So there was this guy named Neil (let’s suppose), and he was a criminal…

Unfortunately for him, he lived in Judea in the days of the Roman empire.

Fortunately for him, he lived in the days when the Son of God Himself walked the earth.

Unfortunately for him, he didn’t get to meet Jesus until he was nailed to a cross next to him.

Fortunately for him, he realized the unique opportunity available to speak to His Messiah, despite the circumstances surrounding their meeting…

  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

Luke 23:42

Yesterday we noticed that there’s no way to prove the thief wasn’t baptized as John commanded.

But what if he wasn’t. So what. He was a thief! They’re not exactly the law-keeping types. So lets assume he didn’t obey the command. What would that make him?

A sinner!

Not only that, but a disobedient child of God. This was a person who said to the other criminal, who was mocking Jesus “do you not fear GOD?” (Luke 23:40). This Jew had lived wickedly and now at the 11th hour was realizing that He had offended Jehovah, His God.

He was now in the role of the prodigal who came to his senses in Jesus’ parable. He was now in the role of David who penned the 15th Psalm asking God to forgive him of his affair with Bathsheba.

This was a child seeking out God’s forgiveness. This was a Jew who was BORN into the Old Covenant relationship with God, but had fallen into disobedience.

And Jesus entire MISSION was to save disobedient children. The thief found Jesus (at the 11th hour of both their lives) and repented, and Jesus forgave him.

Because that’s why Jesus came to earth. For 33 or so years he was doing just this (Luke 19:10, Mark 2:5). The thief was His last one before dying. Since then, Jesus has left us a new law to follow and now salvation is from a pattern of teaching (Romans 6:17) that includes baptism.

If you skip the command NOW to be baptized, you too will be a sinner, but you won’t be a disobedient child of God. Because baptism today is how one is born AGAIN into a NEW Covenant with God (John 3:3-5). Refuse the command NOW to be baptized, and the next time you see Jesus it won’t be with Him as the crucified savior, it will be Him as the reigning Judge (John 12:48)

You wont get the privilege the thief got.