The Three Crosses on Calvary
Good Friday Service
Luke 23:39-43
Introduction
The landscape of human history bears many moments of profound significance, but none more transformative than what transpired on a small hill outside Jerusalem roughly two thousand years ago. On that first Good Friday, three crosses stood silhouetted against the darkening sky – three men facing death, yet each experiencing that moment in radically different ways.
Today, as we gather in solemn remembrance of our Lord's sacrifice, I invite you to journey with me to Calvary. Not as distant observers, but as pilgrims seeking to understand the eternal significance of those three crosses. For in that scene, we find the story of humanity itself – our rebellion, our redemption, and the radical choice we each must make.
John's Gospel tells us simply in John 19:18: "There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle." This arrangement was not coincidental but providential. For even in His suffering, Jesus was positioned between two sinners – just as He positions Himself in human history as the mediator between a holy God and fallen humanity.
Today, we will explore three dimensions of this sacred scene that speak directly to our lives, our choices, and our eternal destinies.
I. Mercy, Mockery, and the Middle Cross: How Three Condemned Men Faced Eternity (Luke 23:39-43)
Let us begin by turning to Luke's account, which offers us the most intimate glimpse into the conversation that unfolded on Golgotha that day:
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:39-43)
What a remarkable exchange! Three men hanging on Roman crosses, each just hours from death. Each experiencing excruciating pain. Yet each facing that moment with fundamentally different hearts.
Consider first the mocking thief. Despite his own desperate circumstances, he joins the chorus of scoffers. His words reveal not just skepticism but bitter contempt: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" His is not an honest question but a final rejection. Even facing death, he chooses mockery over mercy, defiance over faith.
I'm reminded of a story I once heard about a shipwreck where passengers found themselves adrift on lifeboats. As rescue vessels approached, most welcomed salvation with outstretched arms. But one man, convinced the approaching ships were somehow a trick, refused all assistance – even as his situation grew increasingly desperate. Such is the tragedy of the human heart that sometimes rejects salvation even when it comes directly to us.
The second thief begins similarly – Matthew tells us that initially both thieves heaped insults on Jesus. But something changes. Perhaps it was witnessing Jesus's dignified silence amid the mockery. Perhaps it was hearing Christ's extraordinary prayer, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Whatever catalyzed this transformation, this second criminal undergoes a profound change of heart.
Note the three remarkable aspects of his conversion:
First, he acknowledges divine justice: "We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve." Here is genuine conviction of sin – the recognition that we stand guilty before a holy God.
Second, he recognizes Jesus's sinless perfection: "But this man has done nothing wrong." In that moment, while religious leaders and crowds jeered, this dying criminal perceived what many learned scholars missed – the innocence and righteousness of Christ.
Third, he exhibits astounding faith: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Consider the audacity of this request! Jesus hangs dying, seemingly defeated, yet this man perceives that death will not be Christ's end but merely His transition to kingship. With nothing to offer – no time for good works, no opportunity for baptism or religious rituals – he simply places his trust in Jesus.
And what of the middle cross? There hangs Jesus – the sinless Lamb of God dying for the sins of the world. His response to the penitent thief reveals the very heart of the gospel: "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."
No probation period. No purgatorial cleansing. No list of prerequisites. Just immediate, complete acceptance. In this brief exchange, we witness salvation distilled to its essence: sin acknowledged, Christ recognized, faith expressed, grace extended, eternity secured.
In my years of ministry, I've encountered many people who believe salvation must be earned through decades of religious effort. I think of Maria, a woman in her eighties who attended our church for years but lived in constant fear that her sins outweighed her goodness. When we studied this passage together, tears streamed down her face as she realized what the dying thief discovered – that salvation comes not through our merit but through Christ's mercy.
The three crosses remind us that eternity hinges not on our circumstances but on our response to Jesus. Two men in identical situations made radically different choices. One died in his sins, mere feet from salvation. The other, equally guilty, entered paradise with the King of kings. The difference? Not their past deeds but their present decision regarding Christ.
