Today the Spirit of Jesus and the renewed spirit of the thief would be in union in Paradise. It is even more fitting that sinful creatures bow before God in holy fear, instead of railing against God as if a rebel ant should kick against the foothills of Mt. And He said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise. But to the penitent Jesus says: "Today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43) "And I know that this man -- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows -- was caught up to paradise. 2) Or we can acknowledge that we are sinners and don't deserve any good thing, and cry out for mercy and help in our time of desperation. Here Jesus says to the church at Ephesus, "To him who conquers, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God." And finally, the penitent thief does one more thing. Jesus saved him from the ultimate punishment – that of having no place in Paradise – no place in the Kingdom of God. This morning we have come to the second of those gracious and powerful sayings, with a promise to humanity. Part of His reply, "Assuredly I say to you today" was a "common Hebrew idiom... which is constantly used for very solemn emphasis" (he Companion Bible, Appendix 173, p. 192). . He might even believe Jesus is the Messiah, the King of the Jews. "But he rebuked him saying, 'Do you not fear God?"' Jesus didn’t die and go to the Netherworld of Sheol; he inhabits paradise. Finding it so used, the LXX. The world is full of those who rail against God in their self-righteousness and presume that the creator of the universe is obliged to make their life smooth. Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise. And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43 Today, we encounter the so-called “Second Word of Jesus” from the cross. Why this gospel on this day? First, in 2 Corinthians 12:3 Paul says, "I know a man in Christ, who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows. He was here and laid open before the God he feared and there was no way to hide his guilt. And if we look at the end of the book of Revelation we find that the tree of life is in the heavenly city of God. By moving the comma over, it changes the meaning of Jesus’ words so that He is not promising that the man would be in paradise that very day. DANIEL; EZEKIEL; WT REVIEW. Used by workplace Christians, pastors and scholars. This was almost too good. and "Save me!". And all of us want to be saved from death one way or the other. And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Though no NT autograph has survived, most likely originally Luke 23:43 had no punctuation of any kin… . The first thief says, "Are you not the Christ? What is paradise? Fourth, not only did he admit to wrong and guilt, he accepted his punishment as deserved. Now what motive does Jesus give us to follow in the steps of the penitent thief? "Why sixteen miners buried in a cave?" Both are guilty of crime ("We are receiving the due reward of our deeds," v. 41). A car-jack is a dirty, useless thing to be kept out of sight in the trunk until you have a flat tire (a little suffering). This criminal received a place with Christ. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Both thieves wanted to be saved from death. Jesus provided it, telling the man, "Assuredly, I say to you today, you will be with Me in Paradise." (2 Corinthians 12:3-4) "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The word is found in two other places in the New Testament. ): "You will be with me today." They still feel, deep down, that they have some rights before God. The former first appears as a Persian word applied to land enclosed as a park or garden for a king or satrap. Is it different than Heaven? "Why doesn't he come down off his helpless perch on the cross and do something?" But this penitent thief did become like Job in the last minutes of his life—he took his suffering without complaint, and feared God. It didn't make any difference to the first thief if Jesus was right or wrong. Please notice that this criminal was not saved from or spared his earthly punishment. Introduction: Two Thieves, Two Different Perspectives. We must say with the thief: "This man has done nothing wrong." [ a ] ” ( C ) 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” It is a matter of total indifference to him that he is suffering "the due reward of his deeds." The penitent thief gave it up. Jesus’ response was, “Today you will be with me in Paradise”. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell." This was almost too good. “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Why is that the promise given us on this Sunday, the last Sunday of the Church’s year? The word "paradise" is used three times in the New Testament (ESV). Both see Jesus, the sign over his head ("King of the Jews," v. 38); they hear the words from his mouth ("Father forgive them," v. 34). And if we are to follow his example, we will have to stand our ground and not be sucked in by the people all around us who say, "If your God is so great and loving, then why the 20 kids shot in Atlanta?" Regular, disciplined Bible intake is not optional for God’s people. Suffering interrupts their private, worldly goals and pleasures. "Jesus, remember when you come into your kingdom." "Today you will be with me in paradise." I know people right now who are in trouble. BULLETINS; ISAIAH. In the early Christian centuries, New Testament (NT) manuscripts were written without separation between words and sentences; little or no punctuation was used to indicate how the text should be read. Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise ’” (verses 42-43). There are two kinds of responses to our own personal suffering: 1) We can rail against God and say, "If you are such a great and powerful and loving God, why am I in this hellish mess?" Save yourself and us!" ", But in all this, the one thing that Jesus chose to mention to the repentant thief on the cross (if you can only say one thing, what do you say? As such it meets us often in Xenophon’s Anabasis (i. No hope. "Today you will be with me in paradise." First, he is not sucked in by the other fellow's railing. He did not pray, “Lord Jesus, send me to the grave to sleep until the resurrection of the just and unjust”. And none of us will be able to say: "I do not deserve this." Third, the penitent thief admitted that he had done wrong: "We are receiving the due reward of our deeds" (v. 41). \@The notion of soul-sleep was refuted,\@ for the clear implication of the entire incident is that the redeemed thief would be in conscious fellowship with his Saviour in paradise even while his body disintegrated in some grave. Many will mouth the confession of sin: "God be merciful to us miserable sinners," but when some trouble comes, they get angry at him. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. The second place the word "Paradise" is found is in Revelation 2:7. He said to him, "This is the truth--I tell you--today you will be with me in Paradise." - Luke 23:32-43 Yesterday we read that as they led Jesus away to be crucified, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they … 2, § 7; 4, § 9, et al.). Jesus says “…today you’ll be *with me* in paradise”. Save yourself and us!" Did Jesus mean, then, that the evildoer would join him in heaven? Luke 23:39-43 “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” What a wonderful and comforting scripture that is. Why did Jesus say, “Into your hands I commit my spirit,” on the cross. You have to love and admire Jesus a lot for that to be a solace when you leave this life behind. But then the ways divide between these two thieves and between two categories of people. He is author of. You can have all this world, give me Jesus. It is fitting that creatures bow in submission before their creator and subject all their life to his wisdom. (Luke 23:43) "And I know that this man -- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows -- was caught up to paradise. JW NEWS; CHILD ABUSE; MAILBAG. New American Standard Bible And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise… That way, the verse reads: “And he [Jesus] said to him [the criminal], ‘Truly, I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise.’” Thus Jesus did not say the criminal would be in Paradise that day, but rather made the point that today he was saying the criminal would be in Paradise in the future. From Luke 23:42, the thief on the cross asked, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (ESV). Where was Jesus going that day? COMMENTARY. That's the way one whole segment of humans relates to God in suffering. But there are only a few who own up to the fact that God owes us nothing, and that any good to come our way will be due to his mercy, not our merit. (2 Corinthians 12:3-4) "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. This man only speaks the truth. ", Thus, Paradise is the heavenly abode of God where there are found things prepared by God for those who love him, which are utterly indescribable (1 Corinthians 2:9). Why is the … Even though he is suffering now, Jesus has the mark of a king. What did Jesus mean when He said, “Today you will be with me in paradise”? This page last updated: February 13, 2020. Why did Jesus say “Father, forgive them” on the cross? But, it's only a matter of convenience to him: he'll take anybody as king who can get him off the cross. Fifth, the thief acknowledged Jesus' righteousness: "This man had done nothing wrong." He is not only good, he is powerful, and one day he will vindicate his great name, and every knee will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord—to the glory of God, the Father. This is the real test of humility before God. God’s word restores the soul, comforts the afflicted, emboldens the weak, and corrects the sinner, but only as we really read and hear it. Was Jesus saying, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me...” (meaning that “today” is when the thief would be in paradise)? 18, 19. 43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise. “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Besides acknowledging Jesus as Lord, in the short time that he encountered Jesus and died with him on Mount Calvary, how else did Dismas do the will of the Father? And He said to him, Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:42-43) 1) Who was the Good Thief that came to Our Lord’s defense upon the cross and was given the gift of eternal life? Remember, punctuation was not used in the inspired Greek that Luke wrote. What a picture of a spiritually destitute, worldly man. However crude may have been the … And both of these thieves want desperately to be saved from death. He did not see him as a king to be followed. Most of us have seen Jesus on the cross and have heard his claim to kingship and his gracious words of forgiveness. Perhaps a final pitying glance. Everest and demand that it flatten out so the ant can walk across. To him right and wrong, praise and blame, good and bad are of no interest: his one objective is to save his earthly skin. BROADCASTS; Search for: Truly I tell you today – you will be with me in paradise. What is this paradise? Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise (Σημερον μετ εμου εσηι εν τωι παραδεισωι — Sēmeron met' emou esēi en tōi paradeisōi). The presupposition behind the two possibilities is in the claim that the … And then, sixth, the thief goes a step further and acknowledges that indeed, Jesus is a king. For those who have eyes to see, he has a power here on the cross—a power of love that makes him king over all his tormentors. But it matters a lot to Jesus if we think his life was good or bad. Nevertheless, Jesus had set him free. It was of set and deliberate purpose that the authorities crucified Jesus between two known criminals. Explore free resources providing a Biblical perspective on faith and work. Today Shalt Thou be with Me in Paradise (2 of 7) Luke 23: 39-43 Last week we began our study of the seven sayings of Jesus upon the cross with the first of those, a prayer of forgiveness offered to God the Father. The comma, for example, was introduced as late as the ninth century; before that, short pauses were sometimes indicated by means of a point on the line ( . Jesus uses the phrase “Truly I say to you, …” over 50 times in the Bible. But notice the other thief: this one is the one Luke wants us to be like. It's the old car-jack theology. "If you're such a good jack, jack me up out of this sickness, out of this financial mess, out of this lousy job, out of this crummy marriage.". 43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." Today the Spirit of Jesus and the renewed spirit of the thief would be in union in Paradise. ", John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. Translators may insert a comma according to what they think that Jesus meant, and you can find either rendering in common Bible versions. And I know that this man was caught up into Paradise—whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know; God knows—and he heard things which cannot be told, which man may not utter. This man is worthy of our faith and allegiance and imitation. There would not even be a delay. But no promise. There is a fearful silence toward the railing thief: not a word recorded of Jesus to him. Today, you will stand with me as we fight racism, and classism, and homophobia, and hunger, and discrimination, and homelessness, and poverty… Today the systems of injustice are made just and powers and principalities are overturned to rid the world of corruption and darkness... Today… truly… you will be with me in Paradise ” If he could drive the get-away car—that's all that mattered. “And he said, Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom. Then you get it out, let it do the dirty work, and put it away again. ), while full stops were indicated by a high point ( ˙ ). And Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” This sentence spoken in painful gasps holds true a promise for all who choose to believe in their hearts. Have you ever listened to two people describe an … Now he pleads for help. If, as Jesus promised, the man would be with Him in paradise that very day, this obviously implies conscious personal existence after death. Truly I tell you today – you will be with me in paradise. Commas help us keep the original phrasing intact. The thief had no spirit of brokenness, or guilt, or penitence, or humility. First, let us consider whether that evildoer met the qualifications for heavenly life. We’re on a mission to change that. In Revelation 22:1 John said, "Then he showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Most of us have all these things in common with these two thieves: there has been, is, or will be suffering in our lives. "If you are king, then get me out of this mess." He could only see Jesus as a possible power by which to escape the cross. “And he said to him: ‘Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise,’” (Luke 23:43 NWT). 2) "Jesus, remember when you come into your kingdom!" View Larger Image ; Stumper Questions for Jehovah’s Witnesses, #31. Or was he saying, “I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise”? Just another patsy to serve his own worldly purposes. 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?… Features Pricing Upload Sermon Get started for FREE. How can we reason on what Jesus must have meant? This man only does what is good. There is an infinite qualitative difference between "Save me!" So why not try God? Notice first how similar they are. There are not many people like Job, who, when he lost everything, said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked shall I return; the Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." But instead of laying down their self-righteous defenses, they are devising every means to finagle and distort so as to appear innocent and cool. We will go back and read a few verses leading up to the second statement. 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." On the other hand, the alternative punctuation (“Truly I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise”) has been endorsed as free from such problems since it is not stated when they would be in Paradise. Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers (43) To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. '” (Luke 23:42-43). But to the penitent Jesus says: "Today you will be with me in Paradise." Today we move on to the second statement from the cross. Both are suffering the pain of crucifixion. There would not even be a delay. It is God’s plan for preserving us and bringing us safely to glory. He was duly executed. The first thing the repentant thief does is not get deceived by all this talk. Paying attention to what the early church prayed for can help keep your prayer life from falling into a rut. And this anger reveals that they do not really feel undeserving before God. The comma should follow it: "Verily I say unto thee today, shalt thou be with me in paradise." He had no desire to save face any more; he had no more will to assert himself. God was his creator, and he knew that a pot can't take up arms against the potter and come away victorious. But we have a few pointed questions to answer: Christ’s promise to the thief on the cross was “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Jesus did not say, "Today shall ye be with me in paradise", but "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." 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