Basic HTML Version
450
Humble Hero
heard many repeating Jesus’ words and telling of His works. The
conviction came back that this was the Christ. Turning to his fellow
criminal, he said, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under
the same condemnation?” The dying thieves no longer had anything
to fear from human sources. But the conviction pressed in on one
of them that there is a God to fear, a future to cause him to tremble.
And now his life history was about to close. “And we indeed justly,
for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done
nothing wrong.”
When condemned for his crime, the thief had sunk into despair,
but strange, tender thoughts now sprang up. The Holy Spirit illu-
minated his mind, and little by little the chain of evidence joined
together. In Jesus, mocked and hanging on the cross, he saw the
Lamb of God. Hope mingled with anguish in his voice as the dying
man threw himself on a dying Savior. “Lord, remember me when
You come into Your kingdom.”
Quickly the answer came, the tone soft and melodious, the words
[346]
full of love and power: “Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be
with Me in Paradise.
With longing heart Jesus had listened for
some expression of faith from His disciples. He had heard only the
mournful words, “We were hoping that it was He who was going to
redeem Israel.”
Luke 24:21
. How welcome then to the Savior was
this statement of faith and love from the dying thief! While even
the disciples doubted, the poor thief called Jesus “Lord.” No one
acknowledged Him on the cross except the repentant thief, saved at
the last moment.
The tone of the repentant man caught the attention of bystanders.
Those who had been quarreling over Christ’s garments stopped to
listen and waited for the response from Christ’s dying lips.
As He spoke the words of promise, a living light pierced the dark
cloud that seemed to enshroud the cross. Christ in His humiliation
was glorified. He who in all other eyes appeared conquered, was
Conqueror. He had been acknowledged as the Sin Bearer. They
could strip His clothing from Him, but they could not rob Him of
The comma in (
Luke 23:43
) is often misplaced in English translations. No comma
existed in the Greek text
.
