Pastor Jim continued his Lenten series on the Seven last words of Jesus by looking at Jesus’ statement to the thief: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Click the following “Play”button to start the recording, then scroll down and follow along.
The scripture reading was from Luke 23: verse 32, then verses 39-43. Open the drop down box to read the passage.
Luke 23
32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death.
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39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”
40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
NKJV
Jesus’ Mission Statement
Google almost any corporation for their mission statement and you’ll be able to find things like the following…
These are all great statements for organizations wanting to make an impact on the world and to be financially successful.
The Son of God left heaven to become a human for 33 years. Why? What was His mission?
Jesus’ Mission Statement can be summed up in His words written in Luke 19:10…
“…for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
NKJV
Everything Jesus did; right down to his dying breath was to “seek and save that which was lost.” And so, is it any wonder that the Holy Spirit would lead Luke to record this brief yet dramatic conversation between Jesus and a nameless thief on the cross.
Could it be… that they’re nameless because they represent all of us? Maybe the Holy Spirit is calling us to place our own name into the blanks.
In order for Jesus to “seek and save the lost,” He kept company with the lost people who wanted to be found. He spent time with “Those People.” The Pharisees, scribes, and other religious leaders already “had all the answers.” They were lost, but Jesus didn’t keep their company.
Luke 15:1-2 tells about the company Jesus kept:
“Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”
NKJV
When Jesus was around “Those People” He made them feel important. He was encouraging, uplifting, empowering, even liberating. He gave them Hope. They experienced God’s love in action and were ready to receive God’s grace.
Jesus fulfilled His mission!
Two Thieves, Two Responses
The image is seared into our minds by the many artistic renditions of the crucifixion (including the windows in our own sanctuary): Jesus is on the cross in the middle surrounded by a thief on either side. On the top of Jesus’ cross, a sign proclaims His “crime”: The King of the Jews.
At first, both thieves reviled Jesus. “Hey- you saved others… if you’re really that ‘King of the Jews’ you claimed to be, why don’t you save us?” Both saw Jesus- a man (like them) who was rejected, abused, and crucified. They both saw the cruelty and hatred against Jesus by the religious leaders, the crowd, and the Romans. And they both heard Jesus say “Father forgive them…”
But one of the thieves had a change of heart. As he looked at Jesus (and perhaps the sign over His head), he said, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
John Wesley recorded his thoughts on this:
“Both reviled Him [Jesus] at the first, till one of them felt the overwhelming power of saving grace.”
Andres Kostenberger & Justin Taylor, in their book “The Final Days of Jesus” comment:
“Perhaps after hearing Jesus pray that God might forgive those responsible for His crucifixion influenced the man enough to reach out for God’s amazing grace.”
St. Maximus of Turin wrote:
“[the thief] understood that Christ received these blows because of others’ sins. He sustained these wounds because of others’ crimes. The thief knew that the wounds on the body of Christ were not Christ’s wounds, but the thief’s; therefore, after he recognized his own wounds on Christ’s body, he began to love [Him] all the more.”
The one thief could recognize Jesus for who He was. Even the disciples had trouble doing that. St. Maximus of Turin also wrote: “The thief confesses the One whom the disciple denied! This is a remarkable thing, I say. The thief honors the One who suffers, while Judas betrayed the One who kissed him!”
“Jesus Remember Me”
Remember. The thief asked Jesus to “Remember” him. The word used here for “Remember” means more than to simply recall. It means to “help” or “deliver.” When this despised, condemned thief asks Jesus to “remember him, he’s asking Him to deliver him. Not necessarily from the cross, but from his guilt. This word is used throughout the Bible in the sense of God delivering people:
Adam Hamilton (in his book Final Words), puts it this way: “So when this repenting thief says ‘Lord remember me’, he’s literally saying, ‘Deliver me from the place of the dead. Deliver me from the prison I am destined for. Remember me as the one who turned to You on the cross’ ”
Two Sinners. Two people who didn’t measure up. Two people who made mistakes and got into trouble. Two thieves, two reactions. Which are you?
