Yes… Paradise!  That is what HE said. 

Amazing.  Greetings for this upcoming Easter season.  As I come to you, I am fresh off of a day of preaching God’s truths and seeing one dear lady be baptized in obedience to Christ command.  I have experienced a little of paradise on earth today. This word coming from the Gospel of Luke chapter 23, verse 43.  It comes shortly after the Lord had just prayed for us while hanging on the cross.  One of the shortest most powerful prayers ever spoken:  “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”  Praise God for that prayer.  It levels and settles where Jesus stood even in His last moments at the cross, merciful, faithful, determined to deliver salvation that had been so long promised and prophesied.  So here we find the two thieves flanking Jesus in a conversation that would be discussed for all time.  One on the left and one on the right.  One departed this conversation with a blessing, the other a curse.  It has been said that they could very well represent our past and future as we come to know Christ as Savior and Lord.  I know personally that before I knew Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I was much like the thief who argued and said: “if thou art the Christ”.  “If” denotes unbelief to the core.  Hardened in the heart right to the last this sinner would NOT repent.  Not one hint of turning to Jesus even in his desperate situation.  So much like our world today.  We in the blessed United States of America just keep saying “if” with every fiber of our being to the point that we do not want God in anything anymore.  We’ve argued our way to a politically correct society that is as dead and hard of heart as this poor unrepentant thief on the cross next to Christ.  We’ve NOT turned to Jesus.  Our land needs healing and we continue to race through life refusing to turn to God for help.  This thief would not turn to God for help.  He just continued to refuse the mercy and salvation that God so freely offers.

At his railing, the thief opposite him rebuked him…

He freely admitted that they both needed to be where they were, indeed they had deserved their punishment but this man (referring to Jesus) has done nothing!  Nada.  Many people believe today that Jesus Christ committed sins when He lived here on earth… this is simply not true.  Again, you either believe the Word of God, or you don’t.  The Word of God says in Hebrews 4: 15 – “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are– yet was without sin.”

And so the conversation moves to the repentant thief’s prayer.  Beautiful to say the least.  It is the hope of all who will listen to it and hear the words of it and not only experience what it says, but act on what it represents.  It is sinful man crying out to a loving God for forgiveness.  It is every person who ever realized that they were separated from God in their trespasses and sins.  It is simple and to the point; and it is powerful and effective.  So what did he say?  “Lord… remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  That’s it.  He said… Lord.  What do you call Jesus?  So many people know about God but for whatever reason have not come to a place in life where they can call Him… Lord.  Lord, remember me.  It doesn’t get any simpler than that.  So what came next?  Check this out… the favor and forgiveness of almighty God:  “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Jesus made no mistake about it.  It was done, now and settled for evermore.  This day.  Are you in Christ?  It doesn’t get any simpler than this conversation at the cross.  His word even tells us that ‘whoever’ will call on Him; will be saved.  Now that’s good news!

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