What does Matthew 27:44 mean?

Matthew has described the mockery of the crowds and the religious leaders as they pass by Jesus dying on the cross (Matthew 27:35–43). Their insults have a certain internal logic. If someone was truly the Son of God, why would He be so easily killed on a Roman cross? The idea of a sacrificial death is one they have not considered, so the only conclusion they have is that Jesus is not truly the Messiah. Nobody approaching the issue from their perspective could imagine the Son of God would willingly die on a Roman cross to pay for the sins of the world.

A detail given here highlights how ridiculous Jesus' claims must have seemed to His opponents. Even the criminals on either side of Jesus—men at that very moment dying in terrible agony—mocked Him in the same way as the observers. Luke shows one of these men later repented and acknowledged who Jesus was: "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong…Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Luke 23:40–42). And Jesus did.