The Last-Minute Saint: He Had Minutes Left — and Jesus Said "Today"

Caleb: I want you to picture something with me. You're standing on a hill outside Jerusalem. It's dark, the air is heavy, there's a crowd. Some are shouting, some are mocking, some are just watching. And in front of you there are three crosses, three men. All three are dying. One of them is Jesus. The other two are criminals. Now here's what I want you to sit with. All three men are in the same moment. All three are facing death. All three are looking at the same reality. But two of those men are about to have very different conversations with eternity. One criminal looks at Jesus and mocks him. The other looks at Jesus and asks him for something. And what Jesus says back is one of the most extraordinary statements in the whole New Testament. He tells a dying criminal, Truly, I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise. Think about that. A man with a criminal past, a man whose choices brought him to this moment, a man with absolutely nothing left to offer. No time to make things right, no time to build a better reputation, no time to prove years of religious obedience, and yet Jesus promises in paradise. So here's the question I want to explore today. What does this story actually tell us about salvation? Can someone who has lived a terrible life be forgiven in their final moments? Do we have to earn our way into heaven? What does repentant ac repentance actually mean? And maybe the biggest question of all, if the thief on the cross could be saved without a lifetime of good works, what does that tell us about the gospel? I think we've sometimes made salvation a lot more complicated than it needs to be. And we've sometimes made it easier to talk about than it is to really understand. So today we're going to look at the thief on the cross. Not just as a Bible story, but as a picture of the human condition. because when you really look at this passage, it says a lot more about you and me than we might first realize. Let's start in Luke chapter twenty three, verses thirty two through forty three, which I'll be reading through the English Standard Version. I wanna read the whole passage and then we'll dig in. Two others who were criminals were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called the skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know now what they do. And they cast lots to divide his garments, and the people stood by watching. But the rulers scoffed at him, saying, He saved others, let him save himself. If he is the Christ of God, his chosen one. The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself. There was also an inscription over him, This is the King of the Jews. One of the criminals, who were hanged, riled at railed at him, saying, Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us. But the other rebuked him, saying, do you not fear God since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly. For we are receiving the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong, and he said, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom, and he said to him, Truly, I say to you, today, you will be with me in paradise. Now, slow down with me here, because something important is happening. You've got two criminals, one on either side of Jesus. Both are guilty, both are suffering, and both are facing the same punishment, and both are close enough to see Jesus. But being close doesn't mean you recognize him. One of these men looks at Jesus and basically says, Aren't you supposed to be the Messiah? Then save yourself and save us. Think about what he's really asking for. He's not asking Jesus to forgive him. He's not asking Jesus to change him. He's not asking Jesus to remember him. He's asking Jesus to get him off the cross. And isn't that the human nature? How often do we want God to fix our circumstances without ever Asking if we need to change. We want the pain to stop. We want the consequences to go away. We want the relationship fixed, the money fixed, the anxiety gone. There's nothing wrong with praying about those things. But here's the difference. But there's a difference, a big difference, between wanting Jesus to rescue you from s a situation and wanting Jesus to be the center of your life. The first criminal wants a way off the cross. The second criminal wants a place in the kingdom. Those are two very different things. Now notice something. The second criminal actually speaks up. He rebukes the first one in Luke twenty three verse forty through forty one. And he says in effect, we're getting what our deeds deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong. In other words, he's owning it. He's not making excuses. He's not trying to convince anybody he's actually a good person. He's admitting he's wrong. And I think that's where we have to start. It's where it's where If we're going to understand the story, we must start there. The gospel doesn't begin with us convincing God we're good people. It begins with recognizing that we need Him. That's not always easy to admit, especially in a world where we constantly compare ourselves to other people. We look at someone else's mistakes and think, well, at least I'm not that bad. But here's the problem: God isn't asking us to measure ourselves against the person next to us. The standard isn't the worst person we can find. The standard is God's holiness. And when we're honest with ourselves, we all fall short. Romans chapter three verse twenty three puts it plainly. