Then were crucified with him two thieves: one on the right hand and one on the left.
τοτε σταυρουνται συν αυτω δυο λησται εις εκ δεξιων και εις εξ ευωνυμων
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He suffered on a lofty cross, and not under a roof, to the end that the nature of the air might be purified; the earth also partook a like benefit, being cleansed by the blood that dropped from His side.
It is to be noted, that this is no small degradation of Christ. For they did this as to one utterly abject and worthless, yet for the thieves they did not the same. For they share the garments only in the case of condemned persons so mean and poor as to possess nothing more.
To defame Christ, two criminals were executed alongside Him, designed to portray Him as lawless like they were. However, these robbers symbolized two nations, Jews and Gentiles, both equally unrighteous; they mocked Christ, mirroring the initial taunts of the robbers. Yet one of the criminals, coming to realization, acknowledged Him as King, thus he implored, “Remember me, O Lord, in Thy kingdom.” In a similar manner, the Gentiles recognized Christ. Conversely, the other criminal, representing the Jewish people, persisted in his blasphemy.
The Wisdom of God took upon Him man, to give us an example how we might live rightly. It pertains to right life not to fear things that are not to be feared. But some men who do not fear death in itself, yet dread some kinds of death. That no sort of death is to be feared by the man who lives aright, was to be shewn by this Man’s cross. For of all the modes of death none was more horrible and fearful than this.
Let your holiness consider of what might is the power of the cross. Adam set at nought the commandment, taking the apple from the tree; but all that Adam lost, Christ found upon the cross. The ark of wood saved the human race from the deluge of waters; when God’s people came out of Egypt, Moses divided the sea with his rod, overwhelmed Pharaoh, and redeemed God’s people. The same Moses changed the bitter water into sweet by casting wood into it. By the rod the refreshing stream was drawn out of the rock; that Amalech might be overcome, Moses’ outstretched hands were supported upon his rod; the Law of God is entrusted to the wooden ark of the covenant, that thus, by these steps we may come at last to the wood of the cross.
Matthew shortly says, They parted his garments, casting lots; but John explains more fully how it was done. The soldiers, when they had crucified him, look his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat; now the coat was without seam. (John 19:23.)
This which was now done to Christ had been prophesied in the Psalm, They parted my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. (Ps. 22:18.) It proceeds, And sitting down, they watched him there. This watchfulness of the soldiers and of the Priests has proved of use to us in making the power of His resurrection greater and more notorious. And they set up over his head his accusation written, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. I cannot sufficiently wonder at the enormity of the thing, that having purchased false witnesses, and having stirred up the unhappy people to riot and uproar, they found no other plea for putting Him to death, than that He was King of the Jews; and this perhaps they set up in mockery.
As Christ was made for us a curse of the cross, so for the salvation of all He is crucified as guilty among the guilty.
Why did the Lord choose to pass before the criminals, and what do the thieves and the breaking of their legs signify? Because our Lord Jesus Christ, who is inherently God, fully embraced our humanity, becoming truly the only Man. He embodies the divine intention expressed in God's words: "Let Us make man in Our image and likeness" (Gen. 1:26). Just as the first man was formed by Divine hands, the Lord willingly gave up His life, thereby entrusting His spirit into the Father's care. In becoming the one and only Son, the firstborn among many brethren (Rom. 8:29), He also accepted the role of the first to experience death, defeating death itself, so that He might rise as the firstborn from the dead and hold preeminence in all things (Col. 1:18).
The robbers represent our humanity, divided between the righteous and the unrighteous. The breaking of their legs symbolizes that among all mortals, there is not one without flaws and the burden of sin; only the Lord died perfectly sinless. In a broader sense, we can interpret the robbers as signifying the dualities within mankind: the soul and body, earthly and spiritual wisdom, anger and desire, the physical realm and the mental sphere, as well as the written law and the law of grace. Therefore, when we commit sins or act justly, the Logos descends and is crucified among us. This occurs whenever our transgressions or ignorance render the Logos ineffective and bowed down, giving the demons an opportunity to pounce and shatter our spiritual faculties that traverse the material world.
The Jews aimed to portray Him as a criminal by having Him crucified alongside thieves, thus associating Him with their wrongdoing. Consequently, they executed Him publicly, as noted in Luke’s account (Luke 23:25), while the onlookers observed the scene unfold. They arranged for soldiers to carry out the crucifixion, doing everything possible to tarnish His reputation among the people. This act fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 53:12), which states, “And with the lawless He shall be accounted for.” The two thieves symbolize the two nations: the first mocked Jesus Christ in his final moments, whereas the second ultimately recognized Him as the divine. He was crucified in their midst, positioned between the Old and New Covenants.
The High Priest also in obedience to the letter of the Law wore on his head the writing, ‘Holiness to the Lord,’ but the true High Priest and King, Jesus, bears on His cross the title, This is the King of the Jews; when ascending to His Father, instead of His own name with its proper letters, He has the Father Himself.
