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| Volume 22 Number 12 December 2020 | Page 2 |
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| Volume 22 Number 12 December 2020 | Page 2 |
Louis Rushmore, Editor
Fourteen verses provide all the information biblically available about the two “robbers” (NKJV) or “thieves” (KJV) who were crucified alongside of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:38, 44; Mark 15:27-28, 32; Luke 23:32-33, 39-43; John 19:18, 32). Luke, however, distinguishes between the criminals, one being impenitent and the other being penitent.
Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43 NKJV)
The penitent ‘malefactor’ (KJV) is a curious Bible character. Who was he? How did he come to be executed for his crimes? Especially, what did the thief know about the kingdom of Jesus Christ?
Obviously, this condemned man knew about the ministry of Jesus Christ and possibly about the ministry of John the Immerser who preceded our Lord. “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!’” (Matthew 3:1-2 NKJV). “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17). The penitent thief may have been a disciple or a follower of John, or he may have been one of the many disciples of Jesus Christ, perhaps one of them who turned away from Him (John 6:66). Maybe, the penitent thief had been a disciple of John and afterward had become a disciple of Jesus, as was the case with Andrew (John 1:35-40).
Being acquainted with the ministry of Jesus, the contrite criminal on the cross assuredly was aware of the miracles that our Lord performed. Certainly, Jesus was capable of using miracles to circumvent His execution on the cross. Besides, the Christ said that He could command over 72,000 angels to rescue Him from arrest (Matthew 26:53); Genesis 19:1-25 regarding Sodom, Gomorrah and the cities around them (Jude 7) show what just two angels can do! What could more than 12 legions of angels do?
Clearly, the penitent thief was aware of Christ’s preaching about His kingdom. One of two things was apparently true. Possibly this remorseful criminal was confident that our Lord would miraculously descend from His cross and subsequently establish an earthly kingdom. The apostles themselves, who had been students at the feet of their Master for over three years, had expected Jesus to establish an earthly kingdom. The disciples of Christ, though, dismissed that dream upon the death of our Lord (Luke 24:21). After His resurrection, however, “…when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’” (Acts 1:6). Earlier in the ministry of Jesus, some of His disciples wanted to take Him by force and enthrone Him as King over a physical kingdom (John 6:15).
The Jews in general and the disciples of Christ more specifically were mistaken about the nature of the kingdom about which John and Jesus preached. Especially the average Jew would have been delighted were the Christ to establish a physical kingdom comparable to the Jewish kingdom under the reign of Solomon. The Jews intensely wanted to overthrow the Roman occupation of Palestine, and a later attempt to do so resulted in the ill-fated war with Rome during which Jerusalem and its Temple were destroyed in A.D. 70. Had Jesus been that type of a Messiah and had His kingdom been a physical kingdom, the Jews would have rallied around Jesus rather than handing Him over to the Romans for crucifixion.
It is also possible that this thief on the cross understood more about the nature of the kingdom of heaven than the apostles understood. He may have discerned that Jesus preached about a spiritual kingdom. After all, it appeared certain that all three being crucified on Calvary that day were going to die physically. How remarkable would that be were it true that the wayward disciple crucified on the cross discerned more clearly about the Lord’s kingdom than the apostles! Even the Roman governor Pilate understood that our Lord’s spiritual kingdom was no threat to the rule of Rome in Palestine (John 18:38; 19:4, 6).
The interdenominational doctrine of premillennialism is false on the same grounds of the erroneous misconceptions of first century Jews and also the apostles of Christ concerning the nature of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. The spiritual kingdom of our Lord – also called, “the church” (Matthew 16:18-19) – was begun on the first Pentecost following the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ (Acts 2). The penitent thief may have detected the spiritual nature versus some supposed physical characteristic of the kingdom of our Lord; Pilate certainly deduced correctly about the nature of the kingdom. This spiritual kingdom or the church was the subject of hundreds of Old Testament prophecies and fulfilled in the church of Christ (Romans 16:16).
