Christ’s Most Remarkable Convert
Chuck Sligh
April 16, 2000
(Skeleton of this outline comes from Preach for a Year #3, pp. 63-64. The meat on the skeleton is mine alone and should not be held against the author of Preach for a Year. :-)
TEXT: Luke 23:32-43 – “And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. 33 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. 35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, 37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself. 38 And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
INTRODUCTION
It’s difficult to choose the most remarkable convert of Jesus, since every conversion was unique and each was remarkable in its own way.
During Jesus’ ministry there were many remarkable conversions:
--There were converts among the rich, such as JOSEPH OF ARAMATHEA.
--There were converts among the religious, such as NICODEMAS.
--And there were converts among the rejected, such as THE WOMAN AT THE WELL.
But the more I think about it, the more it seems to me that the most remarkable convert in Jesus’s earthly ministry must have been the thief on the cross.
In this story, you have the paths of three men meeting in death:
--Two were completely guilty; one completely innocent.
--Two were paying their debts to society; one was paying our debt of sin.
--One died IN sin, one died TO sin, one died FOR SIN.
What makes this conversion so remarkable? Let me share three remarkable things about the conversion of the thief on the cross:
I. NOTE FIRST A REMARKABLE PROPHECY – Verse 32 – “And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.”
Turn with me to Isaiah, chapter 53, that great Messianic prophecy that predicted the Lord’s death and the payment He would make for our sin.
In our text we just read, we’re told us that Jesus died between two criminals. This was a fulfillment of Isaiah 53:9 – “And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.”
Jesus was to make His grave with the wicked, which He did when he died between two criminals. He would die between them and His grave would be near them. Note also the prophecy that his grave would be “with the rich in his death.” All four Gospels tells us that a man named Joseph of Aramathea asked Pilot for the body of Jesus and then placed it in a sepulcher belonging to him (Matthew 27:57; Mark 15:43; Luke 23:51; John 19:38). Joseph was a wealthy man, thus fulfilling the second part of this prophecy.
ALL prophecies concerning the Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and many of them converged at the cross. Fulfilment of prophecies about Christ is one of the great proofs of Christianity.
Here are just a few prophecies about Jesus fulfilled on the cross:
--His side pierced, fulfilled in Zecheriah 12:10
--His cry “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”, foretold in Psalm 22:1
--The mocking by the multitude, predicted in Psalm 22:6-8
--His hands and feet would be pierced, foreseen in Psalm 22:16
--The casting of lots for His clothes, anticipated in Psalm 22:18
--None of his bones would be broken, prophesied Psalm 34:20
--He would be given vinegar to drink, as recorded in Psalm 69:21
--And the prophecy we just looked at that He would die with the wicked and be buried in a rich man’s grave near the wicked found in Isaiah 53:9
These are JUST EIGHT of the prophecies concerning the Messiah fulfilled in Jesus. I picked out only eight for a particular reason. In all there were more than 300 PROPHECIES fulfilled in Jesus Christ about His life, death, burial and resurrection.
The prominent mathematician, Dr. Peter Stoner, in his book Science Speaks, studied the probability of an accidental fulfilment of these prophecies in one person. He says that the probability of any EIGHT of the 300 prophecies, such as the eight I chose, being fulfilled in the same person by accident is one chance in 1017. (SHOW TRANSPARENCY 1) That’s a ONE followed by 17 ZEROES— 100,000,000,000,000,000. That is so incredibly remote as to be all but impossible that these prophecies could have occurred by accident in a single individual.
To show how impossible it would be, Dr. Stoner gives this illustration: He says that if the state of Texas (which in land area is more than two-and-a-half times the size of the entire land area of the United Kingdom) could be covered with silver dollars to a depth of two feet among which was one silver dollar with a red cross painted on it and the whole mass of silver dollars was thoroughly mixed, the probability or likelihood of a blindfolded man finding the one with the cross on his first attempt is 1017. (Stoner, p. 107)
That’s the probability of just EIGHT prophecies being fulfilled in one person by accident. The chance that all 300 could have occurred by chance is simply hopeless!
So one aspect of the remarkable conversion of the thief on the cross is the remarkable prophecy it fulfills.
II. SECONDLY, NOTICE THAT THE THIEF PRAYED A REMARKABLE PRAYER – Verse 42 – “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
This thief realized he was a sinner – verse 41 – “And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.”
He admits his guilt; he sees justice in his punishment; and he proclaims the righteousness of Christ.
