We Are All Criminals Hanging On A Cross

The event is explained by John, the disciple that Jesus loved, in this way:

The Messiah, the Christ, is mounted on a wooden cross with sharp stone nails pounded through his hands and feet. In His company are distraught and devoted followers, including John and Mary. Also present at Golgotha are Roman soldiers and two criminals being crucified on either side of the Messiah.

Also present for this epic moment is all of humanity; every man, woman, and child that has ever or will ever live. We are all present and all represented by the two men on the left and right side of Jesus.

These two men were guilty, as Luke reveals in his Gospel. They deserved their punishment, as do all of us. We are all guilty of our crimes and all of us have committed numerous crimes that would rightfully bring judgment on us. Our guiltiness is even more evident when shown next to the innocent man nailed on the middle cross.

Luke goes into the greatest detail about these two men, but all of the Gospel writers mention them. The men crucified with Jesus had the same opportunity in His presence. One was not better than the other in Jesus’ eyes, but one choose to believe while the other choose to deny. All of mankind falls under the example of these two criminals that are at the edge of death and they have absolutely no power to save themselves.

Luke tells us that one of them denies and mocks Jesus to his own death, but the other recognizes the Messiah and his unique authority. He asks Jesus to remember him when Jesus enters His Kingdom in Heaven. Jesus assures the criminal that because of his faith that he will be in Paradise with Jesus that very day. It is because of the man’s faith in the Messiah, not because of the deeds of his life or because he was truly innocent of the crime he is charged with. These two men had lived the same lives, possibly guilty of the same crime that they committed as partners, but one spends eternity in hell and the other is in paradise. This is not fair justice; this is the mystery and beauty of grace.

We are all guilty criminals that when hung next to the pure and innocent Messiah have the choice to embrace or reject His freedom from our sentence.