First Baptist Church
February 17, 2002
Luke 23:32-43
"Express to Paradise"
Jesus was whipped and beaten. But He was not the only one that
Friday morning. There were two other men, criminals, they had
been convicted of crimes and had been sentenced to death. Death
by crucifixion. We don’t know what their crimes were, we can
infer a little from the Greek that they had done some treacherous
things. Maybe they were thugs, who had stolen and killed so they
could profit, however their crimes really don’t matter.
They were guilty, they knew it and they admitted it. They
exhausted all their appeals and now they were facing the
punishment for their crimes. Just like Jesus, they walked down the
same street carrying their cross to the place of execution. A place
called "Golgotha" — or skull hill. It was called that, because when
you looked at the hill from a certain angle, you could see two
sockets for the eyes, a nose and a mouth. It resembled a skull.
That was the place where the Romans executed common
criminals, and Jesus was considered a common criminal.
What occurred on the cross that day is a testimony to life. There
were three men, each one represented one aspect of life. Jesus
was the Savior, the One who came to save all people from living
an eternity void of love and joy. One was a criminal who would
have made John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone and Clint Eastwood
look like wimps. He didn’t believe he needed to be saved from
anything other than death. The third man represents those people
who ultimately accept the gift of grace that Jesus offers us, the gift
of salvation.
There were no other possibilities in regards to responding to God’s
salvation. That is the basic point of those three crucifixions on that
day. God used Jesus and the two criminals to dramatize the only
possible responses to God’s promised Messiah: belief or unbelief,
acceptance or rejection, repentance or unrepentance.
So, let’s take a little deeper look at what happened to those two
criminals who hung on either side of Jesus. Matthew’s gospel tells
us both men were violent robbers and along with the chief priests,
teachers and on-lookers, they "heaped insults on" Jesus (27:44).
They saw Jesus as no better than themselves.
Both men wanted to be saved, neither wanted to die the death that
was ahead of them. Each man in his own way asked the same
question of Jesus, "Save me!" Yet, the meaning behind the
questions were very different. The tough criminal told Jesus,
"aren’t you the Christ? Save us and save yourself." On the
surface it sounds like a reverent petition. Like a prayer for
salvation, a prayer you or I might utter.
Yet, it was filled with sarcasm and condemnation. When we take
a deeper look, he is really saying, "Get me out of this mess. I
don’t regret what I’ve done, I only regret being caught. I don’t
mind what I am, I only mind where I am. I am only interested in
comfort — now. I’m not sure you are King of anything unless you
do what I tell you to do and free me so I can continue to live a
rebellious life." Does that type of prayer sound familiar to you? It
may be one that we have said on many occasions when we feel
our backs are against the wall.
He wanted Jesus to prove He was the Messiah, for no other
purpose than to get out of the mess and pain he was already in.
Then comes the second criminal. Something must have happened
to him that caused him to change. Next to him was a man without
violence — praying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know
what they are doing." And somehow. . . somehow. . . something
clicks. It comes together — God, as father — Forgiveness.
Could it be? Is He really the One? Those words, "Forgive them.
. ." Who would pray for forgiveness for the people who are
performing their execution? Jesus would.
So, he questions the tough guy, "Don’t you fear God?" Somehow
the man on the middle cross had become God. Initially nobody
could tell the difference between the two criminals, two thugs
being crucified for their crimes. But suddenly, there’s a twist and
this man proclaims that Jesus has done nothing wrong, we are
guilty, He is not.
And then he asks Jesus in a prayer, "Jesus, remember me when
you come into your kingdom." He was asking Jesus to make just
a little bit of room for him, maybe save a place in the corner for me
and I’ll be happy.’ But that’s not what he’ll get, as Jesus tells him,
"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." And
this marks the 2nd of the 7 last sayings of Jesus from the cross.
What an awesome statement to make. "Today, you will be with
me in paradise."
Jesus was hanging next to the thief, He was a bloody mess, they
had been humiliated and stripped naked, people were yelling,
screaming and throwing rocks at them. There was pain and agony
with every breath and movement. And this thief looked over to
Jesus, and in spite of what Jesus looked like, he believed that
someday he would enter into the kingdom of God with Jesus.
Over Jesus’ head was a sign that read, "Jesus, king of the Jews."
Yet nobody looked less like a king than Jesus did, he looked more
like the lowest of slaves. And this is what makes this story all the
more amazing, because it doesn’t appear that this thief ever got to
hear Jesus preach and teach, he never witnessed healings or the
dead being raised, and he never witnessed the miracles. Yet, in
spite of all this, he still believed.
But what does Jesus’ statement, "today you will be with me in
paradise," mean and how does it apply to us, almost 2,000 years
later.
There are some things we can take from the words of Jesus. First,
Jesus tells the man TODAY, today you will be with me in
paradise. Not tomorrow or after you get baptized or after you
spend 1,000 years in purgatory, but TODAY, you will be with me
in paradise. In other words, this very day, the day of your
crucifixion, you will enter heaven with me. That’s great news.
