The passage
      v33. Jesus and two criminals (Mark has bandits, although the word has political overtones) are led to "calvary" ie. the place of the skull, presumably named after a skull-like rock formation that existed just outside the city wall. Here they are crucified, with Jesus between the two criminals.
      v34. Jesus' ministry serves to justify sinners, it gains for sinners a declaration of right-standing before God. Justification involves "forgiveness", a forgiveness which Jesus prays for and which his sacrificial death now achieves. Justification also involves blessings, divine blessings which can best be summed up in the promise, "today you will be with me in paradise." This blessing is often described in terms of "peace" - reconciliation with God.
      v35. Luke seems to make a point of separating the response of the "rulers" from that of the people. The religious officials sneer at, abuse, Jesus, while the people look on quietly. This is a nice descriptive touch, probably driven more by Luke's theology than sentiment.
      v36. The soldiers also get into the act, mocking Jesus by offering this kingly claimant some cheap wine.
      v37. The soldiers assume that Jesus is a king, of sorts, but of course they think it is all a bit of a joke. From Luke's perspective, the joke is on them, since Jesus is a king.
      v38. The messianic kingship of Christ is underlined by Luke.
      v39. The first criminal sarcastically suggests that since Jesus is the Christ he might like to do something about their situation.
      v40. The second criminal has recognized Jesus' messianic credentials and so reminds his friend that it is dangerous for a justly condemned thief to deride God's righteous one.
      v41. Here, we see Luke underlining Jesus' innocence.
      v42. The faith of the thief is firm, and so he asks Jesus for his eternal care. The phrase "remember me" is actually a common prayer found on gravestones of this period. If God is willing to remember us, then we are bound to survive the grave.
      v43. Jesus proclaims the blessing associated with justification. This blessing, "paradise", is available "today". "Today" is a common technical phrase used of the messianic kingdom, and does not mean "this day", but rather "the coming day." Some manuscripts place the "today" with v42 - "remember me ...... today." There are those who argue that the soul of the thief left him "today", but this is against the teaching of the New Testament where we read of the dead rising on the coming day of resurrection. The "coming day" (today) is most likely Jesus' resurrection in which the "body of Christ" (believers) rise, ascend, and sit in glory with Christ. This blessing is inaugurated in Christ, but realized on the day of his return. The blessing itself is "paradise". Paradise means "garden" and of course, the imagery is that of the garden of Eden where God was in complete fellowship with his creation.

Remember me
      I do love reading the verses on gravestones. Sadly, we don't put much on gravestones these days. "At rest" is about it, although as Billy Connely puts it, "they're dead not resting." Probably the best is on Spike Milligan's grave stone: "I told you I was sick!" Many old gravestones have lovely verses and even little stories. In the first century a common inscription on gravestones was "remember me." It was a kind of little prayer to the gods that they might remember the person in the grave. If the gods choose to remember the dead then they may well survive the grave.
      As Jesus' life slipped from him on the cross, a thief asked him, "remember me." It was a common prayer, a request that darkness would not overcome him. Obviously, the thief believed that Jesus could answer the prayer, and because he believed, Jesus promised him "paradise". The promise wasn't a maybe in the future, but an immediate place in the resurrection community, hid in Christ now and alive with him in eternity.

      Far too often the gospel is presented in complex terms when it is actually a very simple message. God offers us eternity in his presence through Jesus. All we have to do is ask and it is ours. Like the thief on the cross, all we have to do is ask Jesus: "remember me." When speaking with my own son Paul, as he was dying from a brain tumor, I explained the gospel in the terms of asking Jesus to remember him. Those who ask Jesus to remember them receive the promise, "today you will be with me in paradise."
      It is true that each generation hears the gospel in slightly different terms. The between the wars generation, overwhelmed by the horror and guilt of depraved humanity, need to hear the words, "Father forgive them." The baby boomers need to hear of a "paradise" where we find true friendship with God. Generation X/Y needs to hear of the mystery and magic of the "Chosen One" who is truly King - the Lord of the universe. Yet in the end, the gospel is not generation-specific. In truth, every generation can handle the simple prayer, "remember me".

v33
      Kranion "skull" - The hill was named after it's skull like shape. In Aramaic the Greek rendering is "Golgotha", but Luke drops this name. Archeologists are unsure of the site.
      estaurwsan (staurow) aor. "they crucified" - None of the gospel writers describe Jesus actual crucifixion.
      touV kakourgouV (oV) "the criminals" - Mark has "bandits". Luke may not have used this word because of its political flavour.

v34
      afeV (afihmi) aor. imp. "forgive" - This prayer is not found in all manuscripts.
      autoiV "them" - Who, the priests, Romans, people or all?
      oidasin (oida) perf. "they [do not] know" - understand. The phrase, "for they do not know what they are doing", is not found in some manuscripts.
      ebalon (ballw) aor. "casting" - they cast, threw. Matthew and Mark use the participle, "casting lots". Having separated his clothing, the soldiers cast lots to determine their share.

