what side was the thief on when he asked jesus to remember him

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Luke 23:32-43, (NAS95)

32 Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to exist put to expiry with Him. 33 When they came to the place called The Skull, in that location they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. 34 But Jesus was saying, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing." And they cast lots, dividing up His garments amidst themselves. 35 And the people stood past, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, "He saved others; let Him salvage Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Called One." 36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offer Him sour vino, 37 and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!" 38 Now there was too an inscription above Him, "THIS IS THE King OF THE JEWS." 39 1 of the criminals who were hanged in that location was hurling abuse at Him, proverb, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!" 40 Only the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Practice you non even fearfulness God, since you are nether the same sentence of condemnation? 41 "And nosotros indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; simply this human being has done nothing wrong." 42 And he was saying, "Jesus, think me when You come in Your kingdom!" 43 And He said to him, "Truly I say to yous, today y'all shall be with Me in Paradise."

The above narrative is ane of the nearly touching in the unabridged Bible. While the Lord was experiencing the physical, emotional and perhaps fifty-fifty spiritual agony of the cross, he withal expressed the divine nature of His dearest for man. He had the compassion to listen to the pleas of i who had great need. He fabricated the effort to repress his own hurting to and reply to the needs of a sinner. He promised that man, that that very mean solar day, He would be with Jesus in Paradise. What a wonderful assurance. Because of the assurance Jesus gave his companion in expiry, many today profess that like the thief crucified next to Jesus, nosotros may have the balls of Paradise by making a similar entreatment to the Lord. Nonetheless, the New Testament , Jesus' Covenant teaches that baptism stands betwixt homo and the forgiveness of sin. The
Bible tells usa what Christ requires of u.s. to be saved. In spite of the plain argument of Jesus, many teach and believe baptism is not necessary to be saved. They believe they can be saved like the thief on the cantankerous. They too assume that the thief on the cross had never been baptized every bit the New Testament requires, hence they do not demand to be baptized.

Even if the thief on the cross had never been baptized, his salvation should not exist an alibi to remove the divine mandate of baptism from us today. Permit us look at why the thief is not an case of how man is saved today.

The first principle that we must sympathise is the fact that Jesus had the power to forgive sins while on the earth.

Matthew 9:ii And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of proficient cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. 3 And, behold, sure of the scribes said within themselves, This human blasphemeth. four And Jesus knowing their thoughts said,
Wherefore call up ye evil in your hearts? 5 For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? half-dozen But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on world to forgive sins, (then saith he to the ill of the palsy,) Ascend, have upwardly thy bed, and go unto thine house. vii And he arose, and departed
to his business firm.

When Jesus spoke to a person and forgave them of their sins, their sins were forgiven. The same would concord true today. If Jesus were walking the earth and told someone that their sins were forgiven, it would be so. Even so, Jesus is in heaven at the right hand of God.

The 2nd principle that we must consider is that the New Covenant had not nonetheless been established. It had not yet been sealed with the blood of Jesus. Jesus was notwithstanding alive. The thief lived and died under the Old Covenant, and nosotros are under the New Covenant. If the covenant in which baptism is commanded had not notwithstanding come into force when Jesus spoke to the thief, and information technology is in force at present, the rules for salvation take been changed past the changing of covenants. The New Covenant changed the rules.

Hebrews ix:15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new attestation, that by ways of expiry, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the get-go testament, they which are called might receive the hope of eternal inheritance. xvi For where a testament is, at that place must besides of necessity exist the decease of the testator.

The 3rd principle is that neither you nor I are face to face with Jesus like the thief was. Jesus spoke directly to the thief. There is admittedly no scriptural principle which will allow us to take a argument made to a specific individual and generalize it to make it apply to all men. Jesus speaks to us through the Bible today, not face up to confront. That means nosotros must heed to what he has said to united states through the Word. Just equally surely as the thief heard Jesus and so, we must hear Jesus now. He is not speaking to u.s. confront to confront as he did the thief. He is speaking to us through the written Word of God.

