Luke 23:43 - The Second Word from the Cross

 

Jesus first "word" or saying from the cross was the only one directed at people's actions. "Father, forgive them, they don't know what they are doing." His second saying is the only one given in response to someone else's request.

Isaiah had prophesied about Jesus death:
"His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death..." (Isaiah 53:9, New American Standard, 1995)

Jesus' enemies made sure that He died the death of a criminal. Though eventually buried in the tomb of a wealthy friend, He was crucified between two, wicked thieves who were also being executed.

Jesus' supposed offense was insurrection as the King of the Jews. So His enemies mocked the sign Pilate had put over His head on the cross:
“Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” (Mark 15:32a, New American Standard 1995)

Bullies near the bottom of the social ladder will try to climb to the next rung by picking on someone worse off than themselves. And so the criminals being crucified with Jesus "...were also insulting Him." (Mark 15:32b, NASB)

“39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, 'So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!'” (Luke 23:39, NLT) 

 

Lacking originality, he ironically echoed the voices of people on the ground who aren't being crucified. His only original thought was to add, "and us, too, while you're at it."

His sarcasm betrayed his unbelief.

The other criminal turned his head to address the other man. He spoke past Jesus, loud enough to be heard above the crowd:

“40 ... 'Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.'

He came to this conclusion even before the centurion and soldiers did in v.47!

42 Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.'” (Luke 23:40-42, NLT)

I wonder... what awakened the conscience of this dying man while the other man wallowed in bitter unbelief?

The second thief, the "good" thief, didn't pray "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." He didn't ask for forgiveness, he didn't ask to be delivered from crucifixion. Despite the mocking, he believed that Jesus was indeed the King of Israel, and that He would rule as King. He didn't ask any special favors other than "remember me when You take Your throne."

“43 And Jesus replied, 'I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.'”

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More than being remembered, the good thief would be sharing a place with Jesus: not the place of execution, but Paradise itself.

Lord Jesus, When we are tempted to echo the world's mocking, or even a jaded perspective about You, capture our attention. Perhaps it will be because we hear Your words to someone else, "Father, forgive them..." Whatever it is, keep our senses alert: not to pain, not to suffering, but to the fact that You truly are King. Remember us in Your kingdom, as You did the "good thief," the believing thief. Amen.

 

Photos of the frescoes were taken in 2021 at the Monastery of San Marco, Florence. The Latin words in the last illustration were written as if Jesus Himself were writing them from His perspective on the cross, albeit with some letters being upside down as well as inverted. We aren't told that Jesus spoke Latin, but nor are we told that the thief knew Hebrew or Aramaic!
The phrase in the fresco is "hodie meca eris paradiso," which in Google translator is "Today you will be my paradise." Perhaps the artist abbreviated the phrase to fit it in, or Google translator may be using a later version of Latin.