Thus on the tree of life the salvation and life of all is suspended.
Or otherwise; Two thieves are set up on His right and left hand, to signify that the entire human race is called to the Sacrament of the Lord’s Passion; but because there shall be a division of believers to the right, and unbelievers to the left, one of the two who is set on His right hand is saved by the justification of faith.
The two criminals symbolize two nations. One failed to recognize its condition until the very end, unaware that its ultimate subjugation by the Romans was a consequence of its rejection of Christ. The other, even in its final moments, maintained hope for redemption and, through the authentic teaching of the divine nature, rectified its wrongs.
This very act of the Lord being crucified among the criminals signifies that His mission was intended for both nations, as He came to them with the intention of renewing them through His Incarnation. The first nation, resembling one of the thieves, rejected Him with the proclamation, “We have no king, but Caesar” (John 19:15), calling innocent blood upon themselves and taking pride in their sin as if it were justifiable, which ultimately led to their loss of the kingdom.
Two thieves were crucified with him, one on the right hand and one on the left, that in the figure of His cross might be represented that separation of all mankind which shall be made in His judgment. The Passion then of Christ contains a sacrament of our salvation, and of that instrument which the wickedness of the Jews provided for His punishment, the power of the Redeemer made a step to glory.
Or, according to the practical exposition, the cross in respect of its broad transverse piece signifies the joy of him that works, for sorrow produces straitness; for the broad part of the cross is in the transverse beam to which the hands are fastened, and by the hands we understand works. By the upper part to which the head is fastened is denoted our looking for retribution from the supreme righteousness of God. The perpendicular part on which the body is stretched denotes endurance, whence the patient are called ‘long-suffering.’ (longamines) The point that is fixed into the ground shadows forth the invisible part of a sacrament.
For because He is at once King and Priest, when He would offer the sacrifice of His flesh on the altar of the cross, His title set forth His regal dignity. And it is set over and not beneath the cross, because though He suffered for us on the cross with the weakness of man, the majesty of the King was conspicuous above the cross; and this He did not lose, but rather confirmed, by the cross.
It was divinely provided that this title should be set up over His head, that the Jews might learn that not even by putting Him to death could they avoid having Him for their King; for in the very instrument of His death He not only did not lose, but rather confirmed His sovereignty.
Or, by the two thieves are denoted all those who strive after the continence of a strict life. They who do this with a single intention of pleasing God, are denoted by him who was crucified on the right hand; they who do it out of desire of human praise or any less worthy motive, are signified by him who was crucified on the left.
The punishment that the Sanhedrin and Pilate imposed on Jesus Christ was a disgraceful act. However, the divine majesty of Christ illuminated the darkness of His humiliation and dishonor. The crucifixion of the thieves alongside Jesus, the inscription that labeled Him, and the dividing of His garments are events that, from a human perspective, aimed to further degrade Jesus. Yet, in a grander divine scheme, they ultimately bring honor to Him. The two criminals were crucified with Him, one on His right and one on His left (Mark 15:27). In the view of the Sanhedrin, this was a way of branding Jesus as a lawbreaker, even positioning Him as the chief among them, given His elevated place.
The malice of the Sanhedrin did not find satisfaction in the undignified execution of the Savior; they sought to amplify the disgrace of Jesus, aiming for the crowds to discern the sort of individuals associated with the Teacher from Nazareth.
After the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, two criminals were executed alongside Him, one positioned to the right and the other to the left. This arrangement was intended to portray the Holy One as the chief among transgressors. According to St. Chrysostom, the adversary sought to diminish the Lord's glory through this act, yet in his ignorance, he inadvertently magnified it, fulfilling the prophecy that stated Jesus would be numbered among the lawless. Tradition names the criminal on the Lord's right Dismas and the one on the left Gestas. They were likely companions of Barabbas in his insurrection and acts of violence. At the base of the cross, there was a significant display of mockery directed at Jesus, filled with derision and scorn.
At that moment, other soldiers executed the robbers alongside Christ, positioning one on His right and the other on His left. This event fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, as noted by the Evangelist, indicating that He was numbered among the wicked (Is. 53:12, Mk. 15:28).
Alongside Christ, two thieves were taken to be crucified. In this dire context, Pilate aimed to instill terror in the other criminals, hoping to at least somewhat diminish the rampant thievery that frequently escalated into political uprisings during that era.
In light of the significant assembly present at the feast in Jerusalem, and in an effort to amplify the gravity and terror of the death sentence, Pilate ordered that two criminals be crucified alongside Jesus Christ as recorded in Luke 23:32, Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27, and John 19:18. Therefore, rather than a single cross, the crowd witnessed three crosses en route from Pilate’s judgment seat to Golgotha. For further details on the crucifixion, refer to Luke 23:33.
Two criminals: "They executed him among them so that he could partake in their wicked honor. The governor, who typically resided in Caesarea, was infrequently in Jerusalem, making it customary for him to deliver death sentences on various offenders during his visits to the city."
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 13 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS