He’s, with ME!

We celebrated last week both the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein after living the perfectly righteous and sinless life necessary for a man or woman to enter God’s unmediated presence in Heaven, He died on a Roman cross, taking upon Himself the wrath and judgement, the divine justice of God deserved by all mankind for sin, for our opposition to God’s purpose for and rule over our lives.  He was resurrected from the dead three days later having accomplished everything necessary to rescue men and women who would repent of their sin and entrust their life to Him from perishing in the Hell they deserve and qualify them for the Heaven (eternal life) we never could deserve.  (Psalm 24:3-6) (1 Peter 2:23-24) (Romans 4:25) (John 3:16).

In all four gospels we have the account of Jesus’ crucifixion, and in each of those accounts we have two men identified as being crucified with Jesus, one on His right and one on His left.  This association had been prophesied in Isaiah 53:12 (Mark 15:27-28).  Despite both men undergoing the same shameful and excruciating execution on a Roman cross as Jesus, they joined the crowds in their angry, prideful, violent mocking and ridiculing of Jesus (Matthew 27:38-44) (Mark 15:27-32).  It was assumed by all involved that Jesus was hanging on that cross because of some dastardly crime He committed against the people of Rome; people who after crying out for His crucifixion, were mercilessly spitting on Him, mocking and ridiculing Him as He would experience the just judgement of God they deserved (Isaiah 53:3-4).

However, in Luke 23:39-43 we have in a moment in time a most surprising and rather astonishing event reported, wherein one of the criminals appears to undergo a rather “miraculous” transformation. His joining with the crowd in their mocking and ridiculing of Jesus suddenly ceases. He acknowledges his sin, the basis of his sin (not fearing God) and the just punishment he deserves for it and admonishes the other criminal for not doing the same.

This man then looks upon the man next to him, helplessly suspended between heaven and earth on a Roman cross like himself, having been horrifically beaten by other men to where He appears unrecognizable as a man (Isaiah 52:13-14), and he addresses Him as LORD, the covenant name of God, and as Jesus, the one who saves.  He then makes what seems to be an outlandish request coming from one who is a career criminal and by nature an enemy of God (Romans 8:7).  He requests that Jesus remember him when Jesus enters into His Kingdom.  The word remember in the Bible can mean to take note of, to be mindful or make mention of.  It can also mean to be given a place or position, and the context here would seem to indicate the latter – make a place for me when you enter your Kingdom.  And Jesus lovingly responds to Him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise”.

Both the man’s request and the Lord’s response should raise for us two questions; how could this man, a career criminal – considered dangerous to the peace and order of the Roman empire, a social, political and spiritual outcast, possibly have the inclination and boldness to make such a request?  And on what basis did Jesus, without hesitation, grant his request?

This was a man like every other man or woman; spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, alienated/cut off from the life of God for which man was created, destined for Hell, and spiritually bankrupt, having nothing to commend himself to the mercy of God except his desperate and dire need for it.  (Ephesians 2:1-3) (Ephesians 4:17-19) (Matthew 5:3).

And that is what this man is humbly and desperately acknowledging and hopeful of receiving, the unfailing, unmerited mercy of God (Lamentations 3:22-24) (Psalm 147:11) (Psalm 103:8-14) (Ephesians 2:1-8).

And he receives it.  And he receives mercy the only way anyone will ever receive mercy, by acknowledging his/our desperate need for it (Luke 18:9-14).  This acknowledgement includes repentance, and faith in God’s gracious provision of it, both of which are the gracious gifts of God) (Ephesians 2:8-9) (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

We have the glory of God’s saving mercy and grace most clearly revealed through the Apostle Paul in Titus 3:3-6, which speaks to the thief’s experience, as well as to ours when we are truly saved.  Paul writes, for we ourselves (like the thief) were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.  But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

The term regeneration in this passage refers to being restored to spiritual life, what is referred to in John 3:3-8 by Jesus as being born again, which He proclaims we must be if we are to both see that there is a kingdom of God to be desired, and to be qualified to enter into it.  Regeneration, as noted, is the effectual work of God the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit opens our spiritual eyes to see by faith, the glory of the King of that kingdom, King Jesus, and the infinite value of being known and loved by Him, which is what ultimately makes the kingdom of Heaven so desirable (2 Corinthians 4:6) (Matthew 13:44-46). Finally, it is the Spirit’s work to bring us into glad submission to Jesus as LORD and enables us to live faithful to Him as our good and gracious king (1 Corinthians 12:3).

All of this would have been a sovereign work of God done in the heart and mind of this man to bring about his wonderous transformation, just as it is done in our hearts and minds when we are saved and justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, by the power of God alone, for the glory of God alone.

And this is what prompts and justifies Jesus’ authoritative assurance to the man that, this very day you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43). The term paradise refers to a place of uninterrupted, untold beauty, pleasure, joy and delight.  It is used specifically in two other passages in the Bible.

In 2 Corinthians 12:4, it is used by the Apostle Paul to refer to His vision of or actual tour of Heaven in which he saw and heard things so glorious he could not give words to.

In Revelation 2:7, it is identified as the place where those who persevere in faith in and love for Jesus will be rewarded.  It is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Septuagint) in reference to Genesis 2:8-9, the garden of Eden. It ultimately refers to the unimaginable, uninterrupted pleasures, joys and delights that are found in the immediate presence of God, which will be enjoyed partially when our spirit man passes from this world to the next, and ultimately and eternally in the new heavens and new earth that Jesus will establish at His second coming, wherein we are restored to our glorified resurrected bodies (Psalm 16:11) (2 Corinthians 5:6-8) (Philippians 1:21-23) (Philippians 3:20-21) (Revelation 21 & 22).

And it is into this infinitely glorious realm that this man, this dying criminal, will come to reside in on that day.  He will be the first to enter paradise subsequent to Jesus’ fulfilment of the promises made to the Old Testament believers who are presently there, based on their faith in those promises (Hebrews 11:13-16).

In Luke 23:46, we have the account of Jesus’ death, which occurs about three hours after His exchange with the man.  Jesus commends His spirit into the Father’s hands, where they will joyfully await the man’s arrival (Psalm 116:15). It was likely only minutes subsequent to Jesus’s death that a Roman soldier broke the man’s legs, bringing about almost immediate asphyxiation and death (Mark 15:44). As he immediately stands before God for judgement (Hebrews 9:27), he hears these glorious words from the lips of Jesus, “Father, he’s, with ME!”     

Let us live in the joyful hope of hearing this same glorious acknowledgement on the day we leave this world behind, passing from death to life into the presence of the one who loved us and gave His life for us.  (John 5:24) (Galatians 2:20)

Grace and Peace ×