“Then were there two thieves crucified with him,
one on the right hand, and another on the left.”
(Matthew 27:38)
At the summit of Golgotha, Christ was not alone. On either side hung thieves, men judged by Roman law to be fit for death. The crucifixion scene became a living parable of all humanity: one man repented, the other rebelled. Both saw the same Savior, both heard the same mocking crowd, both were condemned to die. Yet only one of the two died justified.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record this powerful moment. Matthew 27:38 simply states that two thieves were crucified with Him. Luke gives fuller color, showing that while one joined the chorus of scoffers, the other was given eyes to see, lips to confess, and faith to believe. Though he was nailed to a cross, he feared God. Though dying, he asked to live. He rebuked his fellow criminal with trembling words: “We receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.” Then he turned his face, as much as he could, and said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”
This one statement revealed much: that Christ was King, that death would not be the end, that mercy could yet be found. And it was, for Christ answered with immediate pardon: “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
This is the very gospel drawn in blood. One thief went to hell cursing Christ. The other entered heaven rejoicing in Him. And every soul comes to the same crossroad. Men still meet Christ lifted up, and they either mock or believe.[1] The dying thief on the right did not do penance or make restitution. He simply believed. He feared God, confessed guilt, and pleaded for mercy. That is the door to paradise, and it swings on the hinge of grace alone.
Christ, crowned with thorns and covered in wounds, was the intercessor of Isaiah 53:12, “numbered with the transgressors,” yet bearing the sin of many. Yet even in death, His hand was not shortened that it could not save.
Contemplations:
- Grace in the Shadow of Judgment. Lord, as You hang dying on the cross, You are flanked by thieves on either hand and murderers at Your feet. And yet the fountain of all grace still flowed freely through You to those who repent and believe. What more beautiful picture of grace than that which super abounds at the foot of the cross, this same grace that triumphs over all sin and the vilest of sinners.
- Helpless Apart from Christ. You are the Way, Lord, as well as the Truth and the Life (John 14:6). As for me, I am lost and cannot find You without Your Spirit leading me. I am steeped in the lies of the devil and cannot know Your Truth until You open my heart to hear it from Your Word. I am dead in sin and cannot experience life until You breathe into me that breath of life I now know as the new birth You speak of in John 3. Why then should I trust myself to follow You at will? Today, if I hear Your voice, I will not harden my heart. For if I refuse You, I cannot be assured of a second chance.
- The Urgency of True Repentance. Don’t let me deceive myself regarding repentance, Lord, for I am not guaranteed good health or a long life. Should I forget You, the winter of age or sickness may creep in unawares and I will have squandered the only life You have given me to love and worship, serve and honor You.
Prayer (Thanksgiving)
Lord Jesus Christ, eternal Son of God and King of mercy, I thank You with all my heart for Your willingness to be numbered with transgressors. When You bore the cross, You bore it not for angels but for sinful men. When You hung between thieves, it was to show that there is no depth too vile, no place too low, for Your grace to reach. I thank You that even in the hour of Your suffering, Your heart was still open to the cry of the penitent.
I thank You that You received that thief—not for his deeds, but for his faith. And I thank You that Your answer was swift, sure, and full of promise: “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” I thank You that You do not delay mercy. You do not require long probation. You do not consult the opinions of men. You see faith, and You reward it with Yourself.
Thank You for setting before me this picture, where one who had nothing but guilt was given everything by grace. Thank You for showing me that there is no sin so black that Your blood cannot cleanse it, no death so near that Your salvation cannot reach it.
Blessed be Your name, Redeemer of the lost, Shepherd of the wandering, and Savior of the dying. Let my heart ever treasure this thief’s confession, and let my soul daily rejoice that Your grace flows even to the right hand of the cross. I give You thanks for my salvation, and for every mercy that led me to repent and believe.
In Jesus’ blessed name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Matthew 27:38:
Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:44; Mark 15:27; Luke 22:37.
[1] “The using of it in faith. If we use not his names, titles, &c. in faith, we take them in vain, Heb. 11:6. Rom. 14 ult. If we believe not his being, what his names and titles import, our giving them to him is but hypocritical compliment. Do we call him Hearer of prayer? let us be sure of the faith of it, or we do but mock God. If we believe not his word, as it will not please him, so it will not profit us, Heb. 4:2. Unbelief makes us take his name in vain.” Thomas Boston, The Whole Works of Thomas Boston: An Illustration of the Doctrines of the Christian Religion, Part 2, ed. Samuel M‘Millan, vol. 2 (Aberdeen: George and Robert King, 1848), 162.
