remembered when Jesus came into His kingdom, and in that appeal he found peace with God and pardon through Christ, whose suffering had impressed the sinner and whose love for sinners was thus revealed.
Jesus' answer to the believing thief proves that even in the agonies of death, humiliation and apparent defeat He held the right and power to forgive sin and to save to the uttermost all who receive Him. As the propitiation for the sins of the whole world He alone could answer the suffering thief, for while His humanity suffered the hatred and revenge of a God-hating people His divinity was at work in redemption. He alone was free to take the thief's guilt as surety, showing pity and forgiveness to one ensnared by Satan, giving His life and all He possessed so that pardon was possible and His death on Calvary was for every person.
The penitent thief's genuine conversion testified that Jesus was no impostor and fulfilled His saving mission even at the close of His life under condemnation. His words of faith were especially precious amid taunts and gave Jesus one gleam of comfort in bitter loneliness and agony. Together with the Roman centurion who commanded the guard and the man who bore Jesus' cross, the dying believer formed three widely different witnesses on the day of death giving fresh evidence of fulfilled prophecy and of Christ's divinity, showing that the Redeemer would see of the travail of His soul. At His death only that one criminal confessed His mission, yet a few days later thousands were converted to what had seemed a lost cause.
His case shows that even the vilest sinner may receive pardon and salvation through Christ's merits when accepting the light given him, for the gospel was preached to him on the cross and the Lord accepts all who receive and believe. It is no reason to delay repentance or presume on a deathbed conversion, for neglecting opportunities for light deepens darkness toward hopeless deception. He had no light until that last moment and waited only until then, whereas those shown duty in God's Word should serve God at once with heart and ability, and Judas likewise could have been saved and freely forgiven if he had yielded and confessed his betrayal.
As those who looked on the lifted brazen serpent in the wilderness lived, so those who now look in faith to the Saviour are pardoned, since without shedding of blood no one can be saved. Christ gave the confessing, believing thief peace, assurance and the promise of being with Him in Paradise, which did not mean that day because Jesus died and lay in the tomb. The thief was a guilty soul who could not save himself and suffered justly for his crimes, yet he was far less guilty than those who sentenced and executed Him, the priests, scribes and rulers who took active part in demanding the Son of God's death. The loving compassion shown to this sinful soul shows the tender consideration the Lord has for all who look to Him in faith, trusting His power to save them and give them victory.