Luke 23:32-43 Meaning: Grace Between Two Thieves
32There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death.
33When they came to the place that is called “The Skull”, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
35The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”
36The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar,
37and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”
38An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
39One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, “If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!”
40But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Don’t you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
42He said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43Jesus said to him, “Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”
32And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.
33And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
34Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
35And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
36And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
37And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
32And there were also two others, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.
33And when they came unto the place which is called The skull, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
34And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And parting his garments among them, they cast lots.
35And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also scoffed at him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen.
36And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, offering him vinegar,
37and saying, If thou art the King of the Jews, save thyself.
38And there was also a superscription over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39And one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us.
40But the other answered, and rebuking him said, Dost thou not even fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42And he said, Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom.
43And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.
32And there were also others--two evil-doers--with him, to be put to death;
33and when they came to the place that is called Skull, there they crucified him and the evil-doers, one on the right hand and one on the left.
34And Jesus said, `Father, forgive them, for they have not known what they do;' and parting his garments they cast a lot.
35And the people were standing, looking on, and the rulers also were sneering with them, saying, `Others he saved, let him save himself, if this be the Christ, the choice one of God.'
36And mocking him also were the soldiers, coming near and offering vinegar to him,
37and saying, `If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.'
38And there was also a superscription written over him, in letters of Greek, and Roman, and Hebrew, `This is the King of the Jews.'
39And one of the evil-doers who were hanged, was speaking evil of him, saying, `If thou be the Christ, save thyself and us.'
40And the other answering, was rebuking him, saying, `Dost thou not even fear God, that thou art in the same judgment?
41and we indeed righteously, for things worthy of what we did we receive back, but this one did nothing out of place;'
42and he said to Jesus, `Remember me, lord, when thou mayest come in thy reign;'
43and Jesus said to him, `Verily I say to thee, To-day with me thou shalt be in the paradise.'
32Now two others also, malefactors, were led with him to be put to death.
33And when they came to the place which is called Skull, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, the other on the left.
34And Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And, parting out his garments, they cast lots.
35And the people stood beholding, and the rulers also [with them] sneered, saying, He has saved others; let him save himself if this is the Christ, the chosen one of God.
36And the soldiers also made game of him, coming up offering him vinegar,
37and saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
38And there was also an inscription [written] over him in Greek, and Roman, and Hebrew letters: This is the King of the Jews.
39Now one of the malefactors who had been hanged spoke insultingly to him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? save thyself and us.
40But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost thou too not fear God, thou that art under the same judgment?
41and we indeed justly, for we receive the just recompense of what we have done; but this [man] has done nothing amiss.
42And he said to Jesus, Remember me, [Lord,] when thou comest in thy kingdom.
43And Jesus said to him, Verily I say to thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Meaning in one sentence
One criminal mocks Jesus while the other asks to be remembered. The dying King promises paradise. This passage shows grace at its most unexpected.
Context
Luke alone gives us the conversation between the two criminals crucified with Jesus. The scene is the place called the Skull, a hill outside Jerusalem. Jesus is led out with two others described as evil-doers, just as the prophet Isaiah had said: he would be counted among rebels. As the cross is raised, Jesus speaks words of forgiveness to those killing him, while the rulers and soldiers mock. The crowd watches. Then one criminal joins the mocking, but the other sees something different. He confesses that they deserve their death, points out that Jesus has done nothing wrong, and asks to be remembered. Jesus answers with a promise that reaches beyond the grave.
Key Words
Three Greek words stand out here. First, kakourgoi (criminals) means literally “evil-doers.” This is the word Luke uses twice: these men are not just thieves but serious offenders. Jesus is placed among them, fulfilling the Scripture that he would be “numbered with the transgressors.” Second, aphiēmi (forgive) in verse 34 carries the sense of sending away or releasing. As nails pierce his hands, Jesus asks the Father to release his enemies from the debt of what they are doing. That is not a distant prayer from heaven; it is the first word from the cross. Third, paradeisos (paradise) originally meant an enclosed park or garden, like the garden of Eden. By using it here, Jesus tells the dying thief that he will be welcomed into the very presence of God that same day. The word promises a restored home.
How Christians Read This Verse
The penitent thief has been understood across Christian traditions as a powerful example of grace. Catholics often point to him as proof that sincere repentance, even at the last moment, can receive mercy. Protestant commentators such as Calvin and Wesley emphasize that he had no time for good works, his faith alone saved him. Orthodox Christians venerate him as Saint Dismas, honoring his confession and his rebuke of the other criminal. All traditions agree on what matters most: Jesus received him fully, and that promise gives hope to anyone who feels they have come too late.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that the penitent thief earned his salvation by rebuking his fellow criminal, as though one good deed balanced the scales. In fact, he did nothing to earn the promise. He simply spoke the truth about his own guilt and about Jesus’ innocence, and then he asked to be remembered. Jesus answered not because the thief had merited it, but because that small cry of faith was enough. Grace, not good works, opened paradise that day.
Living This Out
This week, you may feel like the thief: guilty, running out of time, with nothing to offer. You may wonder if it is too late for a fresh start. The dying King responds to the smallest honest prayer. You do not need a perfect confession or a long record of good deeds. You can say what he said: “Lord, remember me.” Jesus answers with the same certainty he gave that day. So bring your real need, not your rehearsed words. He is still the King who opens paradise to those who ask.
Main takeaway: Jesus hung between two criminals, and in his final hour of suffering he promised paradise to the one who asked to be remembered.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus was on a cross between two criminals. One was mean and made fun of him. The other said, “Remember me.” Jesus promised that he would be with him in heaven that very day.
For ages 9, 12
The criminal on the cross didn’t have time to do good things to make up for his mistakes. He just said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus promised him paradise. That shows us that we don’t earn God’s love, we ask for it, and he gives it freely.
Questions People Ask
Did the penitent thief go to heaven immediately after he died?
Yes. Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” That means the thief entered the presence of God that same day. Christians across traditions agree that Jesus’ promise was fulfilled instantly, not after some waiting period.
Why did Luke include this conversation when Matthew and Mark only mention the mockery?
Luke often highlights individuals who respond to Jesus in faith, like the sinful woman, Zacchaeus, and here the thief. He may have learned details from eyewitnesses. Also, Luke emphasizes that Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53:12, being “numbered with the transgressors,” and shows that even in death, Jesus extended grace.
What does the word “paradise” mean in this verse?
In Greek, paradeisos originally meant an enclosed park or garden. In Jewish thought, it came to refer to the place where the righteous dead rest with God. Here it points to the restored garden of Eden, the presence of God. It is not a temporary holding place but the full joy of being with Christ.
Does this passage teach that people can be saved without being baptized or doing good works?
The thief had no opportunity for baptism or good works, yet Jesus promised him paradise. This shows that salvation is ultimately a gift of grace received through faith. Christians differ on how to reconcile this with commands to be baptized, but all agree that the thief’s faith was genuine and accepted by Christ.
Why did only one of the criminals repent?
The passage does not explain why, but it shows two people in the same situation responding differently. One rejected Jesus even in his final hour; the other recognized his own guilt and Jesus’ innocence. This illustrates that faith is a personal response to God’s grace, the same circumstances can lead to very different outcomes.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study