Today You Will Be with Me in Paradise

“Today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Luke 23: 35 – 43.

Introduction

As a pastor, I have had several opportunities through the years to sit with a church member at the moment of death.  Whenever I have these opportunities, I generally try to spend some time reading the Bible, praying and singing.  I believe these are beautiful and holy moments to pray and sing with someone as they leave this life and enter into eternity.

Several years ago, a thought occurred to me.  I have sat with several people as they died.  Every death I have ever witnessed was a beautiful and holy moment.  AND…every death I have ever witnessed was the death of a Christian who was ready to “be with Jesus.”  This made me wonder… Do non-Christians die with the same kind of peace that Christians have at death?

I finally found someone to answer my question…When I did my doctoral work, I went through two years of coursework / classes with the same group of ten students.  One guy in my class was a hospital chaplain from a large hospital in Dallas.  I presented my question to him just as I have presented it to you.  Every death I have witnessed has been a beautiful and holy moment.  But, every death I have witnessed has been the death of a Christian who is ready to “be with Jesus.”  Is there a difference between the way Christian people die and the way non-Christian people die?

My chaplain friend said he had noticed a difference.  He has watched people struggle against death and fight to draw in one more breath, because they are so afraid of dying (or perhaps because they are so uncertain about what comes after death).

As Christians, we can approach death with confidence.  We can find a “peace that transcends all understanding” when we think of our own death.  We find comfort in knowing that in death we will be with Jesus.  How can we have this confidence, peace and comfort?  We know we will be with Jesus in death, because we have already been living with Jesus.  We will die the same way we lived.

Christians know that we will be with Jesus after death, because we have already experienced life with Jesus right here and now…  In some ways, we can say that our earthly lives prepare us for eternal life in Heaven.  But, be careful with that…I don’t want you to think that the life we live right here and now does not matter.  Life today does matter.  In fact, life today matters so much it actually has eternal consequences.

Today, we are reading the second words Jesus spoke from the cross.  The first words Jesus spoke from the cross were a prayer, “Father, forgive them…”  The second words Jesus spoke from the cross were an answer to a prayer, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Luke 23: 35 – 43…  5 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." 

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself."

38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the Jews. 

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 

40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 

42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. " 

43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised that Jesus was crucified between two thieves.  It just proves that Jesus died the same way he lived.  One of the constant criticisms brought against Jesus was the fact that Jesus was the “friend of sinners.”  Jesus ate and drank with sinners.  In fact, it often looked like Jesus preferred to spend time with sinners more than with the religious folks.  The one who ate and drank with sinners died with thieves.

Traditionally, we refer to these two men as thieves or criminals.  More than likely, these men were more than simple thieves.  They were probably Jewish revolutionaries.  They were leading the Jewish people to rebel against the Roman occupation.  They hoped to act as ruthlessly against Roman interests as the Romans had acted against the people of Israel.  They had probably organized armies of people and led them in guerilla warfare to attack the Romans…Of course, there is another way to describe their crimes.  These men were terrorists.  They were trying to defeat the Romans and gain freedom for Israel through violence and acts of terror.

One clue to their identities comes from the biblical reference to Barabbas.  Barabbas was the revolutionary who had been arrested and sentenced to die by crucifixion.  Pilate gave the people a choice between Jesus the Christ and Barabbas the terrorist.  The people asked for Barabbas the terrorist to be released and for Jesus the Christ to be crucified.  So, Jesus was crucified on the cross originally prepared for Barabbas.

It is quite possible that these men had been associates of Barabbas.  These two criminals had been involved in the same illegal activity (probably leading a rebellion against Rome).  They had more than likely been arrested together, tried together, sentenced together and now they were hanging on a cross to die together. 

Despite all these two criminals had in common, there was one major difference between the two thieves on the cross.  They responded differently to Jesus.  The first thief mocked Jesus and shouted insults at Jesus.  The second thief had faith.

We don’t really know why the first thief mocked Jesus.  But, I think we can make a reasonable guess.  More than likely, the thief thought that he and Jesus had been working toward the same goal.  The thief had used violence and terrorism to give Rome what they deserved.  He had hoped that one day the Jewish resistance would become so strong that Rome would be defeated, Israel would regain her independence and the kingdom of God would be established on earth.

Jesus never resorted to violence.  But, Jesus did preach about the Kingdom of God.  Jesus prayed for the Kingdom of God to come to earth.  And Jesus spent his life healing the sick, casting out demons, and ministering to the poor in order to overthrow Satan’s reign and to establish God’s reign on earth.

Perhaps the thief on the cross mocked and insulted Jesus, because he didn’t believe Jesus’ methods were working.  Perhaps he believed Jesus was just another failed Messiah. 

The second thief had an entirely different response to Jesus.  On one hand, he refused to mock Jesus.  On the other hand, he also made a positive statement of his faith in Jesus.  We get to see his faith in what he says in verses 40 – 42. 

First, he recognized that he was a sinner who deserved to be punished for his sins.  Second, he confessed that Jesus was innocent.  Third, he cried out to Jesus to remember him when Jesus entered into Jesus’ Kingdom.

There are a couple of very interesting points about the thief’s request. 

First, his request was completely different from the request Jesus’ disciples made.  James and John had the audacity to ask Jesus to give them the highest positions of honor in the Kingdom—to sit at Jesus’ right hand and left hand.  The thief had only one humble request: please remember me / don’t forget me / don’t overlook me.

Second, the thief’s request of Jesus only makes sense if the thief actually believed Jesus had the power to grant him his request.  This is why I believe this is an actual profession of faith.  He believed Jesus had a say in who entered the Kingdom of God.  He had confidence (or faith) in Jesus and only Jesus.