Jesus promised one thief “Today you will be with Me in paradise.”
TODAY
Jesus is saying that THIS VERY DAY Jesus and the repentant thief would be together in paradise. Paul echos this in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8:
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. NKJV
When you die, you don’t go into some kind of holding tank where you have to wait for thousands of years until you are with Jesus. TODAY. On the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:4), Jesus talks with Moses and Elijah. They died hundreds of years earlier, but they’re already with Jesus. They didn’t have to wait until the end times.
Many other verses speak to the fact that “to be absent from the body” means “to be present with the Lord.”…
In John 14:3, Jesus said the familiar words that we frequently use to comfort each other…
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. NKJV
TODAY. Instantly Immediately. Now. Not tomorrow. Not in a hundred years. Not in a thousand years. Not in a million years. Not after the rapture, not IF someone prays you out of a celestial waiting room, BUT TODAY you will be with Me in paradise.
YOU WITH ME
YOU. This thief, this outcast. One of THOSE people. Today, YOU will be with me in paradise.
Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “Before I can offer you salvation you need to come in line with our procedures. He didn’t tell the thief that you MUST speak in tongues, or that you must get yourself off the cross and get baptized, or that you have to dress in a certain way, or listen to a certain kind of music or even to recite the “Sinner’s Prayer”.
NO! Jesus saw the man reaching out in faith and received him. Jesus said: “Those who believe in me has eternal life.” (John 6:47). Even with His dying breath, Jesus is carrying out His mission statement: seeking and saving the lost. “Today you will be with ME! You’re found! You’re saved!”
Can you imagine what it will be like to be with Jesus?!? Revelation 21:3 tells us that
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. NKJV
Many other verses tell us the same thing: We will be WITH GOD…
But we have that same God with us right now! Today Jesus will be with me in my church. Today Jesus will be with me in my car. Today Jesus will be with me in my home. Today, Jesus will be with me at my job. Today!
IN PARADISE
The word we translate as “Paradise” is actually a Persian word which means “Walled Garden.” There was a custom in ancient Persia where a king who wanted to do something special to honor someone would permit that person to walk through one of the beautiful gardens with the king. These gardens were beautiful and totally safe. One could only be there by accepting the king’s invitation. [see “Beyond the Cosmos” by Hugh Ross].
Today, if you accept Jesus’ invitation to walk with Him, you will be safe in His Garden. Today, Jesus will be with you.
Paradise… Garden. We were introduced to these words way back at the beginning of human existence. The “Garden of Eden.” “Flaming swords ‘walling off’ the entrance to he Garden.” [see Genesis 3].
But at the end of the Bible, we are allowed back into the Garden. Revelation 21 tells us of the incredible beauty we will see. We’ll see the face of God and His glory. No more war, starvation, ridicule, insults, poverty, evil sin… or even death. For these things will have all been destroyed.
Jesus’ words to the thief… and to us… give us the key and permission to enter the garden.
Today is the Day for Salvation
Today you will be with Me in paradise.” These words also point to what our Mission Statement should be. We too are called to seek the lost…
The rabbi calmly replied, “You should be sure you repent on the last day of your life.”
But,” protested several of his disciples, “we can never be sure which day will be the last day of our life.”
The rabbi just smiled and said, “The answer to that question is simple. Repent now.”
Lent reminds us of our mortality. But, Today is the Day of Salvation.
The two thieves crucified with Jesus represent our choices today: One chose to die rejecting Christ and went into a Godless eternity. The other acknowledged his sins and Jesus as Savior and FOUND PARADISE!
Which thief are you?
Quiz Time!
As you reflect on what you’ve just heard/read, give this quiz a try. If you don’t understand an answer (or if you disagree with the “correct” answer, post a comment)…
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