The Audience Luke Is Writing To
Luke continues writing to Theophilus and readers seeking certainty that Jesus Christ is the Savior whose death secured redemption for all who believe. Therefore, after following Jesus to Golgotha, Luke now records the central event of all human history: the moment Jesus is crucified.
Everything in Luke’s Gospel has led to this moment.
The angel’s announcement.
The virgin birth.
The miracles.
The teachings.
The transfiguration.
The triumphal entry.
Every prophecy.
Every sacrifice.
And every promise.
All converge at the Cross.
Yet Luke’s emphasis is remarkable.
Rather than dwelling on the physical horrors of crucifixion, he focuses on the words and actions of Jesus.
Even while dying, Jesus continues revealing the heart of God.
Luke 23:32-43 NASB
Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him. When they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves. And the people stood by, looking on. And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.” The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!” Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Key Focus of the Passage and Jesus’ Character
The focus is the atoning death of Christ, forgiveness, salvation by grace, and the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.
Jesus reveals Himself as the crucified King who willingly dies for sinners, extends forgiveness to His enemies, and grants eternal life to everyone who places their faith in Him.
The Cross is not merely the place where Jesus died.
It is the place where divine justice and divine mercy meet perfectly.
The People in the Interaction
This interaction includes:
- Jesus, the crucified Messiah
- Two criminals, crucified beside Him
- Roman soldiers, carrying out the execution
- The rulers of Israel, mocking Jesus
- The watching crowd
- The repentant criminal, receiving salvation
What Happened in the Scene
Jesus is led to a place called The Skull, known in Latin as Golgotha.
Two criminals are crucified with Him.
One on His right.
One on His left.
In that arrangement, Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled.
The Servant is “numbered with the transgressors.”
Then Jesus speaks the first recorded words from the Cross in Luke:
“Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”
While He prays, the soldiers cast lots for His clothing.
The rulers mock Him:
“He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God.”
The soldiers join in the ridicule.
Even one of the criminals begins insulting Him.
Yet something changes.
The other criminal rebukes his companion.
He acknowledges their guilt.
He declares Jesus’ innocence.
Then he makes one of the simplest and most profound prayers in Scripture:
“Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
Jesus immediately replies:
“Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
With those words, a dying criminal becomes one of the first people promised entrance into heaven through the finished work of Christ.
The Deep Theology of the Cross
Every major doctrine of salvation meets at the Cross.
Here we see:
- God’s justice.
- God’s holiness.
- God’s love.
- God’s mercy.
- God’s wrath against sin.
- God’s grace toward sinners.
The Cross is not simply an example of sacrificial love.
It is the place where Jesus bears the penalty humanity deserves.
Throughout Scripture, sin requires judgment.
God cannot simply overlook evil.
Yet instead of pouring that judgment upon those who deserve it, He places it upon His own Son.
As Paul later writes:
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.”
This is substitutionary atonement.
The innocent dies.
The guilty live.
Justice is satisfied.
Mercy is extended.
“Father, Forgive Them”
Few statements reveal the heart of Christ more beautifully.
Jesus does not pray for vengeance.
He prays for forgiveness.
Notice that He addresses God as:
“Father.”
Even in unimaginable suffering, His relationship with the Father remains central.
His prayer also fulfills His own teaching.
He had commanded His followers to love their enemies.
Now He practices exactly what He preached.
This prayer demonstrates that forgiveness is not weakness.
It is divine strength.
Many who stood at the Cross would later hear Peter preach at Pentecost.
Some who participated in the crucifixion would eventually become believers.
Jesus’ prayer anticipates God’s continuing offer of grace.
The Mockery of the Cross
Three different groups mock Jesus:
- The rulers.
- The soldiers.
- One of the criminals.
Remarkably, they all repeat essentially the same temptation.
“Save Yourself.”
This echoes Satan’s earlier temptations in the wilderness.
If Jesus saves Himself, humanity cannot be saved.
The irony is profound.
Precisely because He refuses to save Himself, He becomes able to save everyone else.
His refusal is not weakness.
It is love.
