Paradise

We had our 2017 Summer Bible Conference last weekend. It was awesome and filled with great messages and the Word of God. We also had communion on Sunday. During the communion service I decided to read Luke 23:26-43, which is the passage on the crucifixion of Jesus. I wanted to remind myself of the sacrifice Jesus made by dying on the cross for my sin. I have read that passage countless times, so it was not new to me. The verse that got me on Sunday was verse 43, where it says 'Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."' I had to read the verse over and over again to fully understand the implications of Jesus' statement. It seems very simple. Jesus is telling the thief hanging on the cross next to him that he would join him in paradise. But, as I thought about it more, I realized that Jesus was saying these words to me. Of course not that I would die today, but that I would be in paradise with him one day. What made this statement even more significant is that Jesus was talking to a thief who was being executed for his crime. The thief had made bad choices in life and knew that he deserved the punishment he was receiving. In his mind, his life was over and there was nothing he could do about it. When the other thief, who may have been his friend and/or accomplice, mocked Jesus and told Jesus to save himself and the two thieves, the thief defended Jesus and rebuked the other criminal. As much as the thief knew that he deserved the punishment, he knew that Jesus was innocent. He had no doubt about that. His simple request to Jesus was to remember him when he reached heaven. How did Jesus respond to him? He did not say, "You will be condemned to live in hell for what you have done wrong." No, he said, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Now, if a thief dying on a cross for his wrong-doing can enter paradise for admitting his wrong and defending Jesus, then what does that mean for me? If I choose to be on Jesus side and repent my sins, I, too, can be in paradise with him when my time comes.