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. All not just the criminal, not just the addict, not just the person who's made a mess of their life. All of us. And that brings us right back to the cross. Now, here's where this gets fascinating. The second criminal says, Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. I want you to think about what he's actually saying. Look at the circumstances. Jesus doesn't look like a king. He's been beaten. He's been mocked. He's been humiliated. He's hanging on a Roman cross. His followers have scattered, his enemies are celebrating. By every normal human measure, this looks like defeat. Yet this criminal re looks at him and recognizes a kingdom. How? How does a man hanging next to someone being executed recognize that this person has authority beyond the grave? We don't know everything that was going through his mind. We don't know how much he knew about Jesus before that moment, but we know what he said. And what he said shows something remarkable. He believes Jesus is more than just another condemned man. He believes Jesus has a kingdom, and he believes that kingdom will outlast the cross. Now let me ask you this from a human angle because I think it matters. What is faith? Is faith just believing something because we want it to be true? Is it accepting something because it makes us feel better? Or is faith putting your trust in someone because you recognize something true about who they are? The thief is looking at a man who appears defeated, and yet he's placing his hope in him. That's we're sitting with. Because sometimes we want God to prove Himself by changing our circumstances. We say, God, if you're real, fix this. God, if you love me, take this pain away. God, if you're there, show me. But what happens when the circumstances don't change? What happens when the diagnosis doesn't go away? When the relationships doesn't get repaired? Or when the struggle continues? Doesn't that mean God isn't there does that mean God isn't there? Does that mean Jesus isn't the king? The thief on the cross reminds us Jesus' identity isn't determined by what our circumstances look like. Jesus was king while hanging on that cross. He was king while suffering. He was king while being rejected. And he was king even when the world thought he had lost. And maybe somebody listening needs to hear this today. Your circumstances do not determine who Jesus is. Your suffering doesn't erase his identity. And the fact that you can't see the whole picture doesn't mean there isn't a greater reality beyond what you can see right now. Now, let's get into the theological question. What did this man actually do to receive Jesus actually do to receive Jesus' promise? Did he repent? Did he believe? Did he confess? Did he understand the gospel? Those are important questions. And I want to be careful here, because we shouldn't pretend this passage tells us these things, because it doesn't. But look what Luke is act what Luke actually records for us. The man admits his guilt. He recognizes Jesus' innocence. He speaks up against the other criminal, and he asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom. There's a change happening in how this man sees himself, and in how he sees the person hanging next to him. And that brings us to repentance. We hear that word all the time in Christianity. Repent, repent of your sins, repent and believe. But what does it actually mean? Repentance is more than feeling bad. It's more than regretting that you got caught, and it's more than being upset because your decisions have consequences. The Greek word usually translated as repentance is metal. Meta metanonia. At its core, it means a change of mind, a change in how you understand things. In the biblical sense, repentance means turning away from sin and turning toward God. It's a change in direction. And that's important because sometimes we confuse regret with repentance. You can you can regret something without actually wanting to change. You can regret getting caught. You can regret losing a relationship. or a job. You can regret the consequences of your decisions, but repentance goes deeper. It recognizes that direction, that the direction you're going is wrong, and that you need to turn towards something greater than yourself. Now, did the criminal have a chance to show years of changed behavior? No. He was dying. He didn't have that chance. But his response to Jesus tells us where his trust was being placed. And that brings us To maybe the most important issue in this whole story, and that is grace. Let me ask you something. If you stood before God today, what would you offer him? Would you talk about how many good things you've done? How you've helped people, how you've tried to be a decent person, would you compare yourself to somebody who's done wrong? Or worse? Because I think of a lot of us approach Christianity with an idea that sounds something like this. If I do enough good things, if I try hard enough, if I become a better person, maybe God will accept me. That's not the gospel. And the thief on the cross is one of the clearest examples of why that is. Let's look at Ephesians two verses eight and nine. Paul tells us we are saved by grace through faith. It is a gift of God, not something we earn through works. Now Think about the thief again. What could he offer Jesus? What good deeds could he do? How could he prove himself? He couldn't. He had no time. And yet Jesus extended mercy. That's the beauty of grace. Grace means receiving something we could never earn on our own. And yet, let me be very clear, that doesn't mean our actions don't matter. It doesn't mean sin doesn't matter. It doesn't mean we can live however we want and just use God's grace as an excuse. Paul deals with that very issue in Romans chapter six. But here's the distinction. We don't do good works to earn salvation. We do good works because of life changed by Christ should produce something totally different. In fact, if you keep reading in Ephesians chapter two verse ten, it says we are created in Christ Jesus for good works. Notice the order grace first, faith, and then a changed life, not the other way around. And this is where I want to bring James into this conversation, because James two is Says faith without works is dead. Some people look at Paul and James and think they're contradicting each other, but they're addressing different problems. Paul is telling us we cannot earn salvation through our works. James is challenging people who claim to have faith, but show no evidence of it in their own lives. One is talking about the foundation, the other is talking about the evidence. So think of it this way: good works. Are not the root of salvation. They're the fruit of it. And that's an important distinction