That’s the point every sinner must come to. He must come to recognize that because of his sin he is guilty before a holy God. He must see that God’s hell is a just judgment of an infinitely holy God. He must recognize that the only way he can hope to go to heaven is not by any righteousness on his OWN part, but by the righteousness given by JESUS CHRIST.
Now let’s examine the CONTENT of his remarkable prayer, because it is a “sinner’s prayer” in the truest sense of the word:
1. Note first that he called Jesus “Lord.”
This was a recognition of the deity of Jesus. “Lord”s was one the main title used in the Gospels to show that Jesus was not just a man, but also divine; i.e., that he was the very God of Gods.
One cannot be saved unless he first acknowledges who Jesus really is. There is no other explanation for the rest of his statement….
2. “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom…”
Have you ever thought about the AUDACITY of that request? Remember that crucifixion was not a form of capital punishment commonly meted out in that day. Crucifixion was ordinarily reserved for the most incorrigible criminals. Here was a criminal whose entire life was spent in disobeying the commandments of God. And now in his final moments, he has the audacity to ask Jesus to let him into heaven! He had lived in sin all his life and had turned into a hardened criminal, and now at the very end of his life, He asks Jesus to simply wipe away all his sins in one fell swoop!
What could prompt such an implausible request? I’ll tell you what it was—FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD! No one could possibly expect a lifetime of sin to be instantly washed away by another dying man on a cross unless he had faith that Jesus could indeed save him from his sins.
And that, dear friend is the only way you can come to God.
Turn with me to Romans 4:5, a verse that almost defies human understanding, but it is the veritable Word of God: “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
According to this verse, who does God justify?
--He who works for it?—That is…He who obeys the Ten Commandments, or follows the Golden Rule, or treats his neighbor well, or is a good citizen.?
--He who is religious? Who gets baptized, or goes to Mass, or goes to confession?
NO!—He that “believeth on him who justifies.”
And who justifies the ungodly?
--Do we justify ourselves by our works and our own goodness or our devotion to religion or our obedience to certain religious rules laid down by a church or denomination?
NO!—It is GOD who justifies.
And what kind of person does God justify?
--The righteous person?
--The holy one?
--The religious man?
--The pious woman?
NO!—God justifies the UNGODLY—ungodly people like this thief on the cross. You see, only the guilty need forgiveness and only sinners need a Savior and until you see yourself as a guilty sinner before a just and holy God, you cannot be saved.
Here was a man who had never read Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” but..
--He KNEW his dreadful sinful condition.
--He KNEW he was transgressed God’s Laws.
--He KNEW he was unworthy of heaven.
…And that made him an acceptable candidate for heaven! That made it easier for him to ask for salvation because he had no goodness or religion to offer of his own.
The tragedy is that many people do not see that they are just like that thief on the cross in their standing before a holy God. Their sins may be different sins than those committed by the thief on the cross, but they are sins nevertheless that separate them equally from God. Their sins may not seem so bad compared with the thief’s sins from a HUMAN standpoint, but James tells us that if we offend in just one part of the Law of God, we are guilty of the whole Law.
To be saved, like the thief on the cross, you must see yourself as destitute of any goodness worthy of heaven and, like this thief, by faith receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Illus. – Vance Havner tells of a lady who came forward during the invitation in one of his meetings to be saved. She was very sophisticated and refined. She had an advanced graduates degree, and was very articulate and intelligent.
When she got to the front, Dr. Havner asked her, “Why have you come forward, ma’am?”
She said, “I want to go to heaven.”
Havner says he sensed pride in her achievements and her goodness, so he asked an unusual question. He said, “Ma’am, do you realize that you are a hell-bound sinner worthy only of God’s judgment.”
She looked at him, shocked, and said, “Oh, no, I’ve been good all my life.”
He said, “Well, in that case ma’am, you cannot go to heaven. Why don’t you have a seat over there, because you can’t be saved.”
Bewildered, she went to one of the front row seats. On the next verse of the invitation, she came up again and said, “Sir, I would like to be saved.”
He said, “To be saved, you have to have something to be saved FROM. To be saved is to be saved from SIN. Until you recognize that you are a lost, helpless sinner whose works are not good enough for God to accept, you cannot be saved. Jesus said, ‘…They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’”
Suddenly it seemed to dawn on her. He said, “Ma’am, do you realize that you are a poor, lost, wicked sinner in need of God’s grace and unable to add to his work on Calvary through any works or goodness of your own?”
Tears began to course down her cheeks as the shame for her sin overcame her soul.
