The Promise of Paradise

Good morning, it is Good Friday here in the Panhandle and we are gearing up for the Easter celebration. Tonight I will preach at the final Holy Week service for our ministerial alliance and then there will be a passion play up at Kenton tomorrow evening and Sunday morning and then my Easter Sunday message. I have heard it said many times about Christ Jesus' death on the cross and then His resurrection on Sunday, “It's Friday, but Sunday is coming!”

Praise God for the death, burial, and resurrection of my Lord and Saviour – Christ Jesus! Why would I say that? Because Christ Jesus died, was buried, and was resurrected my sins have been paid for in full. I still have to live with the consequences of my sins, but I no longer live with the penalty of that sin, I no longer face a life of eternal separation from God. By admitting that I am a sinner, by believing that Christ Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for my sins, and by confessing Him as my Lord and Saviour I am now guaranteed a place with Him in Paradise.

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons who were ages five and three. The boys began to argue over who was going to get the first pancake. Mom recognized the teachable moment and said, “If Jesus was sitting here right now, He would say let my brother have the first pancake.” The five year-old turned to his little brother and said, “hey little buddy, you get to be Jesus today!”

We smile at the story of a selfish five year-old, but we also know that our lives are filled with similar struggles of selfishness and sin. Many saints have found comfort in the honesty of the apostle Paul who openly confessed his struggle in Romans 7 to do the right thing when his flesh was pulling him toward sin. I mention the ongoing struggle with sin to illustrate how incredibly wonderful the forgiveness of God is for those who accept it.

This forgiveness is made possible because of the sacrifice of Christ Jesus on the cross. While we need to strive to honor God in our daily lives, our greatest need is responding to God’s amazing grace to save us from our sin. Christ Jesus did more than provide help to deal with your stress; He delivers you from sin. He offers more than making life easy; He redeems you for eternity. Christ Jesus did more than teach positive thinking; He offers you a trip to paradise.

Of all the words spoken by Christ Jesus from the cross, this promise of eternal life to a condemned criminal illustrates the unique holiness and majesty of our Lord Christ Jesus as clearly as anything He ever said. He promised to provide what every person hopes for, but what no one could ever produce with human effort.

Author and professor, Calvin Miller, described Christ Jesus’ words as, “a cross cry that illustrates the transcendent power of Jesus as He unites the present with the eternal by promising to provide rest for our souls in eternal paradise.” The promise also transcends the plight of a thief on a cross. While we may never experience the horror a crucifixion because of our crimes, we stand just as condemned because of our sin. We must respond as the thief did in order to enter paradise with Christ Jesus. We do that by first acknowledging our condition.

Luke 23:39-43

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

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."

1. Condition of a Sinner:

The thief graphically reveals the condition of every soul before a holy God. The thief was physically helpless, he was unable to attend church, he could not give an offering. He could not perform good deeds. He was nailed to a cross! 

His condition point to the insufficiency of our good deeds to accomplish salvation. No matter how hard we try there is nothing we can ever do physically to obtain forgiveness of our sins. Like the thief we are physically helpless. 

The thief was also morally corrupt, which is why he was being crucified. He openly admitted his guilt when he rebuked the other thief for mocking Christ Jesus, “We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve” (Luke 23:41). While it may be true that you have never committed a crime that is punishable by death, the Scripture clearly declares in Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:10 says that no one is righteous, no not one. And Romans 6:23 declares the wage of our sin and unrighteousness is death or separation from God. Like the morally corrupt thief, we have disqualified ourselves for paradise through sinful acts of disobedience and corruption. 

The thief was also spiritually dead. The consequence of his earthly crimes was execution on a Roman cross, and his soul was headed into everlasting darkness until he cried out to Christ Jesus. Just like the thief of the cross we share a spiritual death that disqualifies us from paradise. Unless we are willing to take action.

2. Conversion of a Sinner:

That process of being transformed from a dead sinner into a living child of God is beautifully portrayed in the conversion experience of the thief. This unnamed criminal leaves a lasting legacy of how any person receives forgiveness of sin and inherits eternal life. 

First, he admitted his sin, “We are punished justly.” The sad reality is that many people are unwilling to admit their sin before a holy God. Some think God is going to allow them to enter His holy heaven by bringing a small house warming gift. Yea right, as if God is going to ow and aw over the cute picture frame of your personal righteous you brought to hang in the hallways of heaven. Only by admitting your sin, or as the Bible says “confessing” your sin can you receive forgiveness. 

Second, the thief acknowledges the supremacy of Christ Jesus. He rebukes the other thief and declares that Christ Jesus has done nothing wrong. The same truth applies to us today. Unless we acknowledge the lordship of Christ Jesus, we cannot enter into eternal paradise. 

The third step: The thief in his conversion experience asks for salvation. He humbly asks for Christ Jesus to, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” I know that the large majority of people, especially in the Bible belt where I live, have sufficient knowledge about the claims of Christ Jesus. They understand that He is the holy Son of God who gave His life for the sins of the world.

Some would even openly admit their sinful condition, but they have never asked Christ Jesus to be their Savior. They are unwilling for what ever reason to turn from their sin and repent. Instead they choose to willingly reject Christ Jesus until they are “ready.” More than once I listened to a lost soul say, “Well preacher, I believe what you say is true, but I’m just not ready to do that today.” 

The thief was saved from his sin and entered into eternal paradise because he admitted his sin, acknowledged the supremacy of Christ, and asked for salvation. What Christ Jesus did for this thief, He will do for you, why? Compassion.

3. Compassion of the Savior:

The conversion of the thief was made possible by the compassion of the savior. Christ Jesus was not obligated to save the thief. He could have said, “Look, you had your chance. You heard me preach and saw the miracles, but you never responded to my gracious offer. It is too late for you.” 

But thank God for all that is contained in the precious word spoken by Christ Jesus when He said, “Today!” No matter what you have done in the past, you can be saved today! You are not promised tomorrow but you can be saved today! The Bible says, Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION" -- (2 Corinthians 6:2)

And what about the phrase “with me.” Christ Jesus did not offer the thief some small apartment on a side street on the back side of glory; He told the thief that you will be with me. 

It is said that when the story of West India slavery was told to the Moravians, and it was stated that it was impossible to reach the slave population because they were so separated from the ruling classes, two Moravian missionaries offered themselves and said: "We will go and be slaves on the plantations and work and toil under the lash to get right beside the poor slaves and instruct them."

They left their homes and went to the West Indies as slaves and lived in the company of slaves to get close to the hearts of slaves, and the slaves heard them because they had humbled themselves to their condition.

That was grand; it was glorious; and yet Christ's example was more glorious for he stepped from heaven to earth to get by our side; He laid himself down beside us that we might feel the throbbings of his bosom and be drawn so close as to hear him whisper, "God is love." - Bishop Simpson ( American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church; 1852-1859)

Conclusion

Do you want to have your sins forgiven? Do you want to go to heaven when you die? Do you want to live in the light instead of being enslaved by darkness? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then look to the cross and know the way of the cross leads home.

Hymn writer Jesse Pounds said it well, “I must needs go home by the way of the cross, There’s no other way but this; I shall never get sight of the gates of light, If the way of the cross I miss. The way of the cross leads home, the way of the cross leads home: it is sweet to know as I onward go, The way of the cross leads home.”