the Important Role Played by Two Criminals on Golgotha: A Collection of Essays Golgotha, Paradise, and New Testament Meaning "Falling As

The Gospels of Matthew and Mark record that during the early morning hours of Good Friday, both criminals spoke evil of Jesus. They were both children of Satan. Neither criminal believed that Jesus was innocent. Then something remarkable happened. One of the unbelieving criminals became a believer. How is that possible?Jesus told His followers in John 6:65 how that was possible: "No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father." The Father elects who will become a believer. And later on the morning of Good Friday, God the Father elected one of the criminals to become a believer, His child. Why? To become His spokesperson. No one was speaking out in defense of Jesus, and no one declared why Jesus was on that cross. And that would not do.So God the Father "came" to the cross, as did the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came to the cross to become the converted criminal's teacher. And so the stage was set for the most important dialogue in history between Jesus and the converted criminal.