Jesus Crucified Between Two Thieves at GolgothaBible World
27:38Matthew 27:38
Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
At Calvary outside Jerusalem's gate, Jesus was crucified between two thieves, one on His right hand and another on His left, who were companions of Barabbas led out to die at the same time. They were placed there to make His death as shameful as possible, as a criminal and malefactor, marking the depth of His condescension and humiliation with no lower place left to descend. His suffering there was endured as humanity's substitute, the Lamb and Redeemer giving His own life to save sinners and redeem them from the curse of the law, bearing the sins of the whole world even while praying for His enemies. The sight of Him bleeding and dying on the cross collapsed His disciples' hope that He would reign as a temporal king and deliver Israel, leaving bitter disappointment that tested their faith, hope and courage. The places on His right and left sought by James and John as positions of honor were occupied by two criminals, exposing their misunderstanding of His kingdom and turning their request into a call to share His cup of trial and suffering.
Shameful Setting at Calvary
Matthew 27:38 records that two thieves were crucified with Jesus, one on the right hand and another on the left, so that He hung between two malefactors. The two were companions of Barabbas who were to suffer death at the same time as Jesus, with crosses prepared and placed upon them as they went to execution. This took place at Calvary, outside Jerusalem's gate, the place of execution where felons and murderers were put to death and where the condemned were bound to the instruments of torture.
They were placed there to make His death as shameful as possible, so that He died as a criminal and malefactor after rejection by rulers and people and demand by a mob. Being crucified between two thieves marks the depth of His condescension and humiliation, leaving no lower place to descend, hung between heaven and earth and treated as a sinner though undeserving. The two thieves wrestled and struggled against those who stretched them out, resisted and had to be taken by force with arms thrust back and nailed, and cursed their executioners, while Jesus meekly submitted, made no resistance, and needed no one to force His arms back.
His suffering included being led away pale, weak and fainting, stretched on the wooden cross, nailed through tender hands and feet, then raised and thrust with great force into the hole in the ground, tearing His flesh and causing most intense bodily agony through dreadful hours. While He hung in shame and agony, angels veiled their faces and watched but were not permitted to intervene, and the sun refused to behold and hid its light.
Redemptive Meaning of Suffering
On that cross He hung as humanity's substitute, and His suffering there redeems from the curse of the law, for as Lamb and Redeemer He gave His own life that sinners might be saved. His suffering was not merely bodily agony, for the sins of the whole world were upon Him. Even in that agony He prayed for forgiveness for His enemies because they did not know what they did.
The hanging between the two thieves belongs to the record of His life and death of humiliation and suffering, in which no human being could suffer more. It was a costly sacrifice, endured in being stretched upon the cross and nailed through hands and feet. In it the Son of God gave up all and suffered to the uttermost to bring sinners up.
Together with His conflict in the wilderness of temptation, His life of self-sacrificing love, His soul agony in Gethsemane, and the cruelty of the judgment hall, His suffering at Calvary forms one great sacrifice. That sacrifice was endured to show the way and to bring the divine help people need.
Kingdom Lessons and Application
The disciples saw Him bleeding and suffering on the cross at Calvary and witnessed His death, and that sight collapsed their hope that He would reign as a temporal king and deliver Israel. What they had expected was a king on David's throne, so His crucifixion as a criminal and malefactor in the hands of a cruel mob, crowned with thorns and treated with derision, insult and mockery, brought bitter disappointment and affliction and agony too great to appreciate. That ordeal deeply tested their faith, hope and courage and gave them cause to mourn and fast. The places on His right hand and on His left that James and John had sought as a throne and positions of honor in His kingdom were occupied at His crucifixion by two criminals crucified with Him, one on each side. Before Him lay not a throne but a cross with two malefactors as companions, exposing the disciples' misunderstanding of the nature of His kingdom and turning a request for favoritism and earthly honor into a call to drink His cup and share His baptism of trial and suffering, meaning death for James and prolonged toil and persecution for John.
His position on the cross amid Jewish priests and rulers pressing the Roman governor to do their will shows how faith in God's word can stand against worldly power and human power used to support evil. Those who reject God's law identify themselves with the people who crucified Him between two thieves, and in doing so they crucify the Son of God afresh. He was led away pale, weak and fainting to His crucifixion, stretched upon the wooden cross with nails driven through His tender hands and feet, and hung there those dreadful hours in agony while angels veiled their faces and the sun refused to behold and hid its light. That suffering, in which the Son of God gave up all and suffered to the uttermost to bring sinners up, puts anything called self-denial in the shade and proves the narrow way is not too strait, demanding undivided affections, entire and solemn consecration, and separation from the world and from dead professors. Together with His conflict in the wilderness of temptation, His life of self-sacrificing love, His soul agony in Gethsemane, and the cruelty of the judgment hall, His agony on the cross with one thief on the right hand and another on the left teaches self-sacrifice, patience under affliction, solemn consecration to God, and fitting preparation for His holy work.
Those whom God calls to the sacred work of ministering to souls and enlightening them with divine truth, honored to be united with angels, must feel its solemn obligations, put all energies to its accomplishment, and make every other consideration secondary to this great object. He hung on Calvary's cross as Lamb and Redeemer who gave His own life that sinners might be saved, with nails driven through His hands and feet while the Pharisees mocked and derided Him. He is the true Branch to keep the eye fastened upon, and His suffering is the pattern and strength for enduring false reports, mockery and discouragement without stopping God's work, looking to Him who upholds and sustains at every step toward heaven. The cross of Calvary where He was crucified between two thieves, part of the great sacrifice made in Gethsemane and on the cross, measures the work given to mortals and shows how far behind the church is in missionary effort.
