“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with Him to be executed. 33When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals–one on His right, the other on His left. 34Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up His clothes by casting lots. 35The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at Him. They said, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’ 36The soldiers also came up and mocked Him. They offered Him wine vinegar 37and said, ‘If You are the king of the Jews, save Yourself.’ 38There was a written notice above Him, which read: This is the king of the Jews. 39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: ‘Aren’t you the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!’ 40But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this Man has done nothing wrong.’ 42Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ 43Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.’” – Luke 23:32-43
Why did the repentant thief honor Jesus? It doesn’t seem like he had any reason to.
We could argue the other criminal made a better demand. If Jesus was the Messiah, He should prove it and fast! Get down from the cross, but take us with You! Now that would impress the Jews and scare the Romans!
The Greek word Luke uses to describe these two convicts is a simple combination of “evil” and “doer.” They were villains; in the movies, they’d be the bad guys.
Matthew and Mark call them “rebels” in the NIV. According to the Blue Letter Bible site, the term they use means “a robber, plunderer, freebooter, brigand.” But the BLB cautions that this shouldn’t be confused with “thief” because the latter implies “one who takes property by stealth.”
The two suffering crucifixion with Jesus were open and brazen about their crimes. They may not have posted their deeds on Facebook, but they didn’t try to hide them either!
I’m sure they were targeting rich folks. Under Roman rule, it was difficult to become or remain wealthy apart from cooperating with the government. But those who allied themselves with the Romans alienated themselves from their fellow Jews. For example, think of the tax collectors–Jews who took as much money from other Jews as they could, paid the Roman authorities, and kept the rest. Any Jew who stole from traitors like that would earn the approval of his nation. But he’d also earn the wrath of Rome.
It’s a distinct possibility that the government convicted these robbers for rebellion, too. And Rome would see to it that any attempted rebellion would get crushed.
So let’s consider the first criminal again. He must have heard about Jesus, that this One might be the Messiah. In Jewish thinking, God’s Messiah would deliver Israel from Gentile domination and usher in righteousness. Israel would rule the nations. That’s the kingdom of God.
If Jesus is the Messiah, He would wage a war Rome couldn’t withstand. But here He is, crucified by that government. How can He be the Messiah? His reputation suggested He was, but the Messiah isn’t supposed to die. Not like this!
In a last ditch act, the first rebel demands Jesus finish what He’d started. He was acting like the Messiah up to this point. Get on with it!
But the second rebel had a different idea. He recognized the sins he and the other man had committed. He didn’t excuse their actions; he admitted they’d deserved what they got.
Jesus, on the other hand–well, He’s a different story. There was a purity about Him that stood out. He’s suffering, but He’s guilty of nothing.
Hanging on a cross is no place to engage in theological reflection. Pain and agony overbear; one can only suffer. And in that situation, this man, like the first rebel, made a desperate request.
“Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
There’s no clue he’d followed Jesus; he wasn’t a disciple. But he believed Jesus was, like the sign on His cross said, the king of the Jews. If God was going to establish His kingdom here on earth, and Jesus was to enter it, God would have to raise Him from the dead.
That’s not unheard of.
In the Old Testament, the prophets Elijah and Elisha restored three deceased people back to life. The second criminal could have had these incidents in mind. If so, he might have been declaring that God would vindicate Jesus and even allow Him to exact revenge on the Romans for executing Him.
Jesus doesn’t correct this man. He provides no explanation about His pending resurrection. Instead, Christ promises him “paradise.”
What’s that?
This word occurs only three times in the New Testament but 27 times in the Greek version of the Old Testament. It’s often translated “garden” so it makes us think about the Garden of Eden.
But Paul uses the term to refer to the heavenly realm:
“I was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell.” – 2 Corinthians 12:4
And in the last book of the Bible, Jesus mentions it again:
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” – Revelation 2:7
Bringing all these verses together, we can see how the kingdom of God, heaven, and the Garden of Eden intend the same reality. God wills a place for His people to enjoy His rule in all its abundance. The original blessing in the Garden didn’t last, but through Jesus, God is restoring His kingdom where His “will is done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
The thief on the cross didn’t grasp all this, but he was on the right track. And as we honor Jesus, He will reward us with wisdom while we live and the promise of paradise for when our lives come to an end.
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