The thief on the cross.

[Dan Knight]

While researching other topics I came upon the thief on the cross.  My interest was drawn to him and his experience.  For the past few years my studies would lead me back to the Garden of Eden.  This was no exception. I will get to the point. When God confronted Adam,  his response was "It was the woman You gave me...".  He blamed God, otherwise h e would have said "It was the woman,  she gave me the fruit and I did eat of it".  The inquiry from God , (Gen 3:11), required a yes or no response. "Did you...", "Yes I did..". But Adam sought someone to lay the blame on, anyone but himself. He layed it on God and the woman, his woman. (Which incidentally is the first time in recorded history that a man threw his wife under the bus..amen?).  By blaming God, Adam was saying that the woman fell short of what she was created to do. She was created by God to be a help for him. But there was a design flaw. What God said, didn't happen.  Adam concluded that God was wrong. 

  That was the core of Satan's intent. To cause human beings to believe that God is a liar therefore fallible.  Able to be wrong.  Believing that God was a liar earned human kind the death sentence.  Not the first death,  but the second death.  Eternally dammed. 

  The events on the cross were staged to give us a most important guide to salvation via repentance.  The thief witnessed to those at the cross and to anyone who has ever read the account. His witness was that "..this Man has done NOTHING  wrong..) That God is not a liar. 

  The thieves on the cross represent mankind's circumstance due to the consequences of sin, and through the witnessing of the one thief, God the Father gives us our guide to redemption from the second death which is through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

 Over the years I have myself witnessed many, many folks accuse God of wrong doing.  I pray for the opportunity to witness to them that this God, "..has done nothing wrong. 

  Also, what Satan accused God of lying about, and how many folks today are still living out that lie is a very interesting study that I am currently involved in.  Help in that study is most welcomed. 

  I  would very much appreciate any comments and or corrections.  Ty, dan

Edited June 27, 2022 by Dan Knight
Correct spelling. Add ending.

[JohnD]

Interesting view point on the biblical character. Also the one thief representing humanity in acceptance and the other in denial.

Humanity itself was on trial / execution with the Bridge to God as the Daysman Job prayed for (Job 9:33).

I also wanted to point out that Jesus' promise (Luke 23:43) was fulfilled in that Ephesians 4:8-10 was finished before sunset

that same day. The Spirit of Jesus (God the Word) took the inhabitants of Abraham's Bosom (Luke 16:19-31) to heaven in thier

spirits (disembodied state see 2 Corinthians 5:8). And He was with them for the remainder of the three days and three nights

while His body laid in the tomb until His resurrection.

BTW John 20:17 refers to His ascension in His resurrected state. 

The thief on the cross was the first Christian to go directly to heaven in death.

 

[Jayne]

On 6/27/2022 at 6:32 PM, Dan Knight said:

 I  would very much appreciate any comments and or corrections.  Ty, dan

Remember that initially, BOTH thieves were reviling Jesus.  So says Matthew 27.

What made the difference?

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them.  They don't know what they are doing."  After that, one thief changed his heart.  One of the soldiers changed his heart.  And by Acts 15, several of the Pharisees who had Jesus murdered were saved!

 

[JohnD]

13 hours ago, Jayne said:

Remember that initially, BOTH thieves were reviling Jesus.  So says Matthew 27.

What made the difference?

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them.  They don't know what they are doing."  After that, one thief changed his heart.  One of the soldiers changed his heart.  And by Acts 15, several of the Pharisees who had Jesus murdered were saved!

 

Good point.

I also take Jesus' comment as being claimed over all humanity (1 Timothy 4:10 / 1 John 2:2) but activated only by individual faith in Jesus (John 3:6-18 / Ephesians 2:8-10 etc. ).

[Phil W]

On 6/27/2022 at 4:32 PM, Dan Knight said:

While researching other topics I came upon the thief on the cross.  My interest was drawn to him and his experience.  For the past few years my studies would lead me back to the Garden of Eden.  This was no exception. I will get to the point. When God confronted Adam,  his response was "It was the woman You gave me...".  He blamed God, otherwise h e would have said "It was the woman,  she gave me the fruit and I did eat of it".  The inquiry from God , (Gen 3:11), required a yes or no response. "Did you...", "Yes I did..". But Adam sought someone to lay the blame on, anyone but himself. He layed it on God and the woman, his woman. (Which incidentally is the first time in recorded history that a man threw his wife under the bus..amen?).  By blaming God, Adam was saying that the woman fell short of what she was created to do. She was created by God to be a help for him. But there was a design flaw. What God said, didn't happen.  Adam concluded that God was wrong. 

