And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. (Mark 15: 27)

Crucifixion was a common legal punishment in the Roman Empire. It was used for a range of crimes extending from highway robbery to forgery to treason. The lengthy, painful, and public death was seen as an effective deterrent.

Jesus was certainly not the first innocent to be crucified. The judicial process described by the gospels was considerably more intricate for Jesus than for most. An authoritative accusation was often sufficient to send a non-citizen to death.

There were also several examples of mass crucifixion. Early in the life of Jesus, following a zealot rebellion in Galillee, over 2000 had been crucified by the Roman governor Varus. Those crucified included children.

In the gospel of Matthew both of the bandits join in mocking Jesus. But in the Gospel of Luke while one joins in the abuse the other defends Jesus and asks, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"

To which Jesus responds, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in paradise." (Luke 23: 43) This bandit considered his own crucifixion deserved. Even so Jesus assured him a place in his kingdom.