Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left… One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “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.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:32-33, 39-43

All four gospel accounts record that Jesus was crucified with two other men. This took place on a hill called “The Skull” probably due to a nearby rock shaped like a human skull. A fitting place for the darkest hour of human history. The authors do not name the two men crucified with Jesus but reveal only that they were “criminals,” literally malefactors, evil-doers, good-for-nothings. We don’t know their precise crimes but death by crucifixion was a punishment reserved for rebels against the Empire. These men may have been insurrectionists executed as threats to Rome. The crucified bodies were signs which said, in effect, “This is what we do to people who rebel against Caesar.” Crucifixion was an effective deterrent to rebellion and a bloody reminder of who was in charge.

In contrast to the guilty men surrounding him, Jesus was innocent and was not suffering for his own sins but the sins of others. Yet, in fulfillment of prophecy, all the abuse was hurled at him (Psa. 22:6-8; Isa. 53:12). Though his crucifixion looked as if Jesus were cursed by God and had failed to establish God’s kingdom, it was actually part of his enthronement and God’s eternal plan (Lk. 9:22; 17:25; 18:31-33). Those who wished to thwart God’s purposes by killing Jesus actually fulfilled God’s plan (Acts 2:23; 3:17-18; 5:30-31). Despite appearances, the cross was part of God's crowning victory not his defeat (Col. 2:15).

These two men crucified with Jesus teach us an important lesson.

One man mocked the Messiah. Rather than fearing God, he ridiculed the agent of his own salvation, assumed Jesus was guilty when he was innocent (identifying himself with Jesus, Lk. 23:39), failed to see that the Savior would be delivered not from death but through death, and only wanted deliverance from physical death.

The other man was promised Paradise. He admitted his guilt, recognized Jesus’ innocence and the spiritual nature of his kingdom, and surrendered to Jesus asking him to “remember” him when he came into his kingdom. He knew who Jesus was and what he came to do. He died with Jesus in a way that the other man did not and so received God’s amazing grace.

This text confronts us with the question, Which man are we? The scene on Calvary is a miniature picture of the entire gospel story. Jesus is still the rejected but sinless Savior. His cross is still the symbol not only of his rejection by men but of his love for all men. And every person corresponds to one of the two men crucified with Jesus. Like those two men, we all are guilty and deserve death (Rom. 3:23; 6:23), but Jesus stands in the middle offering us life.

Will we be like the one who simply dies, not seeing Jesus for who he is, never humbling ourselves, never changing our minds? If so, we will die in our rebellion without hope. Or will we be like the second criminal, who admitted his guilt and entrusted himself to Jesus? If so, we can received the promise of eternal life too. Both men were crucified and died with Jesus, but only one would live with him. Have you died with Jesus in baptism so that you can live with him in the resurrection? (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 6:3-4)

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

1 Timothy 4:12

If I based my estimation of Christianity solely on the behavior of other Christians, I probably would never have become a Christian myself. We’ve all witnessed awful behavior in the church. Perhaps we’ve been on the receiving end of such behavior and, to our shame, been guilty of dishing it out as well. Based only on how other Christians act, I would have left Jesus long ago.

But of course, that’s not what our faith is based upon, is it? We don’t follow Jesus based upon what others do or don’t do. Our commitment to Jesus is based upon what he has done and what he says. Other people will let us down and disappoint us. We will, at times, disappoint ourselves. But none of our failures absolve us of following our Lord.

With that being said, we need to realize as Christians how big of an impact our example can have on others, unbelievers and believers alike. Our actions can either clear a path for the gospel or put stumbling blocks in its way. The Lord knows this and constantly reminds us of our weighty responsibility (Mt. 18:6).

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:20-21)

People will make judgments on the merit of the Christian faith based on what they see in us. We may fairly represent Christ or not, but “the tree is known by its fruit” (Mt. 12:33). They will note whether we truly love each other or not. They will see if we are truly unified or not. As said before, hypocrisy in God’s people does not excuse unbelief, but that hypocrisy can seriously undermine the gospel. Jesus’ phrase “that the world may believe” should always be ringing in our ears. While it is the gospel that saves (Rom. 1:16) not our example, the messenger who embodies the message is most effective. This we cannot do without the Lord’s help.

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:2-6)

We must teach the truth and teach it in love. We must live the truth and live it in love for God and our neighbor. In this way, we can be a lighthouse for others instead of perpetuating the darkness.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt. 5:14-16)

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” (Phil. 2:14-16)

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”

Excerpt from A Tale of Two Cities (1859) by Charles Dickens

Dickens penned those words in 1859 about London and France just before the bloody French Revolution began in 1789. Despite being separated from those “times” by 70 years, Dickens saw how closely his present resembled the past. Even today, after more than a century later, those “times” could accurately describe our “times.”

