The account of Jesus being crucified with two theifs is recorded in all of the Gospels Matthew says in 27:44, “The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.”
Mark looks at Jesus on the cross with a thief hanging on each side and he quotes an old Testament Scripture Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus hanging there on the cross with a thief on each side of him he was numbered with the transgressors as Isaiah had prophesied.
John tells us that because the Sabbath day was approaching they came and broke the legs of both the theifs in order to speed up their death but Jesus was already dead so they did not break his legs.
The psalmist wrote in Psalms 34:20, “he keepth all his bones not one of them is broken.”
These thieves on that were crucified on either side of Lord were bad men. They were vile criminals. The worse of the worse. Before a man was crucified he was scouraged, many men died even before they mad it to the cross the beating was so harsh that many men died during it.
Both of these thief’s start out by ridiculing Jesus
The soldiers were mocking him
People were walking by shaking their heads he saved others he cannot save himself.
On that cross 2000 years ago there was revival service held
-He Had a Change of Mind-
We need some people today to have a change of mind. It wouldn’t heart for some politicians to have a change of mind for some Theologians to have a change of mind it wouldn’t hurt some of us here today to have a change of mind. Nothing can happen in our lives until we have a change of mind
By looking at this thief of the cross I see a formula for revival in the church today
Rom 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Mat 22:37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
In order for us to have revival we must change we must be the one who moves because God is unchanging, the same today yesterday and forver.
He changed his mind about himself
Sometime while hanging on the cross this one thief changed his mind about himself. Jesus said Luk 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
The word repent means to change your mind.
In order for a person to be saved they must change their mind about who they are. We must first see ourselves as sinners.
This one thief says We receive the due reward of our deeds. He acknowledges that he is a bad person. Moments before Matthew recorded that this same man had mocked Jesus.
He probably thought that he was okay, and just go the bad end of the deal. Grew up in the wrong home, or on the wrong side of town. All the excuse that we make for our behavior today. He had to come to that point and realize I am a sinner and I deserve to be out here dying today.
This is the most difficult thing to get people to realize, because it requires us to be truthful and humble.
We also have some Christians today who need to change their mind about who they are.
Once a person is saved you have become a child of God. You are no longer a servant but a son.
He changed his mind about God
Notice in verse 40, he says “Dost thou not fear God”
He changed his mind about God
All through his life he lived for himself, When a person lives for themselves the Bible says that you are an enemy of the cross. Literally you shake your fist in the face of God and do it your way.
Pro 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
This fear of God is not that we are scared of God but that we have reverence for God. We need to change our mind about God and have a restoration of reverence in the House of God.
The Old Testament Scribes had such a reverence for Jehovah God that a special pen was used to write the name Jehovah on their scrolls
Mat 22:42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
He changed his mind about prayer
Then this thief turns to Jesus and says, Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
He changed his mind about prayer
Now prayer is very important in his life
A powerful church is a praying church. When the child of God is on his or her knees the very demons of hell begin to tremble.
In order to have revival we must change our mind about prayer Its not just some words that we say over our food.
It was an angel that freed Peter from Prison but it was prayer that called the Angel
He Changed his mind about eternity
Notice if you will that he begins to think about life beyond the grave as he told the Lord Remember me when you come to your kingdom.
If we desire to have revival we must understand the seriousness of eternity. Eternity never ends. And those who do not know Jesus will not have a second chance after death.
Our prayer list should be 100 pages long if not more containing the names of every single person we know who does not believe in Jesus
Richard Baxter expresses the thought in these lines:
My knowledge of that life is small,
The eye of faith is dim,
But it’s enough that Christ knows all,
And I shall be with him.
There was once a mission, and during this mission a man got saved - a gospel mission. That man, after he got saved, testified that it took him 42 years to figure out three biblical truths. The first was this: that he could do nothing for his salvation. The second was this: that God did not require him to do anything for his salvation. The third was this: that God had done everything for his salvation! I wonder, could you be here tonight and it’s taken you longer than 42 years to work that out? You can’t do anything, but God doesn’t want you to do anything because God has done everything! What He wants you to do is He wants you to come to Him and let Him do everything. Just like that thief on the cross who couldn’t do anything, come to Him and let Him do everything!