Secondly, notice who the thief will be with when he enters
paradise — that’s right, he will be with Jesus. He won’t be sitting
in some far removed corner of heaven, instead that thief will be
with Jesus, front and center, he will be right beside Jesus. I picture
Jesus introducing him to the saints in heaven.
Thirdly, they will be in paradise. Where does the word paradise
come from? It is an ancient Persian word that was used to
represent a king’s garden and resting area. A king would take
honored guests into his garden. This same word was used to
represent the Garden of Eden. In Revelation 2:7 & 22:2, it is used
to depict heaven.
So, how does this apply to you and I? This passage answers
some questions we may have about death and salvation. Between
the death of Jesus and His resurrection on Sunday where was
He? Did Jesus, as the Apostles Creed states, "descend into hell,
and on the third day rose from the dead. . .?" I don’t agree with
this creed because Jesus promised the thief that TODAY, not
tomorrow or in 3 days will we be together in paradise, but
TODAY, we will be in paradise or heaven. Since Jesus doesn’t
lie, I know He was in heaven upon His death.
The same is true of believers. When they die, they are just like the
thief, there is no purgatory, no time of cleansing, because we have
already been cleansed by the blood of Christ. At the very moment
a believer dies, they immediately come into the presence of Jesus
in heaven. When Christians die, they go immediately to heaven,
end of discussion.
From this story we learn that even death bed conversions are real
and can happen. Of course, we don’t normally know when death
is approaching so I suggest not living the wild life and hoping that
you’ll know when death is coming so you can turn your life over to
Christ. But if you’ve been praying for someone to come to faith in
Christ, then this passage also reminds us that it may not be too late
for that loved one to have a relationship with Jesus.
The fact remains that man was a thief, a criminal, and he was
saved at the last moment. We thank God for His grace and
mercy, affording us the opportunity to turn our lives over to Him
and find salvation, even at the last second. It also gives hope to
those of us who believe that our sins are not forgivable. It doesn’t
matter where you’ve been sleeping, it doesn’t matter what you’ve
been drinking, it doesn’t matter who you’ve been hanging out with.
Whatever sins you have committed does not matter . . . Why?
Because you can be saved right now, simply by asking God for
forgiveness and believing that Jesus is the Messiah.
In fact, God has made it so simple that when you consider what
this man did not have to go through it seems almost to easy.
He was never baptized, he never took communion, he never went
to confession, yet he made it to heaven. A reminder that you don’t
have to be baptized, take the Lord’s Supper and go to confession
in order to be saved.
This man never attended church, never heard a sermon or went to
Sunday School, never walked down an aisle, never served on any
committees and never did any good works to help build the
kingdom of God. While I don’t recommend this type of living, it
does point to a God who is filled with grace, mercy and love for
any and all who call on His name, even at the last second are
saved.
It is said of this criminal, "in the morning he was in nature lost and
condemned; at midday, he was in grace, his black past erased; by
the end of the day he was in glory, sharing its joy with the One
who redeemed him."
Finally, are we all that different from that criminal. You know the
biggest difference? He got caught. Is there any one here who can
say with a straight face that they’ve lived a perfect life and always
done what God required? Avoided what He wants us to avoid?
Thought, spoke and did what He desired? Kept Him at that
central place in life where He belongs? Is there anyone here who
doesn’t cross the line every single day?
In God’s eyes -- the criminal on the cross and us are exactly the
same. Eternal justice screams that we need to be condemned to
eternal death. And for us too, as we hear Jesus pray, "Father,
forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." But
there’s so much we did know. Where we crossed the line
deliberately. Where our minds said "Never mind what the bible
says. Never mind God. Maybe later." We knew it.
What is there, then, for us? For the day will come when we, too,
will stand on the edge; the day when we will topple off the earthly
stage into eternity. And then what
— if you were to die tonight, do you know for sure where you
would go?
Listen carefully to these words spoken to the convict — for they
are words also spoken to you. Spoken to you if you’re willing to
come and stand beside that criminal in front of Jesus’ cross. To
admit, up front, no excuses, no dancing around with partial
confessions and cover-ups — but truly admitting all those
screw-ups, foul-ups and just plain nasty moments.
Jesus - here it is. I’ve blown it, big time. I’m a convicted criminal.
Please forgive me. Please — remember me.
Jesus, the innocent one, has died for us the guilty ones. He died
— and has risen again. Risen to remember all who approach Him
in faith.
To remember you -- the Bible’s promise to believers is this: "I
have called you by name. You are mine." (Isaiah 43:1) "I will
never forget you..." (Isaiah 49:15)
You know what God will forget? The bible tells us - (Heb 8.12)
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no
more." Today you will be with me in Paradise.
Today. . . For those who die as believers there is no waiting, no
in-between time, no circling the spiritual airport, so to speak,
before you come in for a landing. Death becomes a door through
which you go - BAM - right into the glory of Jesus. Today.
