Question:  Dear Greg,

        I was taught that when Jesus died on the cross, he told the one thief, “This day you shall be with me in paradise” because he (Jesus) hadn’t finished the atoning work yet.  Therefore, once the work had been finished, he spent 3 days in Abraham’s bosom (paradise), preaching himself to the Old Testament saints who would have to receive him (Jesus Christ) to stand before God the Father.  God declared that the only way to the Father was through the Son, so naturally all the Old Testament saints who were “shut up to faith in Abraham’s bosom” would have to declare Jesus Christ is Lord, and then would be granted access to God’s presence.

        I am interested in your view on this.

        Karl

Answer:  Dear Karl,

        The last statement of Jesus on the cross (there were seven) was, “It is finished” (John 19:39).  Literally— “the debt is paid.”

        Nothing more needed to be done.  The atoning work was complete “once for all” as the writer of Hebrews (10:26) tells us.  Nothing more needed to be done, by Jesus, or by anyone else.

        How the Old Testament saints come to Christ is a matter of speculation— we cannot be certain because the Bible is not specific.  But the Bible is specific about Jesus’ complete and sufficient work on the cross.

        In Christ,

        Greg Albrecht