Today you will be with me in Paradise
Today you will be with me in Paradise
Luke 23:43
(P.P. with Cross, all 7)
Last time “Forgiveness” – see the cost of forgiveness and get thrilled – giving up my right to get even –
Critics of the Bible love to point out apparent contradictions, it appears that we have one here.
3 Parallel passages on the screen
Is there an explanation?
Legends abound about this criminal. One of the most dramatic tails about this repentant criminal was that when Mary and Joseph and young Jesus were fleeing to Egypt they were attacked by a band of thieves. The son of the leader of the attack saw the young Jesus, their eyes met, right then he knew that there was something special about this little boy named Jesus. The son of the robber then persuaded his father to stop the attack and let them go. The robber’s son went over to Jesus and said, “if every there come a time for having mercy on me, remember this hour”
Who knows if this is true or not, but whatever the case, I envision Jesus hanging on the cross in pain, both robbers taunting him and cursing him. Jesus turns to look at one of the robbers. Their eyes meet. Through swollen cheeks and blackened eyes there is a flash of recognition. “My God, it’s him – it’s Jesus, the one who I helped when he was a baby, it’s the one who I’ve heard about, it’s the one whose pull I’ve been resisting all these years. This isn’t another false Christ – this is Jesus. He shouldn’t be up here!!!
And then verse 40 comes in.
Vs 40-41
The word here for rebuke is the same word that Jesus uses when he casts out demons, it’s a very strong word – the Message translates it “Shut up” that’s the force behind the word
“Shut up man!!!”
Don’t you have any fear of God?
I know this Jesus, he is innocent, and we are not.
He shouldn’t be up hear, we should be
We are getting what we deserve, He isn’t.
Don’t mock him, pray to God for Mercy.
and so he looks to Jesus Christ and he makes this one request.
42
In this request, I think we get a glimpse of some of the things the robber was believing about Jesus. (what are some)
#1 – He believed that Jesus is the king
#2 – He believed that Jesus had the power to save him even in his sin filled condition
#3 – He believed that there was no one else he could look to for help.
# 4 – He believed in life after death and that Jesus was in charge of sorting out who goes where
I think, that while he was hopeful that maybe Jesus would help him, he also was looking at his sin, and so he was thinking since “he did the crime, he would have to do the time” – that’s why he says when you come into your kingdom – at some distant point in the future maybe you could help me out – I fully expect to be punished for my sins – perhaps he is thinking of some sort of a purgatory. Or maybe he believed in soul sleep like the J.W. do – maybe he thought he just wouldn’t exist until the kingdom is set up. In any case he is not expecting any immediate help for his awful situation.
This takes us up to our phrase for today.
Vs 43
Truly – I am speaking the truth, I am not lying
I – Jesus
Say to you – the guilty sinner
Today – not when the kingdom is set up, not at some distant point in the undetermined future, after you have done your time for your crime. – This must have come as a shock to the robber, never in his wildest dream would he have thought Jesus would have said today.
You – the guilty sinner
Will – near future
Be – existence beyond the grave
With me – Together in friendship with Jesus Christ.
In Paradise -- Paradise is a reference to heaven. It is the place where the righteous dead are, and it is the place where Jesus is. “Paradise” is only used in two other places in the N.T. II Cor 12:3-4, & Rev 2:7 and in both cases you see its heaven. – Jesus is saying you are coming with me to heaven today.
Paradise is an old Persian word, it referred to the royal garden of kings. A walled in garden right near the palace. The garden was not for the public, only special friends of the king were allowed to enjoy the pleasures of the kings personal garden.
I think this is exactly what Jesus is communicating to the thief of the cross, he is saying “you are right, I am the king, and you are coming with me, as my personal friend, to my garden, today.
What a word of encouragement to a dying man.
This was too much to hope for, yet Jesus had just said it.
This robber, who had violated so many people in his life, he probably had even killed people, had just been promised heaven by J.C.
Before we get all excited, Lets just think about this for a minute
How many of you have been robbed (Old Yeller)
I wanted to find those dirty rotten criminals and take care of business! – How about a little justice
Does this robber deserve a free pass to the pleasures of the kings garden? Ask the people he victimized during his life of crime? They probably say “No, he needs some more justice. -- Granted, he is hanging on a cross, but still his sins have gone against not just his victims but also against a holy God. He needs to suffer! He did the crime, he needs to do the time!!! Don’t send him to the kings garden, send him to the kings dungeon! Amen!?
What is Jesus giving this criminal?
Grace
What is grace?
-- goodness freely given to some one when they don’t deserve it.
It’s hard to accept grace isn’t it.
Why -- Two reasons
Sense of Justice
Justice hates grace.
How can we rejoice with this thief, especially if its your mother he robbed and killed, our sense of justice just won’t allow it.