The Two Criminals
Luke alone records the full conversation between Jesus and the criminals.
Together, they represent every response humanity can make toward Christ.
The First Criminal
He sees Jesus.
He hears Jesus.
And he dies mocking Jesus.
His circumstances do not soften his heart.
The Second Criminal
He also sees Jesus.
He also hears Jesus.
Yet something changes.
He recognizes:
- His own guilt.
- Jesus’ innocence.
- Jesus’ kingship.
Then he entrusts himself completely to Christ.
One Cross.
Two sinners.
Two eternal destinies.
The difference is not their past.
It is their response to Jesus.
Salvation by Grace Alone
The repentant criminal offers perhaps the clearest biblical picture of salvation by grace.
Notice what he does not do.
He has never been baptized.
He performs no good works.
And he joins no church.
He has no opportunity to make restitution.
He simply believes.
His faith is genuine.
He entrusts himself to the crucified King.
Jesus immediately assures him:
“Today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”
Salvation is not earned.
It has been received.
This does not diminish the importance of obedience for believers who have the opportunity to obey.
Rather, it demonstrates that salvation has always rested upon God’s grace through faith.
“Today”
Jesus says:
“Today.”
There is no delay.
No uncertainty.
No intermediate probation.
The believer who dies in Christ enters immediately into His presence.
The hope offered to the repentant criminal becomes the hope of every believer.
Death is not the end.
It is the doorway into the presence of Christ.
Paradise
The word “Paradise” originally described a beautiful garden.
By Jesus’ day, it had become a way of describing God’s blessed presence.
How fitting.
Humanity was expelled from the Garden of Eden because of sin.
Now, through the Cross, the way back into God’s presence is opened.
The last Adam restores what the first Adam lost.
Luke’s Emphasis on Grace
Notice Luke’s unique focus.
While the other Gospel writers emphasize additional aspects of the crucifixion, Luke highlights:
- Jesus praying for His enemies.
- The salvation of the repentant criminal.
- Christ’s compassion amid suffering.
Luke wants readers to see that the Cross is ultimately about grace.
Even while dying, Jesus continues to seek and save the lost.
Mood and Tone
The tone moves from suffering → forgiveness → rejection → repentance → salvation → hope.
And through every stage, the love of Christ shines brighter than the darkness surrounding Him.
What Jesus Reveals
Jesus reveals:
- Perfect forgiveness.
- The heart of God.
- Salvation by grace.
- His kingship.
- His authority over eternity.
- The certainty of eternal life for those who believe.
The Response of the Others
The Religious Leaders
They continue mocking Jesus.
The Soldiers
They ridicule Him while unknowingly fulfilling prophecy.
One Criminal
He dies rejecting Christ.
The Other Criminal
He dies trusting Christ and receives eternal life.
Jesus
He forgives.
He saves.
And He fulfills the Father’s redemptive plan.
The Lesson for Us in 2026
1. No One Is Beyond God’s Grace
Even a dying criminal can receive eternal life through faith.
2. Salvation Is by Grace Through Faith
It cannot be earned.
It is received.
3. Forgiveness Is Central to the Gospel
Jesus forgave even those crucifying Him.
4. Every Person Must Respond to Christ
Neutrality is impossible.
5. The Cross Changes Everything
It is where justice and mercy meet.
Final Reflection
The account of Jesus’ crucifixion stands at the center of human history.
Two criminals hang beside Him.
Both equally guilty.
Both equally close to Jesus.
Yet one dies in unbelief.
The other enters Paradise.
That contrast still exists today.
Every person eventually responds to the crucified King.
Some continue mocking.
Some surrender in faith.
The invitation remains open.
Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness still echoes through history.
His promise of Paradise still belongs to everyone who trusts Him.
The Cross is not merely the story of a good man dying.
It is the story of God Himself stepping into humanity’s place.
The guilty walk free.
Because the innocent willingly remained on the Cross.
So the question becomes:
Which criminal best represents me—not by the sins I have committed, but by how I have responded to the crucified King who still offers forgiveness and eternal life today?
