Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (Luke 7:48-50)

The Thief Was Not The First

Jesus was crucified between two thieves to fulfill the prophecy He was numbered with the transgressors. As the grueling hours of suffering began for Jesus, the two thieves reviled Him, blasphemed Him, and like the crowd, ridiculed the great teacher who was now a curse on a tree. One of the criminals who was hanged blasphemed Jesus, saying if He were the Christ, to save himself and the two thieves. Having a change of heart, the other thief rebuked his fellow robber, declaring that Jesus had done no wrong. The unnamed thief turns to Jesus, seeking mercy that he might be found in the kingdom of Christ. Jesus knew the heart of the condemned thief and granted him the hope of eternal life. The promise of Paradise was given to this single thief through the word of Jesus Christ.

Much attention has been drawn to the story of the thief on the cross. Generations have used him as an example of God’s grace and mercy. There is no more powerful story of grace than the moment Jesus gives eternal hope to a man undeserving of mercy. Nothing is said about the man’s background, but God knew, and Jesus had the authority to accept the man’s heart as changed by repentance. This promise was not made to the other unrepentant thief. Everything Luke records in the story is the story provided by the Holy Spirit.

The thief on the cross is used to prove baptism is not necessary for salvation. The claim is that the thief was not required to be baptized for the remission of sins. This follows the mistaken idea that the thief lived and died under the covenant of Christ when Jesus made His promise. At the time, Jesus promised the thief Paradise; both were living under the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses was binding when Jesus made the promise. Further, the story of the thief is not the only instance in which Jesus forgave the sins of someone under the Law of Moses.

Mark tells the story of four friends who brought a paralytic man to Jesus to be healed. They uncovered the roof and let their friend down to Jesus. Before Jesus healed the man, He told him his sins were forgiven. Jesus proved He had the authority to forgive sins by immediately healing the man, who took up his bed and walked out the door. Jesus did not demand that this man to be baptized. Jesus attended a dinner with a Pharisee named Simon when a woman in the city who was a sinner came and anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears and fragrant oil. Simon thought to himself that if Jesus knew how sinful the woman was, He would be horrified. Jesus rebukes Simon for his hypocrisy and lack of love for others. The Lord then tells the woman her sins were forgiven. He did not demand she be baptized.

Jesus had the authority to forgive the sins of anyone He chose. The Law of Moses was binding until the resurrection of Jesus, when God changed the covenant of grace for all men. Peter, a devout Jew brought up under the Law of Moses, told the thousands of devout Jews gathered at Pentecost to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins. Every story of conversion in the New Testament church includes repentance and baptism. There is never a time when anyone said that salvation comes by faith only or by accepting Christ as a personal Savior. The thief on the cross was saved by the grace of God according to the will of God. No one can be saved like the thief because the law has changed. Jesus said so.