II. Between Heaven and Hell: The Thief Who Rejected (Matthew 27:44), The Thief Who Received (Luke 23:40-42), and The Savior Who Redeemed (John 19:30)
Matthew's Gospel provides an important detail about the crucifixion scene. In chapter 27, verse 44, he writes: "In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him." This reminds us that both criminals initially rejected Christ. Both began their final hours in mockery and unbelief.
This is the natural human condition – rebellion against God. Romans 3:23 reminds us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." The first thief remained in this state of rejection until the end. His story represents all who, despite being confronted with Christ, choose to die as they lived – in defiance of divine authority.
What makes his rejection all the more tragic is its proximity to grace. Here was a man literally dying alongside the Savior of the world, yet choosing scorn over surrender. His story stands as a sobering reminder that exposure to truth is not enough – we must respond to it.
I'm reminded of an account from the devastating tsunami that struck Southeast Asia in 2004. On some beaches, tourists continued sunbathing despite warnings of the approaching danger. Proximity to warning did not save them; only heeding that warning could. The unrepentant thief teaches us the eternal danger of rejecting grace, no matter how closely it comes to us.
But Luke's account reveals the dramatic transformation in the second criminal. His journey from mocker to believer, from condemned man to paradise-bound soul, exemplifies the power of Christ to save even at life's final moment.
Notice the remarkable theology this dying man somehow grasped:
• He feared God
• He acknowledged personal guilt
• He recognized Jesus's innocence
• He believed Jesus would conquer death
• He acknowledged Jesus as King
• He requested remembrance in Christ's kingdom
With no theological training, minutes from death, this man articulated faith that many lifelong religious leaders of his day could not grasp. His story forever silences the notion that salvation requires extensive religious knowledge or lengthy spiritual preparation. It requires only genuine repentance and faith in Christ.
And what of the Savior who hung between these two men? John's Gospel captures Jesus's triumphant declaration from the cross in chapter 19, verse 30: "It is finished." These words – tetelestai in Greek – signified not defeat but accomplishment. The term was commonly written across business documents when a debt had been fully paid. From the cross, Jesus announces that the debt of human sin has been satisfied – completely, permanently, gloriously.
Isaiah had prophesied centuries earlier that "the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). Paul would later write that God made "him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). On that middle cross, the greatest transaction in cosmic history took place – our sin placed on Christ, His righteousness made available to us.
The renowned preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, "Never has there been such a conjunction of events since time began. Two thieves on the cross—Christ in the middle—heaven today or hell today for those beside Him." This striking arrangement portrays the human condition: we are all like those thieves – guilty, condemned, and dying. The only question is which thief we will resemble in our response to Christ.
III. Today in Paradise: The Eternal Consequences of Faith (Luke 23:42-43), Scorn (Mark 15:32), and Sacrifice (John 19:18) at Calvary
Mark's Gospel emphasizes the mockery Christ endured, noting in chapter 15, verse 32: "Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him." The scorn directed at Jesus came from all directions – religious leaders, Roman soldiers, passing crowds, and initially both criminals. This universal rejection fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy that the Messiah would be "despised and rejected by mankind" (Isaiah 53:3).
The unrepentant thief's final moments were marked by this scorn. How tragic to use one's final breaths for mockery rather than seeking mercy. His story reminds us that persistent rejection of Christ ultimately leads to separation from God – what Scripture describes as hell.
In stark contrast stands the repentant thief's experience of faith. His simple request – "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" – received history's most comforting assurance: "Today you will be with me in paradise." Not someday, not after spiritual purification, but today – immediate entrance into the Lord's presence.
This promise reveals the immediacy of salvation. The moment we place genuine faith in Christ, eternal life begins. As Jesus declared in John 5:24, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." Not "will have" but "has" – present tense, immediate reality.
