The Crucified Thief Who Knew a Lot
The thief on the cross (Luke 23:39-42) appears to have met Jesus before. In the conversation between the thieves crucified with Christ, the penitent one declared the following:
* There is a God we must fear (Luke 23:40).
* You cannot sin with impunity (23:41).
* Christ’s unqualified perfection (23:41).
* The Lordship of Jesus; he had personal needs that only Jesus could supply (23:42).
* There are vital facts concerning the kingdom: that the kingdom belongs to the Lord, that the kingdom was yet to be established at that time, and that membership in the kingdom was a blessing to be desired (23:42).
* There is life after death (23:42).
The thief on the cross is sometimes used as an example of salvation without baptism, but he died under the old covenant, which did not require it. Fifty days later Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). His attitude, though, is worth imitating.
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