The Two Sinners

The Thieves as Every Sinner

Luke 23:39-43

Luke 23:39–43 ESV

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The story of these two men is really the story of every sinner.

Two Men at the Cross on either side of Jesus

Dying two deaths

Making two different decisions about Jesus

Meeting two entirely different destinies as a result.

Again, Luke 23:39 says,

Luke 23:39 ESV

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

Our Fallen Nature

It’s amazing that in such few words we get not only a sense of who the man truly is, but we also gain so much more than that. We gain insight into the sinful condition of our fallen nature.

Rather than treating Jesus with reverence, repentance, awe, or admiration, this man used his last moments to treat Him with scorn, sarcasm, and contempt.

He demanded that Jesus save him on his own terms.

Do we not do the same?

When we don’t get what we want, it’s often our first instinct to get angry with God.

We tell Him what He needs to do for us in order to earn our allegiance.

You see, many people want from God practical help in temporary emergencies.

They want a God who can:

perform a few miracles

not one who demands service and obedience

How many prayers are said by procrastinating students on college campuses before their finals?

The Repentant Criminal

There are two criminals in this story.

At the beginning of the crucifixion, neither were willing to come to Jesus.

Matthew 27:44 ESV

And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

Both men railed against Jesus.

It was in these last moments that these two men must have seemed like the least likely candidates for salvation on earth!

What moved this man from ridicule to repentance (apart from the grace of the Holy Spirit)?

The short is this: we don’t know.

Maybe what brought him to repentance was:

the patience he witnessed Jesus having while He suffered from ridicule, excruciating pain, or the overall injustice.

witnessing the prayer of forgiveness Jesus gave for His enemies.

No matter the cause, we have a picture of this criminal, who is now a convert, who has changed from attempting to humiliate Jesus to now having repentance and faith.

Ironically, this man says something similar to what Pilate had said earlier that day:

Luke 23:22 (ESV)

A third time he said to them, “Why? What evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.”

After all of the trials and subsequent conviction, no crime was listed on the sign that hung above Jesus’ head. And this man recognized the righteousness of Jesus and confessed it as well as he could understand it:

Luke 23:41 (ESV)

And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

A Response to Jesus on the Cross

Something to think about today:

What is your testimony about the Jesus that you see on the cross? Do you fear God and honor the King by saying that He’s the sinless Savior?

The repentant thief then goes on to say:

Luke 23:42 (ESV)

And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

I need to stress this: this is one of the only times in the Gospel of Luke that anyone calls Jesus by his given name. And how fitting?

How fitting that in this moment of salvation, this man calls him Jesus, the name of salvation.

As the angel told Joseph in Matthew 1:21:

Matthew 1:21 (ESV)

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

To which Jesus responds to this thief, this criminal deserving the death that he was suffering:

Luke 23:43 (ESV)

And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”