Seven Sayings - Paradise

Today You Will Be With Me In Paradise

Luke 23:43 ESV

43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:39–43 ESV

39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:

Me: This scene and saying cause a great tension in me. The tension is between what I want and what God wills. It is a pull between comfort in life or living a life that counts. Like the thieves I am condemned because of sin.

We: We are all guilty in the eyes of a holy, righteous God. We have a choice when we see a broken world and the suffering it causes. We can rail against God or we can repent.

God: The seventh saying of Jesus -

Luke 23:

Luke 23:43 ESV

43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Two Ways to Respond to Suffering

Jesus seventh saying is in response to one of the two thieves being crucified on either side of Jesus. Notice first how similar they are. Both are suffering the pain of crucifixion. Both are guilty of crime ("We are receiving the due reward of our deeds," v. 41). Both see Jesus, the sign over his head ("King of the Jews," v. 38); they hear the words from his mouth ("Father forgive them," v. 34). And both of these thieves want desperately to be saved from death.

Most of us have all these things in common with these two thieves: there has been, is, or will be suffering in our lives. And none of us will be able to say: "I do not deserve this." Most of us have seen Jesus on the cross and have heard his claim to kingship and his gracious words of forgiveness. And all of us want to be saved from death one way or the other.

1

We Can Rant Like The First Thief v.39

But then the ways divide between these two thieves and between two categories of people. The first thief says, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" What a picture of a spiritually destitute, worldly man. It is a matter of total indifference to him that he is suffering "the due reward of his deeds." To him right and wrong, praise and blame, good and bad are of no interest: his one objective is to save his earthly skin. He might even believe Jesus is the Messiah, the King of the Jews. But, it's only a matter of convenience to him: he'll take anybody as king who can get him off the cross. Just another patsy to serve his own worldly purposes.

That's the way one whole segment of humans relates to God in suffering. Suffering interrupts their private, worldly goals and pleasures. So why not try God? "If you are king, then get me out of this mess." It's the old car-jack theology. A car-jack is a dirty, useless thing to be kept out of sight in the trunk until you have a flat tire (a little suffering). Then you get it out, let it do the dirty work, and put it away again. "If you're such a good jack, jack me down off this cross, Jesus." "If you're such a good jack, jack me up out of this sickness, out of this financial mess, out of this lousy job, out of this crummy marriage."

The thief had no spirit of brokenness, or guilt, or penitence, or humility. He could only see Jesus as a possible power by which to escape the cross. He did not see him as a king to be followed. It never entered his mind that he should say he was sorry and should change.

2. We Can Repent Like The Second Thief v.40-42

But notice the other thief: this one is the one Luke wants us to be like.

First, he is not distracted by ranting.

Second, he feared God.

Third, the penitent thief admitted that he had done wrong: "We are receiving the due reward of our deeds" (v. 41).

Fifth, the thief acknowledged Jesus' righteousness.

Fifth, the thief acknowledged Jesus' righteousness: "This man had done nothing wrong." It didn't make any difference to the first thief if Jesus was right or wrong. If he could drive the get-away car—that's all that mattered. But it matters a lot to Jesus if we think his life was good or bad. Jesus does not want to drive a get-away car; he wants to be followed because we admire him. We must say with the thief: "This man has done nothing wrong." This man only does what is good. This man only speaks the truth. This man is worthy of our faith and allegiance and imitation.

Sixth, the thief goes a step further and acknowledges that indeed, Jesus is a king.

Seventh, He fears God, admits wrong, accepts justice, acknowledges the goodness and power of Jesus. Now he pleads for help. "Jesus, remember when you come into your kingdom."

Both thieves wanted to be saved from death. But O how differently they sought their salvation: 1) "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 2) "Jesus, remember when you come into your kingdom!" There is an infinite qualitative difference between "Save me!" and "Save me!"

To the penitent Jesus says: "Today you will be with me in Paradise." This was almost too good. There would not even be a delay. Today the Spirit of Jesus and the renewed spirit of the thief would be in union in Paradise.

Paradise is the heavenly abode of God where there are found things prepared by God for those who love him.

Conclusion:

Both thieves wanted to be saved from death. But O how differently they sought their salvation:

Rant 1) "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

Repent 2) "Jesus, remember when you come into your kingdom!" There is an infinite qualitative difference between "Save me!" and "Save me!"

Both thieves wanted to be saved from death. But O how differently they sought their salvation: 1) "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 2) "Jesus, remember when you come into your kingdom!" There is an infinite qualitative difference between "Save me!" and "Save me!"

Now what motive does Jesus give us to follow in the steps of the penitent thief? There is a fearful silence toward the railing thief: not a word recorded of Jesus to him. Perhaps a final pitying glance. But no promise. No hope.

But to the penitent Jesus says: "Today you will be with me in Paradise." This was almost too good. There would not even be a delay. Today the Spirit of Jesus and the renewed spirit of the thief would be in union in Paradise. The promise would be without delay.

What is this paradise? The word is found in two other places in the New Testament. First, in Paul says, "I know a man in Christ, who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into Paradise—whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows—and he heard things which cannot be told, which man may not utter."

Thus, Paradise is the heavenly abode of God where there are found things prepared by God for those who love him, which are utterly indescribable (). The second place the word "Paradise" is found is in . Here Jesus says to the church at Ephesus, "To him who conquers, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God." And if we look at the end of the book of Revelation we find that the tree of life is in the heavenly city of God. In John said, "Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."