Station eleven: Jesus promises paradise to the thief

Bible reading

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 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.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:32-33, 39-43 (NIV)​

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Pause

Jesus is crucified with a criminal beside him to the left and to the right. One of the criminals mocks him and tells him to save himself, if he is the Messiah. The other one recognises Jesus as someone who has done nothing wrong. This criminal asks Jesus to remember him when his kingdom comes. Jesus tells him that he will be in ‘paradise’ with him that day. What does Jesus mean by this? Christians believe that by dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus gives birth to a kingdom. We call it the kingdom of God. By calling it paradise, Jesus uses the words found in Genesis where the garden of Eden is described. Jesus is saying that by dying, rising and returning in glory in the future, he makes all things new. The world will return to be how God intended it to be and we will all see that “it is good”.

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Ponder

I wonder what I would have said to Jesus?