because Christianity isn't about becoming good enough to make God love you. It's about receiving the grace of God and letting the grace change you. Let me say that again more slowly. You don't earn God's love by becoming a better person. You respond to God's love by letting Him transform the person that you are. Now, I know somebody's probably thinking about this. What about baptism? Didn't Jesus command baptism? What about obedience? Those are fair questions. And different Christian traditions understand baptism and salvation differently. Catholic and Orthodox traditions understand baptism sacramentally, while many Protestant traditions emphasize baptism as an act of obedience and public identification with Christ. And even among them there's a difference about its purpose. precise role. But here's what we know from Luke. There is no recorded baptism of this thief. There's no recorded religious ceremony. There's no recorded chance for him to join a Christian community. And yet Jesus tells him he will be with him in paradise. Now, I don't think we should use this passage to dismiss baptism. Jesus teaches Jesus' teachings and the rest of the New Testament matter, but I do think it reminds us that salvation is ultimately God's work, not a human achievement. The thief was in an extraordinary situation, I think we can all agree. He was literally dying next to the Savior. He didn't have the opportunity that we have today. And I think there's a lesson in that. We can get so focused on the outward expressions of Christianity that we lose sight of the person at the center of it. That's Jesus. Church attendance matters. Baptism matters. Obedience matters. Being part of a Christian community matters. But none of those things should become a substitute for knowing who Jesus is. The thief didn't have a lifetime to show his faith, but he knew where to turn, and Jesus received him. Now I want to get into something that might make some people uncomfortable. And that's okay. I think Christianity should be willing to wrestle with hard questions. So here's one. Is any of this fair? Think about someone who spends their whole life trying to follow Jesus. They pray, they study Scripture, they serve others, they sacrifice, they try to live faithfully. And then there's this thief, this criminal, a man. Who has apparently made terrible decisions, a man who reaches the end of his life, turns towards Jesus, and Jesus promises him paradise. Is that fair? From a human perspective, we might struggle with that. Because we like fairness based on merit. You work hard, you earn something. You do something wrong, there's consequences. You do something good, you get a reward. But grace isn't a paycheck. It's not something God owes us. And that's where we sometimes misunderstand the gospel. We want grace when we're talking about ourselves, but we want judgment when we're talking about somebody else. We want people to understand our circumstances. We want people to recognize our struggles. We want people to consider the mistakes we've made and the reasons behind them. But when somebody else makes terrible decisions, we can become a lot less forgiving. And that's a problem. Because the same grace we desperately need is the grace other people need. Now that doesn't mean earthly consequences disappear, it doesn't mean victims don't matter, and it doesn't mean criminal behavior should get an excuse. The thief still died on that cross, but his eternal future was no longer defined only by his past. And that's the difference between justice and mercy. Mercy isn't pretending the wrongdoing never happened. Mercy is forgiving. This forgiveness being extended to someone who could not claim to deserve it. And that's exactly why the cross matters so much. I want to make this personal for a moment, because I think this is where the story really meets the human element. There are people listening right now who may feel like they are beyond redemption. Maybe you've struggled with addiction. Maybe you've destroyed relationships. Maybe you've hurt people. Maybe you've made decisions that changed the whole direction of your own life. Maybe you look back. at your past and you don't even recognize the person who you used to be. And maybe you've convinced yourself that God couldn't possibly want anything to do with you. You think you've gone too far, you've made too many mistakes, you've wasted too much time. And maybe you think you need to fix everything before you can approach Jesus. But let me ask you something. If you could fix yourself completely Why would you need a savior? That's the entire point. Jesus didn't come for people who had already achieved perfection. He came to save sinners. In Luke chapter five, verse thirty two, Jesus says he came to call sinners to repentance. Not people who had everything figured out, not people who had never made mistakes, sinners, people who needed him. And I think we need to stop treating Christianity like it's a club for people who have their lives together. It's not. It's a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ. And the thief on the cross reminds us your past does not put you beyond the reach of his mercy. But I want to make something else clear. Don't hear to this story and think, well, I'll just wait until the end of my life. That's not the message. You don't know how much time you have. You don't know what tomorrow looks like. And genuine faith isn't about trying to live however you want. And then making a last minute deal with God. It's about recognizing the truth and responding to it. So if you're hearing this and something inside you is telling you that you need to turn towards Jesus, don't keep putting it off. You don't need to wait until your life is perfect. You come to Him because you need Him. Let's go back to the words of Jesus in Luke 23 verse 43. Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise. I want to focus on four words. With me in paradise. Jesus doesn't promise the thief a better destination. He promises him his presence. And I think something we reduce salvation to just avoiding hell. And I think sometimes we reduce salvation to just avoiding hell. We're just getting into heaven. But there's something much deeper heaven. The gospel is about reconciliation with God. It's about restoring a relationship that has been broken by sin. It's about being brought back into a fellowship with the one who created us. If John chapter seventeen verse three, in John chapter seventeen, verse three, Jesus describes eternal life in terms of knowing the only true God, in Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. Eternal life is not simply existing forever, it's life with God. And that's what makes this moment on the cross so powerful. The thief asks Jesus to remember him. Jesus promises that he will be with him. The man who has apparently spent his life separated from righteousness is promised a place with the righteous king. And think about the timing. Jesus is hanging on the cross. His own death is approaching, and yet he is still offering life. The world sees three dying men. But one of those men is accomplishing something that will change the course of human history. Because the cross isn't the end of the story. And this is where we need to talk about the gospel itself. Because if we're going to understand the thief on the cross, we need to understand why Jesus was on the cross in the first place. So why did Jesus have to die? Why the cross? Why did Christianity become centered around an execution? Because the central claim of Christianity is that Jesus Christ came into the world? To do something humanity could never do for itself. Let's go back to the beginning. Christianity teaches that God created humanity. We were created with purpose, with dignity, and with the capacity for relationships with him. But humanity chose rebellion. We chose our own way. We chose sin. And sin isn't simply making a mistake or breaking a rule. Sin is a rupture in our relationship with God. It's humanity turning away from the one who created us. And the consequences are serious. Romans chapter 6, verse 23 tells us for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Notice the contrast: the wages of sin and the gift of God. What we earn through sin is death. But what God offers through Jesus is eternal life. And here's the problem. You cannot undo your sin through good behavior. Think about it. If I hurt someone today, do something kind tomorrow, doing something kind tomorrow doesn't erase what I did yesterday. If I lie, telling the truth later doesn't make the original lie disappear. Our good actions don't magically cancel our wrongdoing, and that's why we need something beyond ourselves. That's why Jesus matters. The Christian message is that God didn't simply Leave humanity in its broken condition. He came to us. John chapter one verse fourteen tells us that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus Christ entered human history. He lived among us. He experienced suffering, he experienced rejection, he experienced temptation, all yet without sin. And then he went to the cross. Not because he was guilty. Remember what the thief said. This man has done nothing wrong. Jesus was innocent. He was crucified, not for his own wrongdoing, but as part of God's redemptive work for us sinners. The cross was not an accident. It was Jesus' central mission. Jesus gave his life, and then something happened that separates Christianity from every other story of a good teacher who died for his beliefs. The tomb was empty. Christianity doesn't end with a dead Savior. It proclaims a risen Lord. Jesus was buried, and on the third day he rose again. Paul makes this absolutely central in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, where he says that if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile. Think about that. The resurrection isn't some optional detail we can remove and still have Christianity. It's foundational. The whole entire Christian message relies on that. The claim is that Jesus defeated death, that he is who he said he is, that sin and death do not have the final word, and because he lives, forgiveness and eternal life are offered through him. That's the gospel. Not that we're good enough, not that we can save ourselves, not that we can somehow earn our way into God's presence, but that God has acted through Jesus Christ to rescue us, and that salvation is received through faith. Now, bring this back to the thief, because suddenly his story makes even more sense. He is hanging beside the one who is about to accomplish the very thing that makes his salvation possible. The thief doesn't have the full understanding of everything we can study today, but he recognizes Jesus, he turns towards him, and Jesus promises him paradise. That is the power of the cross. Now I want to speak to someone listening who may have never really understood Christianity. Maybe you've heard about Jesus your entire life. Maybe you grew up in a church. Maybe you didn't. Maybe you've questioned the Bible. Maybe you've struggled with the idea of God. Maybe you've made decisions that you're ashamed of. Or maybe you're simply sitting there thinking, I want to believe, but I don't even know where to begin. I want you to listen to me for a moment. You don't have to know everything before you come to Jesus. You don't have to understand every theological argument, you don't have to have every question answered, you don't have to become an expert in scripture, and you certainly don't have to pretend to be someone that you're not. The Christian faith begins with Jesus. So let me explain what responding to the gospel actually means. First, recognize that you need Him. The Bible tells us that all of us have sinned, and that means all of us need forgiveness. You cannot save yourself through your own goodness. You cannot erase your past through your own accomplishments. You need a Savior. Second, believe in Jesus Christ. Believe that He is the Son of God. Believe that He died for our sins. Believe that He was buried, and that He rose again. Second, Sorry, this isn't simply believing that a historical person named Jesus existed. We know he did. It's undisputable. It's placing your trust in him. It's recognizing that he is the Lord. Third, repent. Turn away