Introduction
The persecutors of Jesus were determined to heap discredit and infamy upon his memory. Therefore they crucified two criminals with him. One of the criminals was crucified at his right and the criminal at his left. Luke 23:39-43 says that a conversation broke out between our Lord and these criminals. The Christian tradition calls the criminal that was crucified on the left-hand side of our Lord the impenitent criminal while the criminal that was crucified on his right-hand side the penitent criminal.