The Two Thieves
MATTHEW 27:38
38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
MATTHEW 27:41-44
41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. (Notice that these are the 3 most respected classes of people in the community – that is why you don’t want to always follow the crowds of the most respected people of the community in trusting that they are more likely to be right, especially when it comes to the things of God, because it is almost always the opposite. If you look for the most rejected of all the groups, then that is where you will be far more likely to find the truth)
43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. (It is by what they think is their cleaver reasoning against the word that that proves that they are right)
44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
The Two Thieves
The account of these two thieves are mentions in all of the 4 gospels – so we know that there is always a great purpose and lesson that God has for us in these things that sometimes don’t look all that important to us at first.
I CORINTHIANS 6:9-10
9 ¶ Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
But we notice here that one of these thieves did inherited the kingdom of God – and we know that that was because Christ took the judgement of God for this man (of him being a thief) upon himself – Christ bore the judgement of God for this thief, and this also applies to all these other things that are missioned here above, because Christ took all of God’s judgement of the penalty of death of all these evil things on behalf of every individual man that was ever born or shall be born. And this is showing us how with just a simple acknowledgement and acceptance of God’s mercy is all that it takes for God’s mercy to be literally applied to your life no matter what sort of life you have lived. By the simply act of believing the word of God – a man or a woman can pass from death to eternal life.
JOHN 5:24
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
LUKE 23:32
32 ¶ And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death. (The scripture tells us that they were led with him to Calvary where all 3 of them were crucified together, one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And we know that the scripture was being fulfilled here in that it said that he would be number with the transgressors – Isaiah 53:12.
Then in Mathew it tells us that both of them at the beginning of the crucifixion riled accusations against him along with the rest of the crowd, but as time went on we see that the thief on his right hand began to have a change of attitude.
Sometimes people will be so hard against God in their life that it is only on their death bed that God can finally get them to change their attitude and ask him for mercy – and this event here shows us the willingness of God to forgive even up to the last few moments of a man or woman’s life – talk about the love, grace, and mercy of God)
LUKE 23:39-43
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? (Something had changed in his attitude right at these last hours of his life – his proud spirit had finally been broken)
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds (He knew that he was receiving the justice of his crimes that he had committed in life, because what a man sows that shall he also reap – so it pays to learn these things earlier on in your life, so that you will save yourself a lot of trouble later on down the road as this man found out – he was a late learner who had come to learn this the hard way): but this man hath done nothing amiss. (In other words, he is suffering for something he didn’t do)
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.
We see here an illustration of an extreme case of the saving power of Christ in that right up to the last few hours of this thief’s remaining life of earth we see him casting accusations against the Lord just the same as the other thief, but just at the last few moments of his life we see that he has a change of heart and attitude concerning the Lord.
**So one of the reasons that God is placing this event here is to show us how that he is always willing for us to have a change of heart and that he is ready to save right up to our last moments on earth regardless of the life we may have lead previously. That is amazing grace… that saved a wretch like me.
This thief had failed in life to maybe fulfill the role of a real man of what God had placed him on earth to be, he had failed in his responsibilities of life and had become a thief, but even in his complete failure that had led him to this place of judicial judgement, we see the mercy of God being extended to him – it should give us hope for our most wayward love ones.
In this message… GOD.DOESN'T.CALL.MAN.TO.JUDGMENT.WITHOUT.FIRST.WARNING.HIM_ JEFF.IN V-8 N-3 WEDNESDAY_ 63-0724
Brother Branham talks about how that we all have a responsibility and a stewardship that we have to answer to God for.
… Every man that come on the face of the earth has to answer to God for a responsibility. And, to many of us, a stewardship, we have to answer for. We... This responsibility is a stewardship that's been committed to us by God, I don't care what it is. As I said a few moments ago, "a housewife," then be a genuine housewife. That's right. If it's to be a farmer, be a genuine farmer. Whatever it is that God has put you to do, you got a stewardship to that, you've got to answer to God for, because it takes all these things to do it.
It takes famers and housewife’s and all these roles of what we think are just common things, but these are the things that God uses to achieve his great purpose and work on earth because the great plan and purpose of God is carried out in all these different roles of peoples ordinary lives – never underestimate the importance of your life of what God wants to achieve a portion of his great purpose by you.
*The farmer serves God’s purpose by providing food so that others can live and serve the purpose of God for their lives. The house wife takes care of the raising of the children that God has got the seed of election in them that will make up some of the people of his great kingdom in that eternal land to come. Every role and person is important to God – if you have come to this earth, then God has an important part for you to live out that only you can do, and so we need to be genuine in what God has called us to be because we will have to answer to God for it one day.
And so these two thieves here had come to their judgment for their choice of lifestyle.
And yet we don’t really know the circumstances of how that they became thieves, maybe they were forced into that role by their circumstances of poverty, maybe they just happened to fall into the wrong crowd – many things that causes people to become trapped into lifestyles that are sinful.
**It is so easy for us to judge a person without really knowing their background – but God knows all of our backgrounds.
To be continued next week - The Lord willing...