Today you will be with me in paradise.

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. 35 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!" 40 But 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." 44 It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last. 47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man." Luke 23:32-47 (NIV)

While Jesus was on the cross he was called “the Christ” (which means messiah) (v 35, 39) and the King of the Jews (v 37,38). These titles were both given mockingly. He was also called a man who “has done nothing wrong” (v 41) and “a righteous man” (v 47). These were given sincerely.

All of these titles were true even if they were not believed by the ones who said them at the time. This is the beauty of Good Friday. The King, the Christ, one who had done nothing wrong and was a righteous man died for us.

This was the single most unfair thing that has ever happened on earth or in time.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 (NIV)

Sometimes I know that we are looking for ways to simplify the gospel when sharing it with those we support or with others. This is only because we have made it complex. The beauty of the gospel is so simple. I can find nowhere in the bible where it is laid out more simply than in the story of the thief on the cross. The thief says only a few simple things which I summarize into three simple truths:

"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.”

-We are bad and deserve to die

“But this man has done nothing wrong."

- Jesus died but he was good

"Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

- God I need your help

We know that these statements carry a lot of other theological implications and that the Gospel is very rich. I am not trying to deny the relevance of deep theological topics like sanctification, justification, substitutionary atonement etc. but the thief didn’t use these words and Jesus response to him was:

"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

The thief is the only person in the Newer Testament, other than Jesus, that the bible explicitly tells us goes to heaven*.

I am so glad that the King of the universe was willing to die for me. Join me today in celebrating the tremendous sacrifice Jesus gave but joining with the thief on the cross in affirming that:

I am bad and deserve to die.

Jesus died but he was good.

Help me God.




Mark Wallace

*Feel free to correct me if you can think of others. The only other one I can think of is Lazarus in the story Jesus tells about the rich man and Lazarus. This may only be a parable but if so it is the only parable where one of the characters has a name.