A thief on the cross asked Jesus to save him (Luke 23:40-43). He had nothing to offer Christ, no way to pay Him back. He could not make restitution or be baptized. He couldn’t give to the temple, care for the poor, tell people about Jesus, or take communion. All he could do is ask Jesus to remember him, to think of him, to give him a chance to be part of his kingdom.
And then come those incredible, life-changing, and grace-filled words of Jesus, despite every one of them being spoken by our Savior in agony: “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). It makes me weep as I think about it.
We are all like that thief on the cross—we have nothing to contribute, nothing we can do to qualify us for salvation.
This video clip is so powerful, and whenever it comes to mind, I just can't get over it. The thief on the cross is the ultimate example that in no way can we earn our way to Heaven. Instead, simply turning to Jesus is the most and the best we can ever do, and even that is only by His grace:
(This story is one reason why I believe many people might even moments before death cry out for salvation. The thief on the cross proves that “deathbed conversion” is certainly possible. And if someone is unable to speak, or too weak to respond, those around them would not know of that conversion. We may be surprised and delighted to one day see them in the presence of Christ.)