In fact, this tale of two cities is something of a theme in the Bible. Isaiah prophesied a worldwide judgment by telling a tale of two cities which represent all of humanity. “The lofty city” (Isa. 26:5; 24:4), the symbol of rebellious humanity and all those who trust in and exalt themselves above God, is destined for ruin (Isa. 24:6, 10, 12; 25:2, 5). But this proud city will be replaced by a righteous city in which the Lord reigns (Isa. 24:23; 26:1-2). Isaiah prophesied that God would overthrow the present world order enslaved to sin and establish his eternal kingdom of righteousness, which he did in Jesus.

Fast-forward to the book of Revelation where John picks up the metaphoric language of the two cities again: Babylon the Great (Rev. 17) and the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21-22). The original audience of John’s vision endured intense persecution for being part of that New Jerusalem and they needed to know that the Lord was aware of their struggles and would act very soon to vindicate them (Rev. 1:1).

What are we to learn from this theme of two cities? The New Jerusalem still stands unshaken and all who belong to Christ are her citizens (Phil. 3:20; Heb. 11:10; 12:18-29). But we have our modern Babylon as well, though she has yet to start drinking the blood of the saints here. While it pains us to see the impact of Babylon upon the world, we must remember that that lofty city, whatever form it takes in any age, is doomed.

Christ conquered sin on the cross and rose victorious over death in his resurrection. He has all authority in the universe and will rule until every power is put into subjection to him (1 Cor. 15:25). Therefore, fear not. Babylon, which seemed so great in Nebuchadnezzar’s day, fell at the hands of “the Most High” who “rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Dan. 4:25). Assyria, before her, was devoured by fire after she served her purpose (Isa. 10:5, 12-19). Egypt was drowned in water (Ex. 14) and Rome likewise fell. Why should any modern Babylon be any different?

Though the evil of the world appears to prevail, be certain that in the Lord’s own good time we will hear the report, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” Every kingdom that can be shaken will be shaken (Heb. 12:25-29). And like a beautiful bride coming down from heaven, the New Jerusalem will forever stand, tall and proud in all her glory with Christ in her midst shining bright as the sun (Rev. 21-22).

In many ways Dickens had it right. The present will always be a tale of two cities; one opposing God destined for destruction, the other, a city not made with hands, comprised of faithful followers of the Lord, destined for glory. Babylons come and go but the New Jerusalem stands forever. The question is, which city will you be living in when that voice like many waters shouts and shakes not only the earth but also the heavens? The choice is yours.

What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 

1 Corinthians 15:32

In the midst of Paul’s discussion on the truth of the general resurrection based on the truth of Jesus’ own resurrection, he makes several compelling arguments about the futility of the exertion of human will if the resurrection was a farce. One of which is a colorful description of a gladiatorial battle between the apostle himself and some frightening “wild beasts at Ephesus.” Who or what are these “wild beasts”? One interpretation is to take Paul’s words literally, that the apostle was actually thrown into a public gladiatorial ring with roaring lions and bears for the entertainment of the masses at Ephesus. It is true that during the time of Paul’s ministry in Asia, there was a massive theater in Ephesus that seated around 25,000 spectators where such battles took place (Acts 19:29).

However, being a Roman citizen (Acts 22:28), Paul would have been exempt both from death by crucifixion and death in the gladiatorial arena. It would have been against Roman law to punish Paul in the arena making the literal interpretation of this text unlikely. So if Paul isn’t talking about lions, tigers and bears in 1 Corinthians 15:32, who or what are the “wild beasts?”

His letter to Titus holds a clue. Paul quoted a Cretan prophet’s words of self-abasement: “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons” (Titus 1:12). This was obviously a metaphorical use of the phrase “wild beasts” to describe the lack of self-control and animalistic nature of the general Cretan populace (2 Pet. 2:12; Jude 1:10). This fits well with what we know of Paul’s experience in Ephesus during his journey through Asia minor (2 Cor. 1:8).

The great theater in Ephesus wasn’t just a venue for bloody fighting. It also housed theatrical plays, musical performances and even political and religious gatherings. Paul caused one such impromptu political/religious gathering in Acts 19. The gospel of Jesus Christ was sweeping through Ephesus aided by the extraordinary miracles done by Paul by the power of God (19:11-12). The occult magical practices that dominated that pagan city were beginning to dwindle in favor of the true power of the word of the Lord (19:19-20).

