The Holy Spirit, through Luke, makes the point that Jesus was lead to the place of crucifixion in the company of transgressors. Both Luke and John make the special point that Jesus was crucified between these two criminals. One was on His right and one was on His left (v33)

The Spirit of God sets two men before us. Both are convicted criminals. Both are insurrectionists. Both are sentenced to death. Both are eyewitnesses of the Lord Jesus. They see the same sights. They hear the same words.

But on this day that God’s Son died, the most monumental day in the history of the world, along with the day of the resurrection, one man sees and the other man remains blind. One man listens and the other man shouts blasphemies. And finally, one man believes, and finds forgiveness and life in the man who dies on the cross right next to his. He finds life in a dying companion.