v35
      qewrwn (qewrew) pres. part. "watching" - staring. Attendant circumstance participle expressing action accompanying the verb "stood", so "stood and watched."
      de kai "and ..... even" - Indicating the rulers as another group, rather than including the people with the rulers' abuse.
      exemukthrizon (ekmukthrizw) imperf. "sneered at" - were mocking, scoffed. Durative action, "continued sneering." Luke does seem to separate the officials from the people when it comes to abusing Jesus. The picture is of the people looking on quietly while the "rulers" get into a prolonged abuse of Jesus.
      swsatw (swzw) imp. "let him save" - Let him rescue himself from death.
      oJ eklektoV "the chosen one" - Messianic title, the one God has chosen.

v36
      enepaixan (empaizw) aor. "mocked" - ridiculed, made fun of. Some argue that the offering of the sour wine was how they mocked him - a king would not be offered poor wine, cf. Ps.69:21.
      oxoV "wine vinegar" - A rough low cost dry wine,

v37
      ei + ind. "if" - Introducing a first-class condition, where the stated condition is assumed to be true. "OK, assuming you are the King of the Jews, let's see you save yourself." The soldiers recognize that a genuine kingship is being claimed here, they just don't think Jesus is the genuine article.

v38
      epigrafh (h) "notice" - placard. A formal notice detailing the criminal's name and the charge for which he was being executed.
      ep autw/ "above him" - Over his head, at the top of the cross.
      ouJtoV "this" - this one. Not used in Mark. Slightly derogatory. It is interesting that the charge doesn't have "claimed". Although the exact wording of the inscription varies in the gospels, "king of the Jews" is common.

v39
      twn kremasqentwn (kremannumi) pas. part. "who hung there" - the one having been hung there. The participle is adjectival. "Who was being crucified there with Jesus."
      eblasfhmei (blasfhmew) imperf. "hurled insults" - reviled, insulted. Again expressing durative action, the insults flowed, "spoke with sarcastic disrespect."
      ouci - "[Are]n't [you the Christ]" - [are you] not [the Christ]. The negative here indicates that his negation in the question expects a positive answer, although it is clear that he doesn't believe Jesus is the Christ. "You think you're the Christ, don't you? So, how about saving yourself and us as well."

v40
      epitimwn (epitimaw) pres. part. "rebuked" - rebuking. The participle is adverbial of manner, modifying the participle "answering", which is best treated as a finite verb, so describing how he answered him, "rebuckingly"; "the other [criminal] answered him sternly / strongly / forcefully", so "check him, pulled him up." This is purely a Luken account and is so startling that it has caused great debate as to its authenticity. It is often suggested that this thief initially derided Jesus, but then responded positively, but such is conjecture.
      oude fobh/ (fobew) pres. pas. "don't you fear" - do you not respect. The second criminal recognizes Jesus' messianic credentials and expresses the danger of affronting God by abusing his messiah, especially when, unlike both of the criminals, Jesus has done no wrong.

v41
      men .... de "...... But ....." - The construction gives the sense, "on the one hand ....., but on the other ......"
      kai hJmeiV men dikaiwV "we were punished justly" - and we justly. "We were justly condemned/punished."
      apolambanomen (apolambanw) pres. "we are getting" - we receive what is due. "We are getting what we deserve for what we did", TEV.
      atopon adj. "wrong" - improper, wicked. Jesus has done nothing deserving of crucifixion. Luke is underlining the innocence of Jesus, although he is not suggesting that this criminal is applying a knowledge of the law, rather that he senses the innocence of the man crucified next to him.

v42
      mnhsqhti (mimnhskomai) aor. pas. imp. "remember" - remind, recall. "Remember me kindly / show me your kindness." Found on gravestone inscriptions of the time, obviously seeking divine recall of the person after death. A request that God place the deceased with the righteous on the day of judgment.
      eiV ... en "[when you come] into" - Textual support is divided for either, the preposition "into" followed by the accusative of "kingdom", or the preposition "in" followed by the dative of "kingdom". If "into", the meaning is that Jesus is being asked to remember the criminal when he comes into the presence of the Father to be glorified. If "in", the meaning is that Jesus is being asked to remember the criminal when he gathers the righteous and comes in glory to reign. The sense of both is very similar, all the criminal is asking for is to be with Jesus in eternity.
      oJtan + subj. "when [you come into your kingdom]" - The syntax forms a future indefinite temporal clause. When you come into your kingdom = "become king / begin to reign." For Luke, the sense is of Jesus' future exaltation at the right hand of God.