The Thief on the Cross

This year’s Good Friday message focused on an anonymous but well-known participant in the crucifixion of Christ: the “thief on the cross.” After the service, I received a lot of comments from those who attended – “I had never noticed that before,” was the general theme. The popular consensus seems to be that while one robber mocked Jesus, our thief refused to do so and rebuked his fellow criminal. This is not entirely true. Since many of us were unable to attend the Good Friday service and it was not recorded, I thought I might share a two minute version of the message with those of you who read this blog!

One of the points that is explicitly made by each of the four gospel accounts of the crucifixion of Christ is that Jesus went to the cross with two other men:

“Two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.” Matthew 27:38
“And with him they crucified two robbers, one on his right and one on his left.” Mark 15:27
“Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him.” Luke 23:32
“There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.” John 19:18

We don’t know much about these men except that they were robbers, or criminals. Word studies in the original Greek of the gospel texts suggest that perhaps they were akin to modern day terrorists. In any event, they were, by the standards of the Roman Empire, guilty of capital offense. And they apparently were – this was no miscarriage of justice or case of mistaken identity. In Luke’s account our thief on the cross says to his fellow: “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 for our deeds: but this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:41). It seems quite possible that the two robbers knew one another – the thief who feared God boldly asserts not only his own guilt, but that of the other man as well!

So we know that these men are truly guilty of capital crimes. And we know that perhaps they were acquainted with one another. But there is one other fact that a deep dive into the gospel narratives will reveal to us: they both reviled Christ.

What! Even our repentant thief who feared God? Absolutely.

Consider what Matthew 27:38-44 says: “Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads and saying, ‘You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the king of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.” (emphasis added).

So what happened between Matthew 27:44 and Luke 23:41? What is it that caused the “thief on the cross” to go from reviling and deriding Christ to defending and believing him? In Matthew’s text he is complicit in mocking Christ’s claim to be the messianic king. In Luke’s text he implored him, saying, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42).

I wonder what happened. There is no indication that Jesus conversed with either of these men. The only words that we can be sure the criminals heard Jesus say are recorded in Luke 23:34: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” It seems to be the case that our celebrated thief on the cross went from reviling to repentant in a quiet instant. Perhaps the manner in which Christ replied to curses with a blessing? Perhaps the meekness with which Jesus suffered such torment and indignity? Perhaps a remembrance of all that he had heard about Jesus over the past three years? We will never know.

But the thief on the cross gives me great hope as a pastor. A soul’s attitude towards Christ can be radically transformed in an instant. The thief on the cross reminds me that I should never stop hoping and praying for such spiritual transformations – where there is life there is hope. It also reminds me to suffer well. We all have crosses to bear. And we are all surrounded by dying robbers who see and hear the message that we live.

Your Pastor,
Bob Bjerkaas

N.B. The image above is a portion of a larger work “The Crucifixion” painted by Pietro Lorenzetti in the 1340s. It is notable that Lorenzetti distinguishes the “good” thief from the bad thief by the addition of a halo on the thief on Christ’s right hand and the darker, shaded aspect that defines the thief on Christ’s left. It should also be noted that the blood of Christ and the gaze of Christ are directed towards the thief who acknowledged him. This art is graciously made available for uses such as this by the Metropolitan Museum of Art online.