39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him,[a] saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Luke 23:39-43 (NLT)
JUDGMENT DAY
My eldest son just turned 10, and as part of his celebration, he wanted to go to Six Flags because he is finally tall enough to ride everything there. So we went on Batman, the Scorcher (twice), and more—and he ate up every second of it. He loves roller coasters, just like his dad.
Part of the thrill is the initial climb up the track. As you inch closer to the top, you know the rush is coming—that initial drop and those loops are just on the horizon. The anticipation is almost as much fun as the ride itself, because we know something thrilling is about to follow.
This week, as we studied the “thief on the cross” passage in Luke, we find Jesus on the cross with two thieves. We aren’t told much about them, but we can quickly glean a few things: they were not claiming innocence, and neither wanted to be there.
Crucifixion was considered a humiliating and barbaric death in ancient Rome. It was reserved for threats to the state, slaves, and those who committed heinous crimes. Most Roman citizens were spared from it unless they committed treason or rebellion. So we can assume these men had done something significant to draw the ire of Rome.
Hebrews says that immediately after we die, we are judged (Hebrews 9:27). Death and judgment were now inevitable for the thieves. In the midst of their brief moments with Jesus, we get a very clear depiction of the hearts of the two men beside him. One man desperately wants escape and demands that, if Jesus is who he says he is, he should save himself—and them.
The other man, often referred to as “the penitent thief,” took a courageously different stance. He rebukes his fellow thief for his lack of contrition and simply acknowledges that he deserves to be there. We don’t know what he did, but his admission suggests he believed the punishment was justified.
He asks Jesus to remember him in his kingdom, to which Jesus famously replies, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Hearing those words must have done something profound for his soul. As he hung on the cross in unimaginable pain, he suddenly received the greatest news anyone could ever hear.
While it might be an overstatement to say he was eager to die, the anticipation that must have followed those words from Jesus is incomparable. And it’s an anticipation that can be ours as well.
We are just like the thieves. We are rightly condemned by our sins and deserve the full punishment of God’s law. Will we struggle, fight, and hope for the best? Or will we acknowledge our missteps and look to Jesus for mercy?
If we trust in him, we can wait with eager anticipation—because we know something thrilling is about to follow. We do not need to fear death, because belief in Jesus means we too can be with him in paradise!
Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.
