And a great light flooded into his mind.  That taunt of the soldiers, that title on the Cross – he could just see it out of the corner of his eye as he turned his head, “The King of the Jews” – that told the truth: this man was what he had claimed to be, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Lord’s anointed King.

“If you are the Messiah save yourself – and us”.

The words roused him; the blasphemy of his friend clinched the matter.  He made his great decision.

“Do you not fear God”, he cried, “since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong” (NRSV, Luke, 23:40,41).  Then turning to Our Lord he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (NRSV, Luke 23:42).

It is impossible for us to measure the depth of faith which those words expressed.  Everything was against him.  There was no escape, either for him or Christ, from the cross.  Before evening it would be all over for them both.  Yet that man did not despair.  The forlorn figure next to him became the centre of all his hope and confidence and faith.