The Converted Criminal (Luke 23:39-43)
Why was it arranged by
the authorities that Jesus should be crucified with two criminals? The likely
answer is that he was given the place that would have been occupied by
Barabbas, who had been released in line with the government’s policy to release
a prisoner at Passover time in line with the desires of the Jews. Although
Barabbas was a vicious criminal, the Jewish religious leaders had led the crowd
to demand his release instead of Jesus (Matt. 27:15-23). So, humanly speaking,
that was why he was crucified with the two criminals. Behind the scenes, it was
a divine arrangement.
We noticed in the
previous study that the soldiers for whom Jesus had prayed were led to confess
him as the Son of God, with the centurion in charge of them also confessing
that Jesus was an innocent man. In doing this, the centurion joined a list of
others who had said the same in the previous twenty-four hours, including
Pilate the Governor, his wife and Judas the Betrayer. The soldiers did this
after the Saviour died, and this could raise the question as to whether anyone
would come to faith in him at the cross before he died.
It is possible that
Simon of Cyrene did, because it looks as if he became a believer, but it cannot
be stated at what time he did so. He may have done so at the cross, or it may
have occurred later on. But there was one man who did confess Jesus before he
died and that individual was the converted criminal, and he also confessed the
innocence of Jesus.
His correction
Other Gospels tell us
that both the criminals who were crucified alongside Jesus taunted him. Luke
tells us about what one of them said to Jesus about coming down from the cross:
‘Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.’
It is hard to tell if this criminal when he spoke to Jesus was under the
impression that the role of the Messiah was to deliver all nationalistic Jews
from the bondage of political oppression. Some scholars suggest that the
criminals were connected to a nationalistic movement and that they had been
involved with Barabbas in the recent attempted insurrection in Jerusalem. If
that was the case, then the criminal would have had notions of a political
deliverance.
What can be said about
him is that he had no concept of the kind of salvation that Jesus had come to
provide for sinners. The criminal’s words could have sounded correct if he had
a proper understanding of his sinful state and why he needed a Saviour. But we
can see from his case that it is not sufficient to have words that sound right.
Both criminals had correct words, but only one had a correct grasp of what
salvation means.
The criminal who would
repent revealed that he did know what the problem was. He realised that they
were to face God as the judge of all. This was not a time for the other
criminal to engage in pointless optimism about coming down from the cross and
spending a few more years on earth. Rather he was to face reality as it loomed
towards him. He was facing the prospect of meeting with God unprepared.
His confession –
two miracles
The penitent criminal recognised
that the sentence of death by the court was just. He had committed crimes
against the authority of the state and he accepted that his punishment was
just. That realisation was a great miracle in the sense that he had been given
a new outlook on himself. Such a change of assessment only comes from the Lord
in heaven who had opened the man’s understanding in order to appreciate who he
was in God’s sight.
There was another
miracle that took place in his grasp of things and that was his confidence that
Jesus had done nothing wrong. How did he come to such an understanding? It is
likely that he had observed Jesus as he made his way to the cross and he would
have heard the prayer that he made on behalf of the soldiers who had crucified
him. The response of Jesus had been different to how the criminals themselves had
reacted. It would be impossible for someone not to be struck by the desire
expressed by Jesus in his prayer request. Maybe the criminal asked, ‘What kind
of man could make such a prayer?’ Whatever led to the change, he now knew that
Jesus was a sinless man. This understanding came from the Holy Spirit.
His petition
The penitent criminal
turned to the Saviour and expressed his faith in a very clear and
straightforward request that is full of spiritual light. We can go through it
in order of the words and see several amazing details.
The criminal begins
with the name Jesus, a name that is full of significant meaning because it
highlights that he is the Saviour who will save his people from their sins. It
is the name that was given to him when he was born in order to indicate the
purpose of his life (Matt. 1:21).
Then he asked Jesus to
‘remember him’. A few hours before his crucifixion, Jesus had asked his
disciples to remember him when they would hold the Lord’s Supper in the future.
Obviously, the timing of the criminal’s request indicates what he had in mind.
He knew that there would be no change in his earthly circumstances, so he was
referring to an unearthly experience. Yet he believed it was possible for Jesus
and him to have a personal relationship beyond this life.
His request also
reveals what he thought that future personal relationship would involve. He and
Jesus would interact within a kingdom, but it would be a kingdom in which and
over which Jesus would be the king – the criminal says to Jesus ‘your kingdom’.
His desire went against all that was going on around him. On the outside, it
looked as if Jesus, now crucified and wearing a crown of thorns that had been
placed on his head in mockery, had failed to become a king. The criminal realised
that mere outward observation was not how to judge what was happening. Instead
he had been taught by the Holy Spirit that death on the cross was not the
ultimate destiny of Jesus. He knew that the destiny of Jesus was a throne, the
throne of an eternal kingdom.
