Today You Will Be with Me in Paradise: Jesus’ Promise to the Repentant Thief.

In our daily 3-minute meditations at groupbiblestudy.com, we continue our meditation on the crucifixion of Christ, specifically focusing on the seven statements He made during the six hours He hung on the cross. The second thing Jesus said was to the repentant thief crucified alongside Him.

2) "I tell you the truth today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).

Let's explore why Christ said these words and the meaning behind His statement. Mark's Gospel states that “Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him” (Mark 15:32). Initially, both men crucified with Christ insulted Him, hoping that if He was the Son of God, they could persuade Him to climb down from the cross and help them as well. Later, Luke tells us that one remained silent while the other kept hurling insults:

³⁹One 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? ⁴¹We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." ⁴²Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." ⁴³Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:39-43).

Jesus told the criminal he would be with Him that day in paradise. Yes, death is not the end of our existence—there is life after this life. On what basis do you think this man would go to paradise? What did the criminal see in Jesus that convinced him He was, in fact, the Christ? He watched Jesus being mistreated by everyone who was witnessing the crucifixion: the high priest, the elders, and ordinary people. He also saw Jesus forgive the soldiers who hammered nails into His wrists and feet. The criminal's pain was nothing compared to the suffering of Christ from the beatings, scourging, and the crown of thorns on His head.

The criminal must have heard about the promise of the Messiah, who would bring in the Kingdom of God. He realized that there was something real about Jesus' claims and that He was "the One" promised. Even though his understanding might have been basic, the criminal said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).

The thief showed his repentance and faith with his words. There was no time to do good works or even to obey the command of baptism. No creed was spoken. No priest told him what he must say or do to enter the kingdom, but Jesus said he would be with Him in paradise that very day. There is no such thing as purgatory (an intermediate place); we are accepted into God's family based on Christ's substitutionary death for us and by God's grace and mercy alone.

God does not want anyone to perish but desires everyone to turn to repentance and faith in Christ. Our words are less important than what is in our hearts. God observes our hearts and everything we express, knowing us better than we know ourselves. Do you feel sorrow for your sins? Do you recognize your need for a Savior? By God’s grace alone, this man experienced humility and repentance of heart. If you are willing, God will do the same for you. Call on the Lord while He is near! Let’s examine the third cross statement by Christ tomorrow. Keith Thomas

Click on the following link for all our daily 3-minute Bible meditations:

https://www.groupbiblestudy.com/devotionals

The YouTube video of this talk with closed captions (subtitles) in 65 languages is found at the following link: https://youtu.be/98EY8UNmpmk

The written notes are at the following link: The Seven Sayings of Christ on the Cross