What does Luke 23:41 mean?
The thief is fastened to a cross; between him and another crucified criminal is Jesus. The two men's crimes are undefined, but they may include some form of insurrection. One thief is ridiculing Jesus, telling Him to save Himself and them as well. The repentant thief has another point of view. He fears God and knows that they deserve this punishment. But Jesus is innocent. Jesus doesn't deserve to die on a cross, and He certainly doesn't deserve to be mocked by a criminal (Luke 23:39–40).The difference between the two men seems to be that the repentant thief accepts who and what God is, and what he himself is. He understands that God is sovereign over the world and demands justice for sins. For the two criminals, crucifixion is just. But Jesus is innocent, and for a criminal to mock an innocent man is hypocritical and unfair before God.
This is the thief's confession. He admits he is guilty and deserves punishment. He admits that God is a just God. But he takes it a step further. He says, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Luke 23:42). He declares his belief that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is King. Whatever is going on now, however hopeless it looks, Jesus will have a kingdom and He has authority to decide who will join Him.
The repentant thief is the third witness to verify that Jesus is innocent after Pilate and Herod Antipas. But he's the only one who then submits to Jesus as his Lord. Undoubtedly, Pilate and Antipas know they have sinned against God, as well, but they don't do anything about it. Unlike the thief, they think they have too much to lose.
