Traditionally, the eve of Easter is referred to as ‘Holy Saturday’, or the ‘Great Sabbath’. On this day, Christians of various denominations hold to a time of silent, contemplative rest. It is both a time of reflection on Jesus’ sacrifice and a time of eager anticipation for the impending celebration of Jesus’ resurrection. To consider this tension in light of this season, we turn to one of Jesus’ final interactions before he breathed his last.
Jesus and the Two Thieves
As Jesus hung on the cross, beside him were two thieves. In a conversation that was no longer than a minute, we see the author, Luke, detail the account across 10 verses. The insignia above Jesus’ head read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews”. He had not stolen or murdered, yet he was tried as a criminal. He was tried for blasphemy, for saying that he is who he says he is: the fulfilment of God’s promises, Emmanuel – God with us; the one who is the way to the Father. In fulfilment of the prophecies given thousands of years prior, Jesus was mocked, scorned and killed despite being innocent. As one of the thieves saw the supposed Messiah hanging helplessly on the cross, he goaded him, saying:
“Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us.”
Luke 23:33 (NIV)
The request was reasonable. If this man were who he said he was, why does he not do something? The fact, however, is that Jesus did answer his goading, at least in part. As we looked in yesterday’s account of Jesus on the Mount of Olives, we see that Jesus beseeched the Father, asking for an alternative. Yet, he prayed “not my will, but yours be done” (22:42). It was the Father’s will to send Jesus to the cross, so for Jesus, there was no saving himself. In fact, based on his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, he resolved to remain obedient to His Father’s plan all to the way to the end. All of this, so that he could save us.
The Rebuke of the Thief
To the one thief’s goading, we see the other rebuke him:
“Don’t you fear God […] since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. […] Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Luke 23:40-42
There are some important things to note from the second thief’s rebuke which are pertinent to understanding how one can indeed be saved. Firstly, we see the thief rebuke the other for being blind to his situation. His death being imminent, the first thief still fails to see the gravity of his situation. He would have to not only answer in this life, but he will have to answer before God. Thus, the first thing one must do is come to terms with the truth. More often than not, when we are on the short end of the hand of discipline or justice, we fail to see that it is our choices and actions which have led us to our current situation. The Holy Spirit speaks to us in these circumstances, revealing to us the gravity of our situation and our role in it. The first step, is to accept that we are indeed in the wrong.
Secondly, we see that the second thief not only was aware of the aforementioned, but accepted the consequences for his actions. Contrary to the other thief, he had accepted that there was no other way to be saved in his own capacity. Thus, the second step is to make no excuse and to take responsibility for our transgressions. Thirdly, we see him accept Jesus for who he is. In other words, it was plain to him as it was to others that this man who hung beside him was innocent. When looking at Jesus, the conventional notion is to consider him to be a ‘good teacher’. However, as C.S. Lewis explains in his book, “Mere Christianity”, if we were to earnestly look at what Jesus said and did, we cannot merely regard him as a ‘good teacher’. Jesus performed miracles, raised the dead, cast out demons and most controversially, claimed to be God incarnate. Thus, one is left with three options:
1. Jesus is who he says he is, and is completely good and therefore trustworthy.
2. Jesus is a madman, someone who is completely deluded and therefore untrustworthy.
3. Jesus is in fact evil, as he is purposefully deceiving and manipulating others.
Neither the second nor third point is tenable if we look at the accounts of Jesus in the gospels. We do not see an incoherent madman, filled with delusions of grandeur. We do not see an evil man, but one who spent his life healing the sick, championing the cause of the poor and the marginalised and giving hope to those who have been discarded by society. As such, the third step is to approach Jesus and acknowledge him for who he is: an innocent man, sent to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sake.
The fourth and final key aspect of this interaction to note is the thief’s appeal to Jesus. He does not ask to be spared of the cross, but to be remembered by Jesus when he enters into heaven. He sees past Jesus’ appearance on the cross to see him for who he is – the King of Heaven. The thief places his trust in Jesus’ mercy alone – not in his own ability or in his own righteousness. Unless we turn to God’s mercy on offer for us, we tell him that we can still save ourselves. However, we all hang spiritually on the crosses of our own making as the thieves hung on their crosses. We delude ourselves in thinking that we can save ourselves. Our only hope is to accept the mercy readily on offer to us in the form of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
You will be with me in Paradise
At his appeal, Jesus replies to the thief:
“Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise”.
Luke 23:43
These words await all of those who place their trust in Jesus Christ. When we, just as the second thief, accept our own shortcomings, acknowledge Jesus for who he is and make our appeal to his mercy based on who He is, we can join the second thief in the eternal celebration which is taking place in heaven. In this season, we reflect on the finished work of Jesus on the cross. It is because of this great act of loving mercy that we celebrate. For our risen King is seated in heaven, and is always standing ready to welcome his children home. He drank from the bitter cup of God’s wrath so that we could be given to drink from the spring of the water of life without charge (Revelation 21:6).
We conclude this look into Jesus’ interaction with the thieves on the cross by look at William Cowper’s hymn, “There is a fountain filled with blood”.
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power,
Till all the ransomed ones of God
Be saved, to sin no more.E’er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing Thy power to save.May the Lord bless you and keep you.