MEMORY VERSE: ‘And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee today, shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.’ Luke 23:43.
LESSON AIM: To study Christ’s words to the repentant thief.
‘The promise of Christ to the thief was, Verily I say unto thee today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise. As punctuated in King James’ version of the text, it reads, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.” That is, today you shall be with Me in the New Jerusalem, where the Father is on His throne. It is said, “they could not have been in Paradise that day bodily, for Christ’s body lay in Joseph’s new tomb. If the promise to the thief was that he should be with Christ in Paradise that day, it must be that Christ and the thief had souls or spirits that would exist after the death of the body, and those spirits were to be together in Paradise that day.” Did Christ promise the thief that he should be with Him in Paradise that day? If He did, He failed to fulfil the promise; for He did not go there Himself. Three days after His crucifixion, He said to Mary, [John 20:17] “Touch Me not for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.” But what are we to do? We are involved in an unanswerable difficulty, if Christ intended to tell the thief that he should be with Him in Paradise that day; for His testimony to Mary shows that He did not go to Paradise. We are not disposed to take the position that Christ contradicted His own testimony.’ J. N. Loughborough: Man’s Present Condition and His Future Reward or Punishment, page 100.
1. When Christ was crucified, who were crucified with Him? Matthew 27:38.
NOTE: ‘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 the thieves, was placed “in the midst,” so His cross was placed in the midst of a world lying in sin. And the words of pardon spoken to the penitent thief kindled a light that will shine to the earth’s remotest bounds.’ Desire of Ages, page 751.
2. What was the attitude of the two thieves to Christ? Matthew 27:41-44.
NOTE: ‘Never did any person suffer so much from contempt as Jesus did. He was blindfolded and buffeted, and in the grossest manner insulted by the rabble in the high priest’s hall. “Then did they spit in His face.” Matthew 26:67. Herod and his men of war set Jesus at nought. In mockery He was invested with a purple robe. A reed was put into His hand for a sceptre, to ridicule His pretensions to a kingdom, and when He was lifted up on the cross, (O horrid to relate!) they mocked the pangs in which He died. Passing strangers wagged their heads, and said, “If Thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.” The chief priests, scribes, and elders, said, with bitter sarcasm, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.” And even the thieves who were crucified with him, cast the same in His teeth.’ Uriah Smith: Review & Herald, November 27, 1856.