by Stephen Judd
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One detail of the crucifixion is often overlooked: Jesus was crucified between two thieves.
At first glance, this may seem like a small detail in the larger story of Calvary. Yet Scripture makes clear that even this was part of God’s redemptive plan, spoken centuries before the cross. Mark records:
“Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the inscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS. With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘And He was numbered with the transgressors’” (Mark 15:25–28 NKJV).
Jesus was not counted among the righteous, but among the guilty. Isaiah foretold this moment centuries earlier when he described the suffering Messiah:
“He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief… He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed… and He was numbered with the transgressors.”
Nothing about Calvary happened by chance. Even the placement of Jesus between two criminals was part of the prophetic picture of redemption. When we look at the middle cross, we see not only the suffering of Christ, but the story of our salvation.
Why Was Jesus Crucified Between Two Thieves?
Jesus, the Lord of glory and the King of kings, was suspended between two condemned criminals. Why would prophecy declare that when He died, He would be placed between thieves?
Countless sermons have been preached and many songs have been written about Calvary. We often think about the nails, the crown of thorns, the suffering, and the blood that was shed. Yet we do not often pause to consider why Jesus was crucified between thieves.
Certainly, this demonstrates how Christ identified with sinners. Even while hanging on the cross, He extended mercy to the thief who cried out to Him and promised him paradise. Christ identified with the broken.
All of this is true, yet Scripture reveals something even deeper about why He was numbered with the transgressors.
The Uncommon Thief
This man, who knew no sin, was crucified between two thieves because He was guilty. He was a thief — not a thief of possessions, but a thief of sin.
That may sound surprising. It may even feel uncomfortable. Yet it is profoundly true. Jesus took upon Himself what was never His to carry.
Most people understand the uneasy feeling that comes from taking something that does not belong to them. Even something small can trouble the conscience.
Years ago, while pastoring in Arkansas, our church conducted a fundraiser that involved making chocolate Easter eggs. While purchasing supplies, we later realized we had been undercharged for an entire case of chocolate bars.
For a brief moment, the thought crossed my mind to let it go. After all, we had already spent a significant amount at the store. But conviction quickly set in, and we returned to pay the difference.
Something inside us understands that taking what is not ours is wrong. We call it theft. We call it stealing. We call it shoplifting.
And yet, that is exactly what Jesus did for us.
Jesus took upon Himself what belonged to us — and we did not even realize it. Paul wrote, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). John the Baptist declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Jesus took our sin.
Not Only What He Gives — But What He Takes Away
We often thank God for what Jesus came to give: forgiveness, hope, peace, and eternal life. Yet we should also thank Him for what He came to take away.
The miracle of Calvary is not only what we receive — it is what we no longer have to carry. We do not simply gain new life; we lose the old life. We gain a new future because our past is taken away.
Jesus did not come only to add something to our lives. He came to remove what was destroying our lives. He came to take away sin, guilt, condemnation, and the judgment that stood against us. He paid the price and took the penalty. He did not merely cover sin — He carried it away.
What Only Jesus Can Remove
Jesus gives real and lasting victory. Sometimes we attempt to manage sin rather than remove it. We try to control it, hide it, explain it, rename it, justify it, minimize it, or compare it. Yet none of these efforts can truly remove it.
Only Jesus removes sin’s power and penalty.
Human solutions cannot accomplish what only Christ can do. Counsel cannot remove guilt. Courts cannot erase shame. Medicine cannot cure the soul. Religion alone cannot cleanse the heart. Human effort cannot overcome the penalty of sin.
Paul reminds us, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
To be justified means to be declared righteou, just-as-if we had never sinned. This is not partial forgiveness but a complete pardon. It is not merely improvement but transformation. We are declared righteous before God because Jesus took our place.
He took away sin, guilt, shame, bondage, condemnation, and the judgment against us. If we cannot rejoice for what we have received, we can certainly rejoice for what we no longer have to carry.
Jesus Takes What Destroys Us
The only things Jesus takes from us are the very things that are destroying us.
Most thieves take what is valuable and leave damage behind. They enrich themselves while others suffer loss. Jesus, however, is no ordinary thief. He is an uncommon thief.
It is uncommon for someone to steal another person’s trash. Recently, as I rolled our garbage bins to the curb, I was not concerned about anyone coming to take what we planned to throw away. We install security systems to protect what we value, not what we want removed.
Yet the very things we could not remove ourselves are the things Jesus came to take. He takes sin, guilt, shame, condemnation, and everything that separates us from God.
Scripture also describes Satan as a thief. Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy.” Satan takes what is good and leaves what is broken. He steals peace and leaves anxiety. He steals hope and leaves despair.
Jesus does the opposite. He takes what is broken and gives what is whole. What Christ takes saves us. What Satan takes destroys us.
At the middle cross, Jesus was taking away the very things that were taking life away from us.
The Cross Changes Our Identity
Whatever is present in your life that does not belong there, Christ is able to take it away. Whatever has taken hold of you, Jesus is able to remove it. He does not merely forgive sin; He removes it completely.
Scripture tells us, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). North eventually becomes south, but east never meets west. The distance never ends. This is the picture Scripture gives us of how completely Christ removes our sin.
Through the cross, Jesus took upon Himself what did not belong to Him so that what once defined us would no longer define us. Because of His sacrifice, our past does not determine our future. Guilt does not shape our identity. Shame does not control our story.
The cross does more than change our eternal destination — it changes who we are.
Jesus was numbered with the transgressors so that transgressors could be numbered among the redeemed.
That is why Jesus was crucified between two thieves.
At the middle cross, He was taking away the very things that were taking life away from us.
And because of what He has taken away, we are free to live in the forgiveness, peace, and new life that only He can give.
