Jesus had had many interviews with people, we've looked at some of them over these past few weeks, the time when he met with Nicademus, the religious leader, the time he went out of his way to meet with a woman of Semaria in her dyer need, the other occasion that we looked at er a week or so back when he called Anzakias from that tree of which he was hiding, last week his judge, pilot, but of all those interviews and as many others that we haven't looked at this surely must be one of the strangest as Jesus himself is in the process of dying and as he is dying he is confronted with another person who has a need, but Jesus your need is as greatest as any body elses, your pain, your suffering, your physical suffering was every bit of great as those around you, why be bothered with others  isn't that so often our story, when we are in need we can forget all about other people, it doesn't matter there need, its poor me, what about me, what about my need, what about my requirements, what about my suffering, but we see here how Jesus apart from any thing else deals with his own suffering, he deals with it by ministering to the needs of other people, and this surely then must be one of the most strange and one of the most interviews that our lord ever had when he was here on earth, with this dying thief, but he was more than a thief he was a er, he was a re a rebel, he was a terrorist  or a freedom fighter depending on which way you wanted to look at it and he was dying for his crimes  and he wasn't alone because there there was this man we've been talking about, there was Jesus and there was another one, another criminal on the other side and we find that this is all in keeping with what god had promised, all there in, in line with his prophecy way back in Iziah chapter fifty three, it tells us that he was numbered with the transgressors, that he died with sinful men with, with law breakers and here it is its happening right in front of the, the very eyes of the Jewish leaders and the jewish authorities  our lords intention in coming into the world was to save men and women, to seek out and to save sinners, remember thirty odd years previous to this event the word had come, for Mary his mother, to Joseph, we will call his name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins  and later on writing to Timothy the apostle Paul in the first chapter of the first book in verse fifteen he says it is a trust worthy statement deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, this was his purpose, this was his reason for coming into the world, not to be a good man, not to be a, a great leader, not to give us some model that we can, you know, that we can plan our life out and try and live up to his standards, he says I've come to give my life as a ransom, I have come to save and to seek that which was lost  and here in this incident as he himself is dying and is in physical pain and torment he is carrying out this very work, of seeking out and saving of those who will turn to him, those who will put their trust in him, he is saving the lost, and we see in a wonderful how great the compassion of Jesus was and is, in reaching out and rescuing those who are lost, here we see our lord suffering the most terrible agony and yet in the midst of his own sorrow and pain and, and torment he thinks of this dying thief and extends his grace and mercy to him.