Life Goes Beyond the Grave

Jesus’ words to the thief on the cross can bring us great hope and confidence.  Jesus assures us that death is not the end.  Life goes beyond the grave.

The Roman soldiers who carried out crucifixion were professional executioners.  They were the best killers the world had ever known.  They knew how to torture a man.  They knew how to kill a man…slowly and painfully.  Anyone who was nailed to a cross was certainly going to die.  Jesus was going to die.  The thieves were going to die.  But that didn’t stop Jesus from talking about the future. 

Jesus knew death would not be the end.  Death was not the end for Jesus.  Death was not the end for the thief on the cross.  And, death will not be the end for you and me.  There is something after death.

I think it is also important to note Jesus’ words, “you will be with me.”  I believe Jesus is affirming the fact that we will retain our identities and personalities after death.  We will know other people and will be known by other people.  We will recognize and remember each other after death.

Logically, we understand that all living things will one day face death—the end of life.  Since we are living beings, then we also know that we will personally face death someday.  However, we also know that God possesses eternal life.  Therefore, if my life is temporary, and God’s life is eternal, then I need to figure out a way to associate my life with God’s life.  I need to find a way to hitch my life onto God’s life.

This is the meaning of salvation.  Through faith in Jesus, we can have eternal life.  This is not something we earn or achieve for ourselves.  Rather, it is a gift from God…a gift we must receive through faith…a gift that lasts for all eternity…a gift that promises life beyond the grave…

Immediacy of Heaven

I also think we need to take note of the first word Jesus spoke to the thief—Today.  There is only one way to understand the word “today.”  Today means today.  But there are several ways the word “today” is significant.

First, Jesus and the thief both knew that they would die before the day was over.  Therefore, Jesus knew his promise of salvation—forgiveness of sins and eternal life—would begin before the 24 hour period was up.  (This is one of the reasons why I reject the idea of “soul sleep.”  This false understanding of death and eternal life states that when a person dies, they go into a state of suspended consciousness to wait for the Second Coming of Jesus and the Final Resurrection.  The biblical view of death and eternal life is that after death we enter Heaven / Paradise to be with the Lord.  Eventually, we will experience the Final Resurrection at the Second Coming of Jesus.  But until the Final Resurrection, we will live a full and conscious life in Paradise / Heaven with the Lord.)

Second, Jesus knew he was going to Heaven when he died.  Some people try to split hairs and claim there is a difference between “Paradise” and “Heaven.”  I do not believe there is any difference.  Paradise comes from the Greek word for “garden” and was specifically used to describe the Garden of Eden in Genesis 1 – 2.  Therefore, the concept of Paradise is a restored Garden of Eden—a world where humanity lives in perfect harmony with God, creation and other humans; and a world where sin no longer affects us.

(Incidentally, if we are going to take Jesus’ words to the thief seriously, then we have to say that Jesus went to Heaven after he died on the cross.  That may seem obvious to many people, but there is a minority view that Jesus actually went to Hell after he died—that Jesus spent Friday – Sunday in Hell to pay the price for our sins / go to Hell in our place.  This view does not stand up to Jesus’ promise to the thief on the cross: Today you will be with me in Paradise.)

Third, Christian salvation is immediate.  There is no waiting period for new Christians.  Faith in Jesus is all you need to be saved, and that salvation happens today—not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow, not a week from Sunday.  This is one of the significant differences between the Christian faith and all human philosophical and systems of thoughts (including politics). 

Socialism has promised for one hundred years that the world will become better tomorrow…once class systems have been destroyed.  Of course, we could say the same thing for Capitalism and Democracy.  Once we work hard enough and save enough money for the future, tomorrow will be a better day.  Once we finally elect the right leader (we haven’t done it yet, but once we finally get the right one), tomorrow will be a better day.  If we just follow the philosophical and political principles, then a better world is just around the corner.  Jesus never told the thief on the cross that he had to wait on a better life.  He could experience all the benefits of salvation beginning right now…beginning today.

The Christian faith is the only philosophy or system to teach that today is the day of salvation.  You can have a better life…and that life can start today…Eternal Life can start today.

Perfect Relationship

Jesus’ words to the thief on the cross can help us get to the heart of salvation.  Ultimately, Christian salvation is about a relationship with God through faith in Jesus.  Jesus offered salvation to the thief on the cross when Jesus offered a relationship—Today you will BE WITH ME in Paradise.

In order to be saved, there is no need to know more about Jesus than the thief on the cross.  All we have to know / understand is that Jesus died for us and wants to give us a relationship with God that can begin today…Today is the day of salvation.

In order to be saved, there is no need for extra steps beyond what the thief on the cross did.  Jesus did not say, “Today you will be with me in Paradise, as soon as you get baptized.”  Jesus did not say, “Today you will be with me in Paradise, as soon as you join a church.”  Or, “…as soon as you join the RIGHT church.”

Baptism is important.  Church membership is important.  But, neither baptism nor church membership can bring salvation.  Only Jesus can save—a relationship with God through faith.

Conclusion

If Jesus promises to lead us to Paradise, then that raises a question…Where is Paradise?  (Or, we might ask it differently…When will we experience Paradise?)

The simple answer is that wherever we are with Jesus, we are in Paradise.  Whenever we are with Jesus, we are in Paradise.  To be with Jesus is to be in Paradise.

In other words, Paradise begins right here and right now.  When we live our earthly lives with Jesus right here and now, we experience a little Heaven on earth.  But, this is nothing compared to the Paradise we will experience after death.  After death, we will experience Paradise in its perfection…There will be no more sin to separate humanity from God…And we will experience perfect harmony between humanity and God, humanity and each other, and humanity and creation.

You don’t have to wait until tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or a week from Sunday.  Today is the day of salvation.  Today you can be with Jesus in Paradise.