“…today you will be with me in paradise!”
23rd March 2008
Often the story about the other criminal who was being crucified along with Jesus slides into vigorous debates about what happens after one dies, or where Jesus went when He died.
In some of the gospel accounts, we read that the people around Jesus’ cross were all mocking and taunting Him, including the two criminals being crucified at His side. Luke tells us one of the criminals stopped and rebuked the other. He turned to Jesus and asked, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23: 42-43)
On Easter Sunday morning, while reflecting on this interaction between Jesus and the criminal, I was struck with an insight I have not noticed before. As I reflected on what Jesus told the criminal, I became aware that the Scriptures were silent about the death of the criminal. I had assumed that he died on that same day, yet historical accounts tell us that typically death by crucifixion is excruciatingly drawn out.
Those who were crucified sometimes hung on the cross for several days before they finally die a very slow, painful, death. Jesus’ death was abnormally short due to His prior Passion in the garden, His weariness from the ordeal of the drawn out interrogations, His beatings, His loss of blood from those lacerated wounds on His body, and also that He was nailed rather than simply tied and hung with ropes. In fact, the Scriptures referred to the other criminals as being hung on the cross.
In John’s gospel, we read that because the Pharisees did not want them to remain on the crosses on the Sabbath, they requested the Roman guards to take down the bodies and, in order that they could not run away, that their legs be broken. But, when they came to Jesus, they found that he had already died and so they pierced his side and water and blood flowed out. (John 19: 31-37) Still there were not any specific accounts of the criminals having died that same day.
Then it came to me!
When Jesus spoke those hopeful words to that criminal, He was talking about what He was going to accomplish with His own death!
Jesus tells him, “Today you will be with me in paradise!” That is because His death will bring about what was impossible before then. He was promising the criminal, that when Jesus died, he will be with Him in paradise!
Did you get that? Jesus was giving this man new life, heavenly life, heaven on earth life, life to the full (John 10:10) life, right there, while he still hung on that painful, ugly, horrible cross! The criminal was with Jesus in paradise the moment Jesus died right there while he hung on the cross!
We can get worked up by all kinds of theological discussions about whether we go to heaven, or whether we “sleep” or whether we go to a place awaiting the heavenly call (I Thess. 4: 13-17) after we die, and we forget that God’s promise of eternal life starts right now.
We can also get worked up and worried about so many things that happen to us now in this life.
Events that rock out boats can easily distort our vision, our joy, our composure and our hope, and hope not merely for the future! We often cry out to God to remove the tough situation from us, or to remove us from those situations. When faced with pain, we want immediate out. We say, along with Job’s wife, “Let us die than to suffer such pain!” (cf. Job 2: 9) God in His infinite wisdom, has another, far greater and more glorious, plan for us: enjoy His presence and find peace in the midst of all this trouble! (See John 16:33, Romans 8: 35-40)
Notice that Jesus tells the criminal, “Today you will be with me in paradise,” but did not promise to take him down from the cross. He did not remove him immediately out of that nasty, painful, gruesome place. Nor did he ease his pain and let his death be any easier. He did not remove that horrible experience from him. But, He did one thing more than any of those others could have done to bring joy, peace and comfort: His holy, reassuring, victorious Presence. The man pleaded, “Remember me Lord, when your Kingdom is established!” The Master replied, “Son, My Kingdom is being established today. And, you will be with me in that kingdom.”
What Kingdom?
Heaven.
Heaven on earth!
The challenge for us today is to believe His promise. To rejoice in His presence. To declare, no matter what kind of hell we are going through today, that He is with us. And, that is paradise!
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March 25th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
Hi
Stevethe bloke,Thanks for the note and the invitation to comment.
The blog has some very good insights that were a blessing , I don’t know if I agree
with all of the statements though. While it is true that techincally
the kingdom of heaven exist wherever God reigns, I beleive
his words to the thief in terms of paradice were literal. The thief
would be with Jesus in paradice. But your point on eternal life was right on.
Etertanl life in scripture is not about longevity but quality of life that
starts now.
God Bless,
d
March 25th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Hey Darryl,
Thanks for your comments. I didn’t mean that the thief won’t be with Jesus in paradise nor that Jesus’ words to Him were not literal. I meant that we get too caught up with the mechanics of when and how they would be in paradise (was it “today,” or was it some other time, as in the Thessalonian passage indicating that the dead were merely asleep in Christ, etc. etc.) Not that there isn’t a good explanation of this and a resolution of all these passages either.
My point is that: what is the more critical point that the passage speaks about is that the moment of Jesus’ death, He brought it about the possibility that the thief and all of us who follow in the same faith can experience His presence, and also that, this thief, while still hanging on the cross, still enduring the suffering, pain and shame, could experience the John 10:10 type of life that He promised.
March 26th, 2008 at 8:27 am
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