7 Words of the Thief on the Cross – A Good Friday Message

One of the most powerful sermons in the Bible was preached by a dying man— Dismas, a thief — on the cross. This powerful moment is recorded in Luke 23:40–42, where a criminal, with only minutes left to die, spoke words that revealed deep spiritual truth about entering eternal life. 

When Jesus Christ was crucified, two criminals were hanging beside Him. One was Gestas, meaning “cruel-hearted,” and the other was Dismas, remembered as the repentant thief.  . Both were suffering the same pain. Both were facing death within hours. Both had the same opportunity to respond to Jesus. Yet their choices were completely different. One thief mocked Jesus. The other discovered eternal life. 

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Let us look at those 7 Important words spoken by DISMAS while hanging in pain: 

1. “Don’t you fear God?”  (Verse 40)

The first thing the repentant thief spoke about was not his pain, his suffering, or even his own life. Instead, he asked the other thief a serious question: “Don’t you fear God?”.  Even while dying, he understood something very important — Fearing God is essential if a person wants eternal life. The Bible tells us many times, “Do not fear.” But the same Bible also clearly says: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10).” This shows us something very meaningful. God does not want us to be afraid of people, their opinions, their actions, or the problems, the future, the struggles, or the obstacles around us we face in life. But there is one fear that should remain in our hearts — THE FEAR OF GOD.

Let's examine ourselves today — Do we truly fear God, or are we more afraid of people’s opinions and talks?

2. “You are under the same condemnation” (Verse 40)

Hanging beside Jesus, the repentant thief turned to the other criminal and reminded him: "You are in the same condemnation." In other words he was saying: “We both are sinners. We both are facing death. At least now, stop mocking and turn to God.”  What a powerful moment! A criminal became a preacher. He realized that even at the last moment, repentance can still change eternity.

Let us examine ourselves — If a thief could recognize his sin on a cross, are we willing to recognize our sins while we still have time?

3. “We are punished justly” (Verse 41)

Here we see the heart of true repentance. The thief did not blame the society, the government, his childhood, or other people for his punishment. Instead, he openly admitted saying: “We are getting what our deeds deserve.”  Real repentance begins when we stop making excuses and humbly confess our sins to God. That honest moment can become the turning point of our life, just like it was for the thief on the cross. The moment he admitted his sin, the door to salvation opened, and his journey to the Heavenly Kingdom began.

Let's examine —  Are we willing to come to God with a humble heart and ask for His forgiveness today?

 4. “This man has done nothing wrong” (Verse 41)

While the crowd mocked Jesus and questioned Him, the thief boldly spoke the truth (Preached): “This man has done nothing wrong.” Imagine the power of that moment. A criminal, hanging on a cross, publicly declared the Holiness of Jesus. In a place filled with hatred and accusations, he became a witness for righteousness. Just like the thief on the cross, we are called to recognize Jesus for who He truly is and boldly declare His Holiness, even when the world around us thinks differently. In a place filled with negativity and mockery, the thief became a witness.  

Let's question ourselves for a moment — Am I being a witness for Jesus in the places where I am today?

5. “Jesus” (Verse 42)

Next, the thief simply called Him by name. “Jesus.”  The name Jesus means “The Lord saves” or “Savior.” When the thief called Him by name, he was not just expressing faith but was boldly preaching that Jesus is Saviour who came to save the sinners. And that small act of proclaiming with faith about Jesus changed everything.

Let's examine —Are we willing to speak about Jesus to others, just like the thief declared Him on the cross?

6. “When You come into Your Kingdom” (Verse 42)

While everyone else saw a dying man on a cross, the thief saw a King.  He did not ask Jesus to come down from the cross. He did not ask to be rescued from death. Instead, he believed in a future kingdom and said: "When You come into Your Kingdom.”  In other words we can say, he declared that Jesus is King, even while Jesus was suffering and about to die in just few hours. The Theif had a faith — a kind of faith that looked beyond his present pain & suffering, believed in the eternal reality of God’s Kingdom. 

Let's question ourselves — How many times in 2026 have we boldly preached that Jesus is King and He is coming soon?

7. “Remember me” (Verse 42)

Finally, the thief prayed one of the most humble prayers in the entire Bible: “Remember me.” He had nothing to offer.

• No good works.
• No time to perform religious rituals.
• No opportunity to change his life.

All he had was faith and a sincere prayer. And that was enough. Immediately Jesus responded with one of the most comforting promises ever spoken: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43). In a single moment, a condemned criminal received the promise of eternal life. 
Let's question to ourselves — If our life ends today… will Jesus say, “You will be with Me”?

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Summary

A dying thief became the first person promised to enter into Christ’s Kingdom directly from the cross. His final words show us that Fearing God → Recognizing our Sins →  True repentance →  Recognizing the Holiness of Jesus →  Accepting Him as our Saviour →  Proclaiming about Jesus → and a Praying with a humble Heart  can open the door to Heaven—even in the final stage of our life.

On that day, two thieves were crucified next to Jesus. The difference between the both was not intelligence, background, or opportunity. The difference was a decision & one prayer of faith. One thief rejected Jesus and lost eternity. The other trusted Jesus and gained paradise. And the same choice still stands before every person today. 

• Both saw the same man.
• Both heard the same words.
• Both had the same opportunity.

But only one chose repentance and had eternal life. Today, we also have the same Holy Bible, we hear the same message of Jesus, and we pray to the same God who taught us the way of salvation. The question is not what they did that day on the cross. The question is—what is our decision today?

Remember, No one is too sinful. No one is too late. No one is too far from God. Today is the day to decide. 

Let us turn away from sin and come to the King — the Most High.

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Online References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impenitent_thief

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=lsFUw-s-RV4&si=ytVDr8Nsz5kSKrU0

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