At Calvary outside Jerusalem's gate, Jesus was crucified between two thieves, one on His right hand and another on His left, who were companions of Barabbas led out to die at the same time.
They were placed there to make His death as shameful as possible, as a criminal and malefactor, marking the depth of His condescension and humiliation with no lower place left to descend.
His suffering there was endured as humanity's substitute, the Lamb and Redeemer giving His own life to save sinners and redeem them from the curse of the law, bearing the sins of the whole world even while praying for His enemies.
The sight of Him bleeding and dying on the cross collapsed His disciples' hope that He would reign as a temporal king and deliver Israel, leaving bitter disappointment that tested their faith, hope and courage.
The places on His right and left sought by James and John as positions of honor were occupied by two criminals, exposing their misunderstanding of His kingdom and turning their request into a call to share His cup of trial and suffering.
Shameful Setting at Calvary
Matthew 27:38 records that two thieves were crucified with Jesus, one on the right hand and another on the left, so that He hung between two malefactors. The two were companions of Barabbas who were to suffer death at the same time as Jesus, with crosses prepared and placed upon them as they went to execution. This took place at Calvary, outside Jerusalem's gate, the place of execution where felons and murderers were put to death and where the condemned were bound to the instruments of torture.
They were placed there to make His death as shameful as possible, so that He died as a criminal and malefactor after rejection by rulers and people and demand by a mob. Being crucified between two thieves marks the depth of His condescension and humiliation, leaving no lower place to descend, hung between heaven and earth and treated as a sinner though undeserving. The two thieves wrestled and struggled against those who stretched them out, resisted and had to be taken by force with arms thrust back and nailed, and cursed their executioners, while Jesus meekly submitted, made no resistance, and needed no one to force His arms back.
His suffering included being led away pale, weak and fainting, stretched on the wooden cross, nailed through tender hands and feet, then raised and thrust with great force into the hole in the ground, tearing His flesh and causing most intense bodily agony through dreadful hours. While He hung in shame and agony, angels veiled their faces and watched but were not permitted to intervene, and the sun refused to behold and hid its light.
Redemptive Meaning of Suffering
On that cross He hung as humanity's substitute, and His suffering there redeems from the curse of the law, for as Lamb and Redeemer He gave His own life that sinners might be saved. His suffering was not merely bodily agony, for the sins of the whole world were upon Him. Even in that agony He prayed for forgiveness for His enemies because they did not know what they did.
The hanging between the two thieves belongs to the record of His life and death of humiliation and suffering, in which no human being could suffer more. It was a costly sacrifice, endured in being stretched upon the cross and nailed through hands and feet. In it the Son of God gave up all and suffered to the uttermost to bring sinners up.
Together with His conflict in the wilderness of temptation, His life of self-sacrificing love, His soul agony in Gethsemane, and the cruelty of the judgment hall, His suffering at Calvary forms one great sacrifice. That sacrifice was endured to show the way and to bring the divine help people need.
Kingdom Lessons and Application
The disciples saw Him bleeding and suffering on the cross at Calvary and witnessed His death, and that sight collapsed their hope that He would reign as a temporal king and deliver Israel. What they had expected was a king on David's throne, so His crucifixion as a criminal and malefactor in the hands of a cruel mob, crowned with thorns and treated with derision, insult and mockery, brought bitter disappointment and affliction and agony too great to appreciate. That ordeal deeply tested their faith, hope and courage and gave them cause to mourn and fast. The places on His right hand and on His left that James and John had sought as a throne and positions of honor in His kingdom were occupied at His crucifixion by two criminals crucified with Him, one on each side. Before Him lay not a throne but a cross with two malefactors as companions, exposing the disciples' misunderstanding of the nature of His kingdom and turning a request for favoritism and earthly honor into a call to drink His cup and share His baptism of trial and suffering, meaning death for James and prolonged toil and persecution for John.
His position on the cross amid Jewish priests and rulers pressing the Roman governor to do their will shows how faith in God's word can stand against worldly power and human power used to support evil. Those who reject God's law identify themselves with the people who crucified Him between two thieves, and in doing so they crucify the Son of God afresh. He was led away pale, weak and fainting to His crucifixion, stretched upon the wooden cross with nails driven through His tender hands and feet, and hung there those dreadful hours in agony while angels veiled their faces and the sun refused to behold and hid its light. That suffering, in which the Son of God gave up all and suffered to the uttermost to bring sinners up, puts anything called self-denial in the shade and proves the narrow way is not too strait, demanding undivided affections, entire and solemn consecration, and separation from the world and from dead professors. Together with His conflict in the wilderness of temptation, His life of self-sacrificing love, His soul agony in Gethsemane, and the cruelty of the judgment hall, His agony on the cross with one thief on the right hand and another on the left teaches self-sacrifice, patience under affliction, solemn consecration to God, and fitting preparation for His holy work.
Those whom God calls to the sacred work of ministering to souls and enlightening them with divine truth, honored to be united with angels, must feel its solemn obligations, put all energies to its accomplishment, and make every other consideration secondary to this great object. He hung on Calvary's cross as Lamb and Redeemer who gave His own life that sinners might be saved, with nails driven through His hands and feet while the Pharisees mocked and derided Him. He is the true Branch to keep the eye fastened upon, and His suffering is the pattern and strength for enduring false reports, mockery and discouragement without stopping God's work, looking to Him who upholds and sustains at every step toward heaven. The cross of Calvary where He was crucified between two thieves, part of the great sacrifice made in Gethsemane and on the cross, measures the work given to mortals and shows how far behind the church is in missionary effort.