This departure from pagan practice provoked “Demetrius, a silversmith, who made shrines of Artemis” (19:24), in fear of losing his livelihood, to round up a gang of his fellow tradesmen and drag Paul’s companions “into the theater” (19:29). There a confusing riot ensued that was quelled by the cool words of the town clerk (19:35-41). How does this help our understanding of 1 Corinthians 15:32? Paul may have been using the graphic image of “wild beasts” to figuratively describe the fierce attacks of his enemies. This is not unprecedented (cf. 1 Cor. 16:8-9; 2 Cor. 1:8). In the previous verse (1 Cor. 15:31) Paul used the phrase “I die daily” in a purely figurative sense as well. There is no need to take these “wild beasts” as literal animals in context.

With all that being said, we mustn’t lose ourselves in the details and miss the pioint. However we interpret the nature of these “wild beasts”  the thrust of Paul’s message is clear: Why would the apostle risk his life for the gospel if there is no resurrection? Paul’s point is, “I did risk everything because the resurrection is real.”

Was Paul a gladiator? Probably not. But he was a soldier for Christ (2 Tim. 2:3-4) shod with the gospel armor (Eph. 6:10-17) who fought the “good fight” of faith (2 Tim. 4:7). His physical presence may have been weak (2 Cor. 10:10) but he was made mighty by the Lord who equipped him with divine weapons that could level the fortresses of arrogance and “every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:3-6). 

He may not have fought off any bears or lions like David (1 Sam. 17:37) but Paul defended the gospel from “wild beasts” all the same. For the Lord, Paul willingly suffered many dangers (2 Cor. 11:23-28) that he describes as “momentary, light affliction” (2 Cor. 4:17). He suffered because he believed that “He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you” (2 Cor. 4:14). He was looking to the “things which are eternal,” the “glory yet to be revealed” (2 Cor. 4:18; Rom. 8:18), the reality of the bodily resurrection.  

“[Jesus] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

Philippians 2:6-7

As early as Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40), Christians understood Isaiah's fourth “Servant Song” (Isa. 52:13-53:12) to be describing Jesus. His humble arrival, his innocent life, the injustice and pain he suffered, his faithful obedience to his Father’s will, and, of course, his sacrificial death where he bore our sins on the cross (1 Pet. 2:23-25) are all found in Isaiah 52-53. Jesus was the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (Jn. 1:29) and in him there is forgiveness (Col. 1:19-20).

In Philippians 2, Paul writes his own poem about the Messiah and he seems to adopt both the structure and content of Isaiah’s. Servanthood is emphasized in both. Jesus “emptied himself” just as the Servant in Isaiah “poured out his soul to death” (Isa. 53:12). Both Paul’s poem and the Isaiah-passage begin and end with Christ’s transcendent glory (Phil. 2:6, 9-11; Isa. 52:13; 53:12) and between those two points of triumph, the downward staircase that ends at the cross. Both Paul and Isaiah take us from the highest high in heaven to the lowest low on earth and back again.

Paul’s point was for us to emulate the same attitude of self-denial for the sake of others that Jesus had (Phil. 2:1-4). Just as the Servant did not hold on to the “rights” that were his but gave them up so that others may live, so are we to walk the same road. We are called upon to consider others as more important than ourselves,  to serve as he served, to empty ourselves as he did.

When we behave like Jesus, however, we must be prepared to be met with the same astonishment and rejection as he was (Isa. 52:13-53:3). One tragic aspect of our Christian love and service is simply being taken for granted. We pour out our lives for others, and they simply drink us up and throw us out without so much as a “thank you.” When that happens to us, when we find ourselves ‘down in the valley’ of that V-shaped narrative of Isaiah 52-53 and Philippians 2, we need to remember a few things.

First, we need to remember that we are simply being treated as Jesus was. “He was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isa. 53:3). Why should we think our sacrificial love should get universal recognition and appreciation if the world for whom Jesus died paid no attention to him? Jesus said, “A servant is not above his master” (Mt. 10:24) and “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (Jn. 15:18-21). While most people will take us for granted, there will be some who will be drawn closer to Christ as a result of him living in us. And most importantly, God notices our faithful service and will reward it in the end (1 Cor. 15:58).

Second, being treated like Jesus for acting like Jesus should fill us with hope, not despair. The apostles, after they were beaten and released, were “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name” (Acts 5:41). They could rejoice because sharing in Jesus’ suffering is the sure sign that we will share in Jesus’ triumph and resurrection! (Phil. 3:10-11) When we are down in that V-shaped valley, we must always be singing that final song of triumph to get us through.

The burden of servanthood is to bear the burdens of others. Jesus carried our griefs and sorrows. While we can never bear others’ burdens in the same way or to the same extent Jesus did, we can at least help them carry those burdens to the place where Jesus can unload them. “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). We are Christ’s wounded healers, bringing God’s healing love to bear in this broken world. Someday, he will take us from this deep valley up to heavenly heights.