Worship Initiative | Last Words of JesusSample

Today, you will be with me in paradise.

“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.” (Luke 23:39-43)

A sobering and yet exuberant revelation. Death, but life eternal.

Hanging on a cross, suffering excruciating pain, enduring inexplicable shame, a criminal pleaded. Seeing Jesus beside him, his eyes were opened to the truth. Their juxtaposed realities were crystal clear: a perfect, sinless God-man dying beside a convicted thief. One guilty, one innocent; one punished, one offered up.

Both men had put themselves in this position, but by very different means.

In a moment, the thief realized: I need Him. This Jesus is exactly who He has claimed to be and now He hangs beside me not because He has done wrong but because He has chosen death in love. Surely there is nothing for me but to seek Him.

With desperate contrition the criminal cried, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” and what came next was nothing short of a miracle.

There was no conversation; Jesus did not need to interview this man to determine his motives or weigh his sin against his repentance. After all, God has ultimately desired one thing of man: a broken, contrite spirit – a heart that would recognize its need.

Without hesitation, Jesus uttered a promise: “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”

In one sense, these words held a tinge of darkness. Inherent in the promise was the reality that this man was about to die – the most universally dreaded moment in the human experience was upon him.

But what glory shone beyond that moment. What incandescent beauty colored the temporary pain…

Paradise! Today!

The criminal’s affliction – once great and overwhelming – suddenly became light and momentary, overpowered by the weight of glory that was coming just on the other side. He was on his way to paradise beside the man who loved him enough to die with him. To die for him.

Friend, it is really that simple. This is the Gospel – the very same one offered to you. A sinner headed for the grave, looking with unveiled eyes upon the face of God, desperate and repentant, and granted new life.

“You were dead in the trespasses and sinsin which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.” (Ephesians 2:1-5)

Whether you know Christ as a brother and friend, or you still view Him as a stranger or even an enemy…

Whether you have walked in regular faithfulness or have fallen so far short that you cannot imagine climbing your way back…

Whether you know your Bible backward and forward or you simply sense, “I need Him”...

Know this: you have access to paradise in Christ Jesus today.

Will you take hold of it?