“Yes! I do.”
“Then ma’am, now you can be saved.”
You see, it was only when she realized her inability to get to God by her works that she was in a place where God could save her.
That’s where the sinner on the cross was. He prayed a prayer for Jesus to save him; a prayer based on faith in Jesus as God.
III. LASTLY, CONSIDER WITH ME THAT IN THIS PASSAGE WE SEE A REMARKABLE PROMISE – Verse 43 – “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
What a wonderful promise that was: “Today, shalt thou be with me in paradise.” How assuring that must have been to that thief!
He may have squandered his EARTHLY life, but though unworthy of it, by God’s grace he could have ETERNAL life. He could have the assurance that when he breathed his last breath that dreadful day, he would awaken in heaven.
Why?
--Because of any goodness on his part?—NO.
--Because he had obeyed the commands of God?—NO.
--Because he had any righteousness to present to the God of heaven?—NO.
Why then could be assured? Because of this remarkable promise of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It’s interesting that this is the only promise Jesus made from the cross. All His other utterances on the cross were merely statements. This one was a personal promise for this thief, but it has a wider application for every person who comes to Jesus in repentance and faith. In that promise, Jesus answered two questions:
1. First, he answered the question of HOW SALVATION IS SECURED.
One can be saved only faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Any other means to heaven will send you straight to hell!
2. Second, it answered the question of where a believer goes when he dies.
Jesus did not say, “Today you will be in PURGATORY and when you have paid for your sins in the fires of purgatory, I’ll see you in heaven” as the CATHOLICS teach.” He did not say, “Today your soul will sleep until the future resurrection, and then at the resurrection I will see you in heaven” as the JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES falsely teach.
No, He said, “Today, shalt thou be with me in paradise.” When believers die, they go immediately into the conscious presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And where is Jesus today?—In heaven at the right hand of the throne of God the Father. Every believer has the assurance that when he dies, he will go straight to heaven to be in conscious bliss in the presence of the Lord. That’s why Paul, when faced with the possibility of his execution in Rome, wrote the church at Philippi, “For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.” (Philippians 1:23-24) And he could say to the Corinthians: “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:8)
CONCLUSION
Now let me close by observing some lessons from this remarkable conversion:
1. Think first about some lessons for CHRISTIANS.
--The first one I can think of is this: NEVER GIVE UP ON SINNERS.
The most incorrigible ones are sometimes the greatest prospects for salvation. The history of the church is strewn with great sinners saved by a great God—Paul himself one of the most notable examples. The sinful dregs of humanity seem hopeless to us. Yet it is they who are most aware of their sin and thus, often the best candidate for salvation. Let us willingly give the Gospel to EVERY sinner—regardless of his condition.
--Secondly, seize every opportunity to witness for Christ.
We cannot know where every person is spiritually speaking, so it is our duty to tell ALL about Jesus. Oh, how easy it is to be filled with fear of men; to hold back from opportunities to witness; to fall back on that favorite excuse: “I’ll just be a witness by the life that I live.” No, we must be BOLD witnesses for Christ to bring the lost to the cross.
2. Finally, let me share a couple of lessons for UNBELIEVERS
--First, note that ANY sinner can be saved by faith in Christ.
J. C. Ryle said: “If ever there was a soul hovering on the brink of hell, it was the soul of this thief. Some would have thought him too wicked a man to be saved; but it was not so.”
Do not say, “I have sinned too much” because it’s not true. There is no sin too great that the precious blood of Jesus Christ is not fully capable of washing away. It doesn’t matter how badly you’ve fallen into the mire of sin, Jesus still sweetly calls, Matthew 11:28-29 – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
It matters not how wicked you may feel yourself to be. Jesus said in John 6:37 – “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”
--The last lesson is this: Don’t wait one more moment to come to Jesus for salvation.
Had the thief on the cross delayed just a little longer, he may have plunged himself into the depths of hell forever.
You say, “Well, I’m not on the verge of death like he was.” I wouldn’t be so sure about that! In one moment, you could have a sudden heart attack (as one of our members did this past week, though, praise God, his life was spared). You could be hit by a car before you have a chance to return to church this evening. Without warning, you could be murdered in cold blood by a complete stranger.
These things happen unexpectedly to people every day. In a twinkling of an eye, the Lord could return and you would be left behind. The Bible’s message of salvation is always one of URGENCY:
Proverbs 27:1 says “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”
In 2 Corinthians 6:2 Paul said, “…behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