What happened to the thief is not fair, he lives a life of crime, repents while he is dying, and then “boom” everything is fine???? No no no, that just ain’t right
Sense of Independence (I don’t need grace)
The vast majority of human kind rejects the notion of grace. ALL of the religions of the world do, including a major chunk of what is considered Christianity rejects Grace.
The human spirit, is wired for independence, to figure things out, I can make it on my own, I don’t need your charity.
Ciara now want’s to feed herself, she doesn’t need daddies help! (it’s a mess food ends up in her ear and up her nose – but it’s o.k. cause she doesn’t need daddy’s help)
Most everyone in the world acknowledges that they don’t measure up to God’s standard, but with some good hard work they can impress God just enough, to tip the scales in their favor come judgment day. I can become good enough to deserve God’s goodness!
After all I am not that bad. – I’m in control
Most “Christianized” people have a hard time understanding and appreciating grace. Why? Because we’ve spent their lives trying to be good, we haven’t done the bad stuff. – “I’m not like the thief!” when you peel it all back, we don’t think we need grace, the thief needed it, but not me. (maybe a little grace, but I don’t need lots)
Most people in this world don’t accept grace, because fundamentally, they don’t think they need it.
My sense of justice makes me react negatively to grace
My sense of independence tells me I don’t need it.
The result is we never grow to understand, appreciate and embrace grace. (I think this is where lot’s of respectable, Christian people are todoay)
Solution: -- See yourself as the thief.
This thief didn’t deserve any good thing from God or anybody and he knew it, he was guilty, He’d been breaking God’s laws left and right ever since he was a kid. – and there was nothing he could do to solve his own problem.
All he could do was put his faith in the one who could solve his problem – and that’s what he did – and Grace came. He got on the cross headed for eternal prison, he left the cross headed for eternal paradise.
Instead of looking at the thief and saying you dirtball, I’m gonna kick you again you have to come to believe that.
you are sinners just like the thief was
The question is not have you robbed someone, or have you murdered someone – it’s have you broken God’s law?
If the answer is yes than you are ruined, there is no hope for you. – you are headed to eternal prison and not eternal paradise. Justice hates grace and God is a God of Justice, the hammer of judgment has fallen – you are guilty – you belong in the same prison cell as the thief. Do you really believe that?
Until you see yourself as the thief you will never be able to
Rejoice when others are graced. – if you find yourself walking around saying “it’s not fair” or “why didn’t I get that” “bah – they didn’t deserve that – they didn’t work for it.” -- There’s an excellent chance that you are not seeing yourself as a thief. I’m better than they are…
You will not be able to
Enjoy the Grace of God in your own life
As long as you think you “aren’t that bad, as long as you think you are o.k. you are never going to come to embrace grace. It will only tick you off. Grace is for wimps who can’t make it on their own. – Does your love & appreciation for God, your enjoyment of him always seem always dim, always flickering never bright? Perhaps it’s b/c your to busy working hard to impress God, to somehow earn his grace and for all your labor you simply can’t enjoy his grace. -- You can’t earn God’s goodness.
you’re a thief, I’m a thief – as sinners we are guilty, and we need grace, grace that can only come from the broken body and blood of our Jesus. – is that how you see yourself tonight.
Modern hymnals in an effort to boost the “Self Image” of people have changed the lyrics to the song Amazing Grace – Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a soul like me. – a Soul?? No a “Wretch” Like me -- Friend if the wretch goes, then grace goes too. You can’t have one without the other -- Grace is given to the one who doesn’t deserve it – the wretch
You will never be able to rejoice when others are graced or even enjoy the grace of God in your own life until you come to see yourself as the thief.
When you see yourself as the thief and embrace the grace that is offered to you by God through Christ you are acknowledging a few things about yourself, #1 you are helpless, #2 you are hopeless – you are God’s charity chase, you are his welfare project. When you accept God’s grace you are declaring bankruptcy. – you are giving up your independence.
Nobody likes to do that
To accept Grace is the most humbling thing you will ever do. But what does God give to the humble. James 4:6 – God gives grace to the humble – and only the humble.
I went to Bethlehem in 1998 – huge church built on top of the birth place of Jesus, tiny door, you had to stoop low to enter – the idea is that, only the humble may enter, only the humble can approach Jesus – Same is true here, only the humble will receive Grace.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.
When you see yourself as a guilty thief you get humble in a hurry, grace comes.
Have you embraced grace?
There will be three obvious signs if you have
Grace embracers obey God – (Rom 6)
Grace embracers give grace to others – “Grace and peace”
Grace embracers praise God – the blessing of grace, heaven, hope, guidance, joy, purpose, fellowship (do I deserve it, -- nope, do I get it -- yes, b/c of J.C.) – if you are not careful you are going to start dancing.
PLBC P.M. Communion Service Dennis Arve Wilkinson 11/4/07