from the direction of sin and turn toward god turn toward God. That doesn't mean you'll never struggle again. Listen to me. That does not mean you'll never struggle again. It doesn't mean you'll become perfect overnight. But it means You're no longer treating sin as something you want to hold on to. You're surrendering your life to Christ and letting it change letting him change you. And fourth, receive him by faith. Romans chapter 10, verse 9 says, If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. If you're ever in doubt, read that verse, Romans chapter 10, verse 9. That's a remarkable promise. Now I want to be careful about something. There isn't a magic combination of words that saves you. It's not about repeating a prayer perfectly. It's not about saying the right sentence at the right time. Salvation is God's work, received through genuine faith in Jesus Christ. But if you're sitting there And you want to take that step, you can speak to God right now, you can pray, you can be honest, you can tell him what you believe, what you struggle with, and what you need. And if you don't know what to say, let me give you an example. This is a prayer for someone that wants to come to Christ. Close your eyes and repeat after me if that's you right now and that's something you want. Heavenly Father, I come before you recognizing. That I am a sinner, and that I need your forgiveness. I know that I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus Christ is your Son. I believe He died for my sins, that He was buried, and that He rose from the dead. I believe that He is Lord. Jesus, I am placing my trust in you. Forgive me for my sins. Help me turn away from the things that have separated me from you, change my heart, change the direction of my life. Teaching me to follow you, to understand your word. And to live accordingly to your will. I don't have everything figured out. I know I still have questions. I know I will need your grace every day. But I want to know you. I want to follow you, and I am placing my faith in you. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for the resurrection, and thank you for the gift of salvation. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. If you prayed something like that sincerely, I want to encourage you to take the next steps. Start reading the gospel, start in the book of John. Find a Bible believing Christian community or a group of friends. Talk with a pastor or a mature Christian who can help you grow. Learn what baptism means, and take the step of obedience. Begin praying, even if you don't know exactly what to say. And remember, becoming a Christian isn't the finish line. It's the beginning of a new life with Christ. You don't have to understand everything today, but you can begin following him today. So I wanna finish where we started. Three crosses, one savior, two criminals, two very different responses. And one statement from Jesus that has echoed through Christianity for two thousand years. Today, you will be with me in paradise. I think the reason the story says stays with us is because it confronts something we all have to wrestle with. Our humanity, our failures, our guilt, our mortality, and our need for something greater than ourselves. The thief couldn't undo his past. He couldn't change the decisions that brought him to that cross. He couldn't go back and become a different person. But in those final moments he recognized the person hanging next to him, and Jesus responded with grace. Now, don't misunderstand the story. It's not an invitation to put off faith. It's not permission to live however you want. And it's not a reason to ignore repentance or obedience. It's a reminder that That salvation is not something we earn. It's something God offers us through Jesus. And I think that's something we desperately need to understand. Because there are people walking around every day who believe they are too broken, too far gone, too ashamed, too unworthy, and they need to hear this. Jesus didn't come because humanity had everything figured out. He came because we didn't. The thief on the cross reminds us that no matter how complicated our past becomes, our hope is found in Christ. And perhaps the most important question isn't how much time the thief had left. It's the question he answered when he looked at Jesus. Who he is. Because that's the question every one of us eventually has to answer. Not who your parents say he is, not who your pastor says he is. Not who society says he is. Who is Jesus to you? And what are you going to do with him? Thank you for spending this time with me on the Human Element Podcast. If this conversation challenged you, if it encouraged you or made you think differently about the gospel, share it with someone. Follow and subscribe this show. It helps us reach more people and keep having conversations that matter. Again, I ask that you follow and subscribe to this show. So many people watch it, more people are liking it. It only takes a second to hit follow or subscribe to help reach more. If you've made the decision today to put your faith in Jesus, I would genuinely love to hear from you. You don't have to walk through that journey alone. My email is out there. You can comment on the post. You can comment on the podcast or on the Facebook page. Let the world know that you've been saved. Until next time, remember, we're all human. We all have a story, but our story doesn't have to end where our mistakes begin. And because of Jesus, there is hope beyond our past. This is the human element. I want to end with a prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you for the sacrifice of your Son. Thank you that salvation is not something we can earn, but a gift of grace made possible through Jesus Christ. Help us understand the cross more deeply. Give us hearts willing to repent, faith willing to trust, and lives willing to follow you. And for anyone listening who feels lost, broken, or forgotten. Let them come to understand the hope found in Christ. Help us never Help us never to take your grace for granted, and never forget the price paid for our redemption. In Jesus' name, amen.