To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ephesians 3:8-11)
Standing on Holy Ground
Rodney Nulph, Associate Editor
There is an ever-present disrespect for God and spiritual things in our world today. One of the areas that shows this disrespect for God is in the use of His name. As I listen to young and old alike, television shows, commercials, see texts and read emails, I am both appalled and offended at the disrespectful and vulgar way in which God’s name is so flippantly and vainly used. Sadly, this vain use of God’s name easily rubs off on Christians as well. In Exodus 3, Moses encountered God in the burning bush that was not consumed. God thundered from that fiery shrub, “…Draw not hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). God placed a warning to Moses and to all mankind that when we deal with Deity, we are before Holiness and should stand in reverential awe before Him! There is no more “holy place” than the very name of Almighty God. Sadly, we are living in a time when instead of taking off our shoes regarding the name of God, mankind is tracking up His holy name. Consider with me this holy ground and our attitude toward it as we consider the name of God.
His name is revered! The Godhead was clear in giving the Law to Moses and Israel that God’s name was to be respected. The third commandment was clear, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). When God restated the Law to the next generation, His command regarding the holiness of His name did not change (Deuteronomy 5:11). Jesus reminded mankind in His model prayer that even in approaching God in prayer we must be careful of how we use His name, “…Hallowed be Thy name” (Matthew 6:9b). God’s name is to be respected and revered! Therefore, we should never use God’s name in vain. Examples of using His name in vain include but are not limited to: (1) swearing to God (when questioned as to the truthfulness of a statement, some say “I swear to God that is true”). This is a misuse and vain way to use the name of God! (2) OMG known as netspeak or chatspeak, which are letters standing for “Oh My…”) (3) Oh G**or dear Jes**. (Often when something troubling or tragic happens, people will be heard to speak God’s name vainly in this context). (4) Euphemisms of Deity’s name are just as condemning. Euphemisms are simply the rewording of things to sound less offensive. For example, “go to powder your nose” means go to the bathroom. The words are different, but the meaning is the same. “He passed away” is a less offensive way of saying “he died.” Euphemisms that take the name of Deity in vain include but are not limited to “Gol, Golly, Gosh, by George,” all of which are euphemisms referring to God. “Geez, Gee, Sheez, Gee-wiz (Jesus-wizard), cripes (Christ), Jeepers, by Jingo, Jeezers, bejeezers (by Jesus)“ are euphemisms referring to Jesus. “Jiminy Cricket, Jiminy Christmas, Jumpin’ Catfish, Jeepers Creepers, Jeezy Creezy, Judas Christopher, Jason Crisp,“ etc. all refer to Jesus Christ as well. Euphemisms have become so commonplace that we often have forgotten what some of them even mean. We must guard our tongue, for God’s name is revered!
His name is reserved! Humanity did not name God! God revealed Himself to us and allows us the blessed privilege to reverentially speak His name. God copyrights, trademarks and patents the name or names that refer to the Godhead! No man has the right to change, misuse or wear God’s Holy name. Can you imagine some man demanding to be called “God”? Yet, there are scads of so-called religious leaders who demand to be called “reverend”! Dear friends, only God is reverend! “He sent redemption unto His people: He hath commanded His covenant forever: holy and reverend is His name” (Psalm 111:9). Not only “reverend” but God is also holy! There are no such things as holy cows, holy smokes, holy terror, holy mess, or holy hell! God’s name alone is holy (Psalm 99:9). We must reserve names that apply to Deity to the times in which we are praising, praying or preaching!
His name is rescuing! There is rescuing power in the name of Divinity, so much so that “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). We are to “repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 2:38), thereby “calling on His name” (Romans 10:13-17; Acts 22:16) for salvation. The terrible sins of many Corinthians were washed away when they enacted the power of Deity’s holy name (1 Corinthians 6:11). His name is “Wonderful” (Isaiah 9:6). No wonder the wise man declared, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe” (Proverbs 18:10).
Our attitude toward Deity is clearly seen in the way we use or misuse the Holy name of God. One does not have to go far today to hear the disrespect that the world has for spiritual things through its offensive use of God’s name. Dear friends, may it never be so among us! May we understand that God’s name is revered, reserved and rescuing. The next time you open your mouth to use the name of God, consider carefully because you are standing on holy ground!