The Story of Dismas

The story is told in Luke's Gospel (Lk. 23:39-43) of the thief who was crucified on the cross next to the Jesus. According to tradition, the man's name was Dismas. If I could use a play on words, many people may be inclined to dismiss the story of Dismas, for he was just a common thief! What can we possibly learn from a thief about getting to heaven? But for those who have "eyes to see and ears to hear," the story of Dismas holds a valuable lesson about how a person is saved. Many think that in order to get to heaven, a person's good deeds must somehow outweigh their bad deeds. But the Bible tell us: "All our righteous deeds are like filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6). The Bible says that we are all sinners; everyone is guilty of breaking God's Law (Prov. 20:9; Eccl. 7:20). "There is none righteous, no not one" (Rom. 3:10). So we all stand guilty before God. And as a result, the Bible says that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). You see, Dismas is a picture of us. We may think we are better than wretched, thieving Dismas, but the Bible tells us otherwise!

And looking again at Dismas, we furthermore see his helpless condition and the utter impossibility of his good works outweighing his bad works. He was nailed to a cross! Charlie Bing of GraceLife Ministries affirms, "Could the thief walk an aisle? No, his feet were fastened to a cross. Could he raise his hand? No, his hands were tied or nailed to the cross. Could he be baptized? No, the cross would have floated. Did he promise Jesus anything? No. Did Jesus demand anything of him? No. Salvation by grace through faith means there is hope for a dying man, for someone who can do nothing for himself." The apostle Paul says, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to God's mercy He saved us" (Titus 3:5). Paul makes a similar point in another letter, saying: "Where then is boasting, it is excluded!" (Rom. 3:27). And as Paul says in another place, "Naught have I to boast in except the cross of Christ!" (Gal. 6:14).

To this cross and to Him who hung on it, Dismas turned to look. This is key! As the hymn-writer has said, "There is life for a look at the Crucified One, there is life at this moment for thee!" The lyrics of this hymn harken back to the Old Testament account of Moses lifting up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, so that anyone who was bitten by the poisonous vipers could simply look to the bronze serpent and be healed. As it says in the book of Numbers chapter 21, "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.' So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived" (Num. 21:8-9). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul says: "Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come" (1 Cor. 10:11). The serpent on the pole is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, bitten by the curse of sin (Gen. 3:15), dying for us. "He was bruised for our iniquities and the chastisement of our well being fell upon Him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isa. 53:5). This is the very heart of the gospel that Paul preached, as he declared, "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:3, also see vv. 4-5).

In the Gospel of John, the Old Testament typology is explained to us. Jesus Himself explained it. When a Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Him by night, Jesus told Him, "You must be born again!" (Jn. 3:3). Like many today, Nicodemus was seeking answers. And listen to what Jesus said to him: Jesus pointed him back to the Old Testament, back to the story of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness so that whoever looked to it was healed! Jesus explained the meaning to Nicodemus in the following words, "And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (Jn. 3:14-18, NASB.)

This highlights the significance of Dismas turning to Jesus in faith. While the other thief turned away from Christ in unbelief, Dismas looked to Him and lived! In the Old Testament, God says: "Look unto Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God and there is no other!" (Isa. 45:22, NKJV). Most English translations of this verse read, "Turn to Me and be saved!" But either way, it's the same idea. And this is exactly what Dismas did; he looked to Jesus, the Son of God, dying for him on that old rugged cross, and was saved! As the hymn says, "Look! Look! Look and live! Look to Him who was nailed to the tree!" As a result of Dismas' faith, Jesus gave to him this wonderful promise: "Most assuredly I say to you, Today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Lk. 23:43). 

And so the way to heaven is explained to us. And actually it's not what most people think. Getting to heaven isn't about doing enough good works to earn salvation, nor is it about a person's good deeds outweighing their bad deeds. In fact, it's just the opposite! The Bible uses the story of Dismas, the story of a dying thief, to illustrate that salvation is free! Somehow a dying thief--a convicted criminal--got in! How is that possible? The Bible tells us: "But to him who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness" (Rom. 4:5). "For this reason it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace" (Rom. 4:16). The fact is, only grace explains the story of Dismas. And only grace explains how anyone is ever saved! As the Bible says, "For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves (that is, salvation is not of yourselves), it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). The truth is, Jesus did all the work necessary for our salvation and now He offers it to everyone as a free gift! "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). And so now the question is: "What think ye of Christ?" (Matthew 22:42). Do you see Him as your Savior from sin, death, and an eternity without God? Will you, like Dismas, look to Him dying there upon the cross for you? To every helpless and despairing heart, will you turn to Jesus, "the Son of Man...lifted up" (Jn. 3:14), and find joy and peace in believing? The Bible says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!" (Acts 16:31.)

In the earth a tomb was made, 

And on the cross our Lord was laid.

That for our sins the Lord should die, 

Upon the cross they raised Him high.

Above the cross the sign was used, 

"Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

The soldiers gambled at the cross, 

To win Christ's robe and gained but loss.

One thief just scoffed and turned away; 

No faith had he in Christ that day.

The other thief to Jesus turned: 

Believing he of heaven learned.

Into the Savior's precious side, 

A spear was driven when He died.

Upon this cross for you and me 

He died from sin to set us free!

Because He loves us with such love, 

He is my Savior from above.

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"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16.)

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved!" (Acts 16:31.)