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The Desire of Ages
of faith and love from the dying thief! While the leading Jews deny
Him, and even the disciples doubt His divinity, the poor thief, upon the
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brink of eternity, calls Jesus Lord. Many were ready to call Him Lord
when He wrought miracles, and after He had risen from the grave; but
none acknowledged Him as He hung dying upon the cross save the
penitent thief who was saved at the eleventh hour.
The bystanders caught the words as the thief called Jesus Lord.
The tone of the repentant man arrested their attention. Those who at
the foot of the cross had been quarreling over Christ’s garments, and
casting lots upon His vesture, stopped to listen. Their angry tones were
hushed. With bated breath they looked upon Christ, and waited for the
response from those dying lips.
As He spoke the words of promise, the dark cloud that seemed to
enshroud the cross was pierced by a bright and living light. To the
penitent thief came the perfect peace of acceptance with God. Christ
in His humiliation was glorified. He who in all other eyes appeared
to be conquered was a Conqueror. He was acknowledged as the Sin
Bearer. Men may exercise power over His human body. They may
pierce the holy temples with the crown of thorns. They may strip from
Him His raiment, and quarrel over its division. But they cannot rob
Him of His power to forgive sins. In dying He bears testimony to His
own divinity and to the glory of the Father. His ear is not heavy that
it cannot hear, neither His arm shortened that it cannot save. It is His
royal right to save unto the uttermost all who come unto God by Him.
I say unto thee today, Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise. Christ
did not promise that the thief should be with Him in Paradise that day.
He Himself did not go that day to Paradise. He slept in the tomb, and
on the morning of the resurrection He said, “I am not yet ascended to
My Father.”
John 20:17
. But on the day of the crucifixion, the day of
apparent defeat and darkness, the promise was given. “Today” while
dying upon the cross as a malefactor, Christ assures the poor sinner,
Thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.
The thieves crucified with Jesus were placed “on either side one,
and Jesus in the midst.” This was done by the direction of the priests
and rulers. Christ’s position between the thieves was to indicate that He
was the greatest criminal of the three. Thus was fulfilled the scripture,
“He was numbered with the transgressors.”
Isaiah 53:12
. But the full
meaning of their act the priests did not see. As Jesus, crucified with