  That was the core of Satan's intent. To cause human beings to believe that God is a liar therefore fallible.  Able to be wrong.  Believing that God was a liar earned human kind the death sentence.  Not the first death,  but the second death.  Eternally dammed. 

  The events on the cross were staged to give us a most important guide to salvation via repentance.  The thief witnessed to those at the cross and to anyone who has ever read the account. His witness was that "..this Man has done NOTHING  wrong..) That God is not a liar. 

  The thieves on the cross represent mankind's circumstance due to the consequences of sin, and through the witnessing of the one thief, God the Father gives us our guide to redemption from the second death which is through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

 Over the years I have myself witnessed many, many folks accuse God of wrong doing.  I pray for the opportunity to witness to them that this God, "..has done nothing wrong. 

  Also, what Satan accused God of lying about, and how many folks today are still living out that lie is a very interesting study that I am currently involved in.  Help in that study is most welcomed. 

  I  would very much appreciate any comments and or corrections.  Ty, dan

Your findings here are quite interesting, and true.

Thank you.

[Who me]

What made the difference to the repentant thief?

 

Jesus's prayer for his exceutions.

His behaviour while being crucified.

His behaviour on the cross.

What the thief know about Jesus.

 

His behaviour and attitude was totaly different.

 

He didn't curse his exceutions, he didn't curse or revial the bystanders.

 

As the thief confess he and his companion deserved their deaths but jesus didn't.

 

 

It is getting to that same point that is the problem for most people.

They do not see themselves as 'sinners ' as deserving hell.

[Fidei Defensor]

In the Slavic Churches they use the Byzantine cross: 

The foot rest beam that Jesus put his feet on is titled. The part tilting up represents the Thief on the Cross who asks Christ to remember him in Paradise (Luke 23:40-43), while the titled down beam represents the other thief who mocks Jesus (Luke 23:39). 

At the cross we see the two responses, the repentant who asks Jesus to be saved and the ridiculer who mocks. 
 

 

[Dennis1209]

On 7/5/2022 at 8:54 PM, Jayne said:

Remember that initially, BOTH thieves were reviling Jesus.  So says Matthew 27.

What made the difference?

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them.  They don't know what they are doing."  After that, one thief changed his heart.  One of the soldiers changed his heart.  And by Acts 15, several of the Pharisees who had Jesus murdered were saved!

 

Good morning, Jayne,

An observation I cannot find the biblical answer? I also thought and called the two crucified next to Jesus thieves (that's what I always heard), and most everyone cites their criminal offense as thievery, including gotquestions.org.

A slow, agonizingly painful death for a common petty offense seems overkill and unreasonable? I'm not disputing that, with the overwhelming majority citing their offense as thieves. The translations I look at label them malefactors or criminals – wrongdoers. For my information, where in the Bible does it tell us why they are crucified?

There's another lesson worth mentioning about the criminal that would be in Paradise with Jesus that very same day. The one changed his mind from ridicule to "faith" and verbally confessed it (remember me).

That criminal only possessed faith, trust, and belief, and he had no time or opportunity to demonstrate repentance or produce any fruit. His inward heart was changed, and he showed no outward works.

[Jayne]

6 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Good morning, Jayne,

An observation I cannot find the biblical answer? I also thought and called the two crucified next to Jesus thieves (that's what I always heard), and most everyone cites their criminal offense as thievery, including gotquestions.org.

An excellent question.  I love excellent questions.

I've been looking for an hour everywhere I know to look and using several tools.  Everywhere I looked either said "criminal", "malfactor", or "evil doer".  I had just about given up when I found this:

Matthew 27:28   Matthew 27:38 Two robbers were crucified with Him, one on His right hand and the other on His left. (biblehub.com)

[Alive]

28 minutes ago, Walter Goraj jr said:

Very nicely put. It is also very interesting to note that the thief who wanted to be with Jesus in His Kingdom was railing against Him earlier. As. a  "predestinationalist" I love to ask the question: what made him change his mind? There was no one there to lead him in a "sinners prayer". There is no record of him " accepting Christ".....so what gives?

He was ordained to salvation, and the Holy Spirit regenerated him right before his death, as there are also babies that are saved in the womb before their life on earth begins.

Amen--I agree. Not sure about that last part in bold, but I no proof either way. It is quite pleasant to think about though.