Matthew 17:5 While he all the same spake, behold, a vivid cloud overshadowed them: and behold a vocalization out of the cloud, which said, This is my love Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

The 4th principle, despite the assumptions made nearly the thief non being baptized, is that information technology is more reasonable to believe that the thief had been baptized than to believe that he had not been baptized. Permit'southward read the account once more, then examine what it really does contain.

Luke 23:39 And ane of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou exist Christ, save thyself and usa. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost non thou fear God, seeing thou art in the aforementioned condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due advantage of our deeds: but this homo hath washed nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, call up me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To twenty-four hour period shalt g exist with me in paradise.

i. In poetry 41, the thief declared "...this homo hath done cipher amiss." He knew Jesus was without sin or guilt. How did he know that? Only by knowing Jesus before could he accept known that!
two. In verse 42, "...42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord,..." He chosen Jesus "Lord." Why would he call someone who was dying on a cantankerous Lord? He had to take known Jesus before they were nailed to those crosses!
3. Again, in verse 42, "...remember me when m comest into thy kingdom. " He asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus came into his kingdom. How did he know that Jesus was going to come up into a kingdom? He could merely accept known that if he had been a disciple of Jesus' prior to existence on the cross. He had to have heard the teaching of Jesus!
4. Nonetheless in poetry 42, "m comest into thy kingdom. ..." He believed that even though Jesus was dying on the cross, he would nonetheless be a king. How can someone dying exist expected to become a king? It is ridiculous, unless he understood Jesus' prophecies to be resurrected from the expressionless in iii days. How could he take either known or believed these things if he did non know Jesus before they were nailed to the cross.

This homo, existence crucified adjacent to Jesus patently had a greater understanding of Jesus' didactics on the nature of the Kingdom of God than fifty-fifty the Apostles at this point in time. The evidence indicates he knew that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah and Son of the living God. He knew Jesus! He must accept been a disciple! Was he a disciple of John's who baptized with the baptism for the remission of his sins?

Marker 1:4 John did cognominate in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 And in that location went out unto him all the state of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

Jesus acquired more people to be baptized than John did. Was he ane of those who were baptized past Jesus' disciples?

John iv:i When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, 2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, merely his disciples,)

When one looks at the evidence, it is more than reasonable to believe that this thief was converted to Christ. In the process of that conversion, he had to repent. Existent repentance means making things correct. When he tried to make things right, the ones he had stolen from had him arrested. He was convicted out of his own mouth and then crucified with Jesus.

This thief must have known Jesus prior to the crucifixion. How else could he know that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the promised King? Why else would he be willing to defend him so strongly? How else did he gain his understanding of the nature of Jesus' kingdom?

It is particularly important to notice that in that location is nada in the text to point that this is the point in time at which the thief received the forgiveness of his sins. What the text does say is that he would exist with Jesus in paradise that twenty-four hour period. Information technology does not say that it was while he was on the cross that his sins were forgiven!

There is a principle of Bible understanding that we need to be aware of. This "being saved like the thief on the cross" deals with the potency of Christ. Jesus had the authority to salvage this sinner then, just every bit he does for us today. He spoke to him confront to face up. He speaks to us today through the Word. The Word tells us today that He saves us through his sacrifice and by our obedience to his Give-and-take. Wait at Hebrews 5:8-9

Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son, still learned he obedience past the things which he suffered; nine And being made perfect, he became the writer of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

Jesus volition salvage those who obey him, those who believe and trust Jesus enough to do as he says. He says that nosotros must exist baptized. That is Jesus statement to me and to yous. Will you believe Him? Will you trust Him?

Marker 16:xv And he said unto them, Go ye into all the earth, and preach the gospel to every beast. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Should we ignore this command because we want to make the rules? Would we rather be saved like the thief who was on the cantankerous next to Christ than obey this simple commands of Jesus? Will we ignore what Jesus says and do every bit we please? Think about this carefully. We must not lay aside the commandments of Jesus
in order to keep our own traditions.

 Past Ney Reiber
From Expository Files 4.eleven; November 1997

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Source: https://www.bible.ca/ef/expository-luke-23-32-43.htm

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