One of the remarkable truths of Christ’s work at the Cross is that Christ bore the sin of all of His people, and He bore the holy wrath and justice of God toward His people. This is what is referred to as substitutionary atonement–Christ died in the place of sinners. Another wondrous truth is that all those found in Jesus Christ–those who trust in Him–are clothed in His perfect righteousness.

I have had on occasion the opportunity to preach on Luke 23:39-43, and I have titled that sermon, “The Merciful Christ.” This article will just offer a few reflections from the text and sermon.  The passage reads:

“One of the criminals who were hanged 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 for 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.”

This is one of the most beloved passages in the Gospel accounts, as it shows us what a merciful Savior Christ really is–so merciful that even a man who lived his entire life up to this point in sin and rebellion against God is received into the Kingdom.

Note the simplicity and the profundity of the thief’s faith. As the other thief is expressing mockery toward Christ (much more could be said about this, particularly with regard to the thief’s urging Christ to actually give up His work of substitution at the Cross to save them in a temporal sense), the repentant thief actually recognizes that he is a guilty sinner. He is, at the cross, getting a glimpse of the penalty of sin. He not only acknowledges his sin, but he also states something quite profound about Jesus. He says, “but this man has done nothing wrong.” (v. 41) Remember that Christ is being crucified because He has claimed to be the divine Son of God. He was falsely accused of blasphemy, and it is because of who He claims to be that men put Him to death.

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