A Day In The Life Of Three Criminals

The three criminals woke up that morning knowing they were about to be crucified by the Roman army for their evil deeds. They had been sentenced to die by crucifixion. Each of the three men will have a different outcome due to their direct link to a fourth man also sentenced to die by crucifixion.

It is a day that forever is set as the pivotal point in time. It is the day that the Christian world remembers each year as Good Friday. It is the day when Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews, the Son of God was crucified on a Roman cross, by Pontius Pilate the Roman Governor.

Luke 23:13-25

"(13) Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people,
(14) said to them, "You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him;
(15) no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.
(16) I will therefore chastise Him and release Him"
(17) (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).
(18) And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas"--
(19) who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
(20) Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them.
(21) But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him!"
(22) Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go."

(23) But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.
(24) So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.
(25) And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will."

Barabbas who was to be executed as a rebellion leader and murderer is released because Jesus of Nazareth takes his place. The cross intended for Barabbas now becomes the cross of Jesus of Nazareth. One of the criminals is set free!

Luke 23:32-33

"(32) There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.
(33) And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left."

From the gospel records we can see that the two thieves had been caught and sentence had been passed on them – death by crucifixion. They were already hanging, crucified on their crosses. There was no possible way of escape for either of them. The end result of crucifixion was a slow, tortuous, agonising death.

The rulers of the Jews and the watching crowd reviled Jesus of Nazareth saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.” (Luke 23:35).

Matthew 27:44, “Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him...”

This verse in Matthew’s gospel reveals that both thieves also reviled Him. But, something happened to one of the thieves because he changed his mind.

Let’s look at Luke 23:39-43,

“(39) Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If you are the Christ, save Yourself and us.’

(40) But the other answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?’

(41) ‘And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’

(42)Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’

(43) And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise’.”

One thief, angry and bitter that he had been caught and was now paying the price of his wicked ways, lashes out verbally at Jesus of Nazareth. The other thief has reconsidered his own position and realises that the man on the centre cross is indeed the Christ, the true Messiah, and the rightful King of the Jews. He rebukes the reviling thief and turns to Jesus and asks Him to remember him when He comes to reign. His reward is, “today, you will be with Me in Paradise.”

One criminal went to Hell still in his sins, to await the Great White Throne judgement. The other criminal went to Paradise to be with the Lord Jesus Christ forever. The third criminal Barabbas, even though he was set free, was still in his sins. There is no record in the Scriptures of him repenting of his sins; therefore at the end of his life Hell would be his destination.

Three criminals - three different outcomes! How does your life compare? What outcome will be yours? The repenting thief had the very best outcome. Will you?

Jon Peasey

Words of Life blog www.jrpeasey.blogspot.com

Ebooks author page https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/JRPeasey

[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version; unless otherwise noted. Words enclosed in [ ] are inserted for clarity. Words in bold type emphasise a point. You may notice some verses are quoted with ... at the beginning, ending or elsewhere in a verse. Only the relevant part or parts of the verse, that relate directly to the current subject matter is quoted.]

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