The power of Christ's promise is magnified when we consider His own circumstances. Hanging in agony, bearing the weight of the world's sin, Jesus nonetheless took time to comfort a dying criminal. Even in His darkest hour, our Lord's heart remained focused on saving the lost.
John's Gospel notes the physical arrangement: "Jesus in the middle" (John 19:18). This positioning beautifully illustrates Christ's mediatorial role. As Paul would later write, "There is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). On Calvary, Jesus literally and figuratively placed Himself between sinful humanity and holy God, making reconciliation possible.
I'm reminded of a story from the American Civil War. In a particular battle, a young soldier was assigned to guard a critical bridge. Under strict orders to let no one pass without written authorization from the commanding general, he faced a dilemma when President Abraham Lincoln himself attempted to cross. Despite Lincoln's protests, the young man refused access to even the Commander-in-Chief. Rather than pulling rank, Lincoln requested paper and wrote the needed authorization. When the soldier examined it, he discovered Lincoln had written: "I authorize this man to cross this bridge. A. Lincoln." The soldier realized Lincoln had written an authorization for himself.
In a far greater way, Jesus did not bypass the requirements of divine justice but fulfilled them Himself. He did not circumvent the law but satisfied it completely. The cross represents not God's compromise with sin but His perfect provision for sinners.
The sacrifice of Christ on that middle cross accomplished what nothing else could – opening the way to paradise for guilty sinners who place their trust in Him. Hebrews 10:19-20 tells us we now have "confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body."
The eternal consequences stemming from Calvary are stark and absolute. For the unrepentant, continued separation from God. For the faithful, immediate presence with Christ. For all humanity, a decisive moment of choice regarding the One who hung on that middle cross.
Conclusion
As we conclude our meditation on the three crosses of Calvary, I invite you to consider which of those three men you identify with today.
Perhaps you see yourself in the unrepentant thief – aware of Jesus but keeping Him at a skeptical distance. If so, remember that proximity to Christ without personal faith offers no salvation. Religious knowledge, church attendance, or familiarity with Scripture cannot save – only a personal relationship with Jesus can. Today, even now, you can make the choice to move from skepticism to surrender.
Or perhaps you identify with the penitent thief – aware of your guilt and need for grace. Like him, you need only turn to Christ with simple faith. No religious resume required, no probationary period, no complex spiritual gymnastics – just honest acknowledgment of sin and trust in Jesus.
Most sobering is the reality that none of us naturally identifies with the middle cross. That position belongs uniquely to Christ – the sinless Savior who alone could atone for sin. As Isaiah prophesied, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6).
On this Good Friday, the message of the three crosses speaks with extraordinary clarity: we are all guilty, like those thieves. We all face death, like those thieves. And we all have the same fundamental choice they faced – to reject or receive the One who died for us.
The hymn writer Isaac Watts captured this truth poignantly:
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
The choice presented at Calvary remains our choice today. The consequences remain equally eternal. Jesus continues to be either "a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall" (1 Peter 2:8) or the cornerstone of salvation and eternal life.
As we prepare to leave this service and continue our observance of Holy Week, we do so in the knowledge that Sunday is coming – the resurrection that validates all Christ accomplished on the cross. But for now, we pause at Calvary, gazing upon those three crosses, recognizing our desperate need, and embracing the astonishing grace offered to us through the One who declared, "It is finished."
Let us pray.
Lord Jesus, we stand humbled before Your cross today. Like the penitent thief, we acknowledge our sin and Your perfect righteousness. We marvel at the grace that reaches out to us even in our broken state. Thank You for enduring the cross, scorning its shame, to secure our salvation. As we leave this place, may the reality of those three crosses remain vivid in our hearts – reminding us of the high cost of our redemption and the eternal consequences of our response to You. In Your holy name we pray. Amen.
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Blessings,
Pastor JM Raja Lawrence
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
email: lawrencejmr@gmail.com
Mobile: +91 9933250072
