Paradise!

Luke 23:35-43

And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

...............

The rulers. The soldiers. The crowds. His closest friends. And now a condemned thief.

All betraying, murdering, and mocking the Son of God. Save yourself! they all cried, as if they deserved to be shown proof of his majesty and power. Surely the pride of man that began with Adam seeking to have knowledge like God's is now culminated in this humiliation of God hanging powerless on a tree. All thanks to the cruel wisdom and power of men.

Except, there were some unlikely friends at the cross. A man from the council named Joseph, and a handful of women, made sure that Jesus' body was cared for and respectfully buried. A centurion standing guard over the execution proclaimed Jesus' innocence, surely a sign that some grasped the injustice being committed. 

And the thief. Certainly the boldest of these friendly characters, the thief saw the absurdity of mocking this innocent man, especially when the thief was getting exactly what he deserved. 

But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

The second thief responded with fear of God when everyone else, even Jesus' disciples, were either running away or openly mocking this Savior. They mocked him even while admitting he had saved others by powerful acts and signs. How their pride constrasts so starkly with the fearful humility of the second thief!

And then Jesus responds to the thief's simple faith with one of the most precious and profound gifts he could utter:

Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise

Paradise! Reunion with our Maker! Final peace with God! Given simply and freely to a bleeding criminal. All he had to do was ask for it and be willing to associate himself with this foolish-looking Savior.

Today, we Christians are called to follow in this man's footsteps. Two passages in the epistles specifically call our attention to Christ's ultimate sacrifice: Phillipians 2 and Hebrews 12. These chapters highlight that Jesus humbled himself as a servant, died an unjust death for us, but also that he was motivated by the joy of Paradise set before him. And both passages go on to challenge us to persevere in trials and not give in to our temptation to grumble and complain. In closing, read these two other chapters and see how the apostles interpreted and used the story of the crucifixion to turn our eyes away from earthly pains toward eternal joys in Paradise. I pray that I could have the faith of that thief, who took an opportunity for mocking and grumbling and chose instead to ask for Paradise.

Philippians 2:5-16

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

Hebrews 12:1-3 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.