Paradise
When you face death do you see hope nailed to a cross?
Or, do you see the message of hope, Paradise
Jesus said, “Today”
Someday it will be your today
Believe in the Paradise, believe Jesus is telling the truth
"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Can you see it?
Make everyday a day you think about the Paradise of God
Paradise
The word Paradise is used
three times in the New Testament.
The first time we see the word,
Paradise, is in Luke 23:43.
The scene is this…
Jesus was hanging on a cross and
will be dead in just a short time.
There are two men accused of evil doing,
“malefactor”, also hanging on a cross
and will be dead in a short time.
The one criminal blasphemes Jesus.
He had certainly heard of Jesus’ messages
and knew Jesus’ claim to be the Christ.
The other criminal had a totally different attitude.
He rebuked the other criminal.
He recognized Jesus had done nothing wrong.
We know Jesus regularly was teaching
and preaching the message of…
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
After He was tempted in the wilderness by the Devil.
Matthew 4:17
I think it is important for us to remember
Jesus’ teaching and preaching was well known.
There were large crowds trying to hear His message.
These two criminals, even though they lived
evil lives, had known of Jesus’ Kingdom message.
All three men were going to die in a very short time.
The one criminal looked at life as this is all there is and
mocked Jesus for thinking there is anything after death.
The other criminal believed there is life after death and
knew enough about Jesus’ life and ministry to say…
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."
Luke 23:42
I don’t know about you, but
I find it strange that a criminal dying
on a cross would put faith in another
man dying on a cross next to him.
This criminal did not just look at Jesus
and see the blood running down His body
and say “I put my trust in you”.
This criminal had known about Jesus.
He had to have known about the
Kingdom Jesus preached about.
He had to have known Jesus’ claims to this Kingdom.
He must have known Jesus was a compassionate man.
He must have known Jesus came to save sinners.
That is a lot to know for a man who did not follow Jesus.
We can see through this criminal,
Jesus’ message of the Kingdom…
And who He was,
was known by everyone in the area.
It is estimated that there were 40,000 to 80,000
people living in this area where Jesus preached.
Both criminals knew of Jesus’
message of His Kingdom
and who He claimed to be.
Both saw Jesus dying, just like they were…
Yet one had hope and believed
Jesus’s death was not the end.
This criminal said…
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."
And Jesus’ reply was amazing…
Jesus’ reply was exactly what Jesus had
preached in the country side, the
synagogues, and taught His disciples…
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Paradise, the Kingdom of Heaven is a Paradise.
Paradise a park, an Eden, a place of future happiness.
When you and I face death may
we be like the criminal who said…
"Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."
May we not see Jesus nailed to a
cross helpless to help Himself and us.
But may we believe there is a Paradise,
a Kingdom waiting for us.
Jesus said, “Today”.
Someday it will be your today.
Believe in the Paradise.
Believe Jesus is telling the truth.
"I tell you the truth,
today you will be with me in paradise."
Can you see it?
Make everyday a day you think
about the Paradise of God.
Scripture Reading
Luke 23:40-43 NIV
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."