It is possible that
what the criminal had in mind was that Jesus would remember him when he
appeared after death in the presence of God. He had just reminded his fellow
criminal that they would soon be there. It is a question to ask ourselves, ‘Who
do I want to remember me when I enter the presence of God?’ The answer must be
Jesus.
Although they were
made in very different circumstances, we can contrast the petition of the
criminal about the kingdom with the request of James and John to have the two
prominent places in the kingdom (Matt. 10:35-45). The criminal expressed his
petition in a humble manner – just ‘remember me’ – whereas they wanted their
places almost by right. He realised that Jesus alone would be sovereign, with
no place on his left and right slightly below his throne.
The criminal
discovered that in addition to going to a kingdom, Jesus was already on a
throne, possessed with power and authority to decide this man’s eternal
destiny. What authority there was in the words of Jesus, ‘Truly, I say unto
you…’ He could answer a request that no mere mortal could.
His assurance
Immediately, Jesus
gave to the penitent criminal an amazing form of assurance. But the answer
contains more than assurance for him, it also reveals wonderful details about
the outlook of the Saviour at that time. We can see in his words that he was in
control of time. By the usual Jewish reckoning, the day would end that evening
at 6pm or at sunset. If that was the time that Jesus had in mind, he and the
criminal would be together in heaven. Luke tells us that Jesus dismissed his
spirit shortly after the ninth hour, which was soon after 3pm.
We can also see in his
words a bright light shining into the later statement of Jesus on the cross
when he asked the Father why he was forsaken. The One who asked that profound
question did so knowing that soon he and the criminal would be together in
Paradise. Whatever was included in the forsaking, it did not mean that Jesus
lost his hope of being soon in the place of glory.
The words of Jesus
also point to an important aspect of the heavenly experience, which is for
former sinners and Jesus to have conscious fellowship. Paul was later to say,
when writing to the Philippians, that heaven meant to be ‘with Christ’. Heaven
will have many wonderful features, but surely being with Jesus is what we
desire. In heaven, he will be the Shepherd King who leads his people to the
fountains of the waters of life (Rev. 7:17).
His description of
heaven is also revealed in the name that he gives to it – Paradise. Originally,
the word seems to have been a Persian term for a royal garden. It then became a
word that was used of the garden in Eden, to describe the beautiful, peaceful
location where God and Adam and Eve shared fellowship together. Paul uses it to
describe the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:4) and the exalted Saviour uses it when
giving a promise to overcomers about their future (Rev. 2:7). It must have been
a great comfort to the criminal, as he suffered in a wasteland outside the
earthly Jerusalem, that he would soon be in the heavenly city where there is
not one weed, never mind a wasteland.
Later
that day the penitent criminal saw Jesus die. Shortly afterwards he would have
seen the soldiers coming to break his legs in order to hasten his death. While
we cannot know precisely what he would have felt, surely before his mind would
be the soon fulfilment later that day of that wonderful promise given to him
about soon being with Jesus.
Application
Millions of sermons
have been preached about this man’s experience. No doubt, many a person has
followed his simple method of approaching the Saviour in order to obtain
forgiveness. Many have sung the words of William Cowper about this incident:
The
dying thief rejoiced to see
That
fountain in his day;
And
there may I, though vile as he,
Wash
all my sins away.
Can we sing the truths
contained in that verse?
This man was an
earthly disciple of Jesus for a very short time. Yet, among all the disciples
of Jesus, this man had the clearest insights of what was happening at that
time. He becomes a teacher, the classroom is the cross, and the pupils are any
who will listen to him. What does he have to teach? He teaches us about the
meaning of repentance and faith and how they should be exercised. He tells us
that repentance includes no excuses, but senses from the heart and conscience that
a person has sinned primarily against God and deserves to be punished.
Humanly speaking, this
man was very close to hell when he was rescued by Jesus and taken to heaven. He
had lived a life without thought to the glory of God. Even when he came to
Calvary, his heart was unrenewed, and remained so for some time. Yet as Jesus
had promised, when he would be lifted up he would draw people to him (John 3).
And this is what happened with regard to this man. He was drawn to Jesus by his
love.
Here we see the
willingness and eagerness of Jesus to save sinners. How often did the criminal
have to make this petition? He turned to Jesus and asked him for this amazing
provision, which Jesus answered immediately. No doubt, there was delight in the
heart of Jesus as he gave the promise and delight in the heart of the criminal
as he received it. In this interaction between Jesus and the penitent criminal
we have a marvellous example of his own promise in John 6:37: ‘All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me, and him that comes to me I will never cast out.’
James Stalker
summarised what took place between this sinner and Jesus: ‘This great sinner
laid on Christ the weight of his soul, the weight of his sins, the weight of
his eternity; and Christ accepted the burden.