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Dying Thief Accepts Christ as His Saviour, August 31
And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into
thy kingdom.
Luke 23:42
.
To the last of His work Christ is a sin-pardoner. At deepest midnight,
as the Star of Bethlehem was about to sink into oblivion, lo there shines
amid the moral darkness with distinct brightness the faith of a dying sinner
as he lays hold upon a dying Saviour.
Such faith may be represented by the eleventh hour laborers who
receive as much reward as do those who have labored for many hours. The
thief asked in faith, in penitence, in contrition. He asked in earnestness, as
if he fully realized that Jesus could save him if He would. And the hope in
his voice was mingled with anguish as he realized, that if He did not, he
would be lost, eternally lost. He cast his helpless, dying soul and body on
Jesus Christ
He had heard Pilate declare, “I find no fault in him.”
John 19:4
. He had
marked His godlike bearing, and His pitying forgiveness of His tormen-
tors.... Among the passers-by he hears many defending Jesus. He hears
them repeat His words, and tell of His works. The conviction comes ...
to him that this is the Christ.... When condemned for his crime, the thief
had become hopeless and despairing; but strange, tender thoughts now
spring up. He calls to mind all he has heard of Jesus.... He has heard the
words of those who believed in Jesus and followed Him weeping.... The
Holy Spirit illuminates his mind, and little by little the chain of evidence
is joined together. In Jesus, bruised, mocked, and hanging upon the cross,
he sees the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. Hope is
mingled with anguish in his voice as the helpless, dying soul casts himself
upon a dying Saviour.... Quickly the answer came. Soft and melodious the
tone, full of love, compassion, and power the words: Verily I say unto thee
today, Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.... To the penitent thief came the
perfect peace of acceptance with God
[251]
71
Manuscript 52, 1897
.
72
The Desire of Ages, 749, 751
.
258