The Last Opportunity. Luke 23:32-43 The two criminals mentioned in Mark’s Gospel as “transgressors” and thieves were described as “the wicked,” a term used hundreds of years earlier in Isaiah’s prophecy. The fulfillment of these prophetic scriptures is one of the many powerful outcomes that took place on the day Jesus was crucified. Our faith in Christ is not based on mere guesswork but on God’s word, which contains hundreds of fulfilled prophecies about the Lord Jesus Christ and the results of those fulfillments recorded in the New Testament. Our personal response to God's word makes our faith alive and meaningful to us.
Calvary, Golgotha, and “the place of the skull” all refer to the location near Jerusalem where the Romans publicly executed people to serve as examples of what happens to those who resist Roman laws. Yet, in the midst of two criminals who were found guilty of breaking Roman laws and knew their crimes condemned them to death, was the only sinless, innocent Son of Man who ever lived among sinful men. Being “numbered with the transgressors” was a fulfillment of the prophecy that identified the sinless Messiah of the Jews.
We know John was near the cross, and James was probably one of the disciples who stood apart to witness these events. These two men would have understood what it means to be “one on the right hand and the other on the left” of Jesus. In the kingdom of God, not everyone is given a prominent position in His government. Those who lead serve others. The Lord explained that those in leadership roles may suffer and die here. The cross we carry daily and serving others in His kingdom are closely connected today, just as they were in the past.
In remarkable words of grace, our Lord Jesus did not call on God to pass judgment on the soldiers who nailed Him by the hands and feet to the cross. Instead, He interceded for them in prayer when He spoke His first words from the cross: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” How startled they and all who heard those words must have been as they looked at each other and then at Jesus.
Despite His words, the soldiers returned to their usual routine. Each of them took a piece of cloth from His garment and then gambled for the seamless cloak the Lord wore as He traveled, blessing people wherever He went. Once again, prophetic scriptures were fulfilled in their actions [Ps.22:18].
If His prayer included everyone who condemned, mocked, and crucified Him and agreed to His death, it would have meant they missed their last chance to repent and turn to God by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, despite the kind words He spoke in His prayer, the soldiers went back to doing what interested them; the crowd simply stood there and watched the terrible injustice unfold before their eyes; the Jewish rulers continued mocking Him with words and making fun of His suffering and pain. Then, the soldiers followed the example of the Jewish rulers by mocking Him and offering Him vinegar and gall.
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who read the Bible understand the overall picture of everything that has happened, including what has taken place behind the scenes. Because our Lord suffered and died for our sins through God's determined counsel and foreknowledge, we are brought to God by our Savior and “accepted in the Beloved.” That doesn’t remove our grief as we reflect on all He endured for “our sake, our peace to make,” but we find comfort in knowing that because of what He did for us, our sins are forgiven, and justice has been fulfilled, giving us liberty.
The weekly observance by believers at the Lord’s Supper on the Lord’s Day publicly proclaims the Lord’s death on our behalf. A visible Gospel message is expressed through the bread and cup, with audible testimonies in words of worship, hymns of praise, and thanksgiving. We testify that our Lord Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead by gathering on the first day of the week, as the Scriptures teach. This assurance motivates us to remain vigilant as we await our Lord's return and His call to be with Him.
The prayer of our Lord for forgiveness for His tormentors has been echoed by many of His followers who have suffered at the hands of those who hate Christ. Stephen prayed in a similar way when he was being stoned to death. From the arenas and catacombs of Rome in the first three centuries after our Lord’s birth to countries around the world today, Christians have prayed, and still do, for the salvation of their tormentors. The mocking comment, “He saved others, let Him save Himself,” was spoken as a response to Jesus saying to some who came to Him, “Thy faith hath saved thee.” The implication of the mockery is, “Let’s see You save Yourself from death!”
The death of the Lord Jesus Christ was necessary to save others and had to come at the expense of His own life. The sign over the cross, “This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews,” was in three languages, “so that all might see the reason we, forever more, must love Him.” The death of Jesus on the cross was to take away the curse of “dying on a tree.” It also shows that a person on a cross, who is nearly dead, can still speak and think. The seven different phrases Jesus spoke each contained an important truth for our learning.
God’s forgiveness of sinners is based on justice. When a person dies, they no longer have debts to pay. When Jesus died for our sins and we trust Him as our Lord and Savior, our debt is paid, and that person can go straight to heaven. God’s care and concern for those who love Him do not stop because of life's circumstances. God had to be fully satisfied that the debt of sin was paid in full. The One who suffered in our place on the cross was a real Man who experienced the same feelings we would have if He had not died for us.
Before Jesus gave up His life, every claim of divine justice was fulfilled, and there was nothing more for us or anyone else to add to His finished work of redemption. God was fully satisfied, and the Father was glad to welcome the victorious Son of Man into their shared joy. They also experience the joy of lawfully receiving redeemed people, justified by Jesus’ blood, into God’s family. These seven statements affirm that anyone can be saved by personally trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
One thief, who was on a cross next to Jesus with a bitter spirit and cruel words, cursed Jesus. His attitude of bitter rejection of Jesus never changed. The other criminal on the other side of Jesus understood who Jesus was and heard words of acceptance when he called on the Lord's name. Maybe he had heard, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” He definitely knew he was a sinner and openly acknowledged that he was getting what he deserved, unlike Jesus, whom he knew had done nothing wrong.
Repentance isn’t complicated. When we admit our guilt and helplessness and openly face the fact that we deserve punishment for our sins, it opens the way for faith to work. The truth of the Gospel — "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, He was buried, and He rose again according to the scriptures" — is a message of hope for us. Knowing what the scriptures say and believing them is good. However, salvation does not come from simply accepting the Bible; it comes when we believe in the Person the Bible tells us about. Putting our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior is the foundation of His saving us. “Forsaking All I Trust Him.”
“Lord, remember me when You come into your kingdom” were words of faith from the thief. The immediate reply of the Lord Jesus was words of acceptance and assurance. “Today you will be with me in paradise” were all the words needed to bring peace to a troubled soul at his last chance to be saved. When he saw Jesus and heard His words, he seized the opportunity. He suffered and died that day and was taken to heaven, resting on the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave him His promise. Likely, his body was cast out to the place where it was burned, but the real man was with the Lord. Those who trust in Christ are with Him forever. Those who reject Him and have the same attitude as the other thief are lost forever.