59 - Luke 23:43

’Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.’ -Luke 23:43. The word paradise had been used by the Septuagint for garden in designating the garden of Eden, and this was the sense with which the Jews were familiar in the days of Christ. A restoration to paradise would mean to their minds a restoration to the state of holy and blissful companionship with God, beyond the reach of all the ills that sin has generated in the world. Whether there was such a state of bliss for the departed spirit was a point denied by some, and questioned by many. Most of them could see only the earthly kingdom, in the future. At all events, the want of some more explicit teaching on the subject was felt. There was a need for life and immortality to be brought into far clearer light. In the nature of things our minds have great difficulty in apprehending the elements of any condition that is quite foreign to their experience; they demand that everything should be translated into language with which they are familiar, and this language necessarily suggests conceptions related to the things that are familiar. The sacred writers are obliged to put under contribution all the fair and precious things of earth, in the depicting of the place where God gathers his redeemed from all nations to see the glory of Christ: trees, fountains, streams, cities, palaces, gates, pearls, jasper, and all precious stones, gold, glass, thrones, crowns, white and shining robes, harps, vials, etc. etc. Paul was caught up into the third heaven, and saw things the utterance of which was not so much unlawful as impossible; earth having no language suited to express them. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, nor heart conceived the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. The pleasant things of earth may very poorly adumbrate the felicity that awaits the people of God. The very description given of the New Jerusalem forbids us to let our minds grasp it as literal and final; gold that is transparent, for instance, is no more gold; walls suggest the idea of limitation of liberty, and of danger round about. The very description bids us look beyond itself to that which eye hath not seen, and which the Spirit will reveal unto us even by the aid of the symbols used. To the dying thief, Paradise would simply mean a place of purity, blessedness, and immortality, favoured with the presence of the Almighty and with that of the holy angels; and the promise of Christ was to him an assurance that he would be there with him that very day. His petition was, "Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." He believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and would come again some day to establish his kingdom among men. But Jesus meets his faith with a promise to take him to Paradise that very day. Absent from the body, he should be present with the Lord; and when Christ should come with ten thousand of his saints to subdue all things unto himself and unto the Father, he should be there.

Men were challenging Christ to come down from the cross and prove himself a Saviour; but he remained on the cross and proved himself a Saviour by taking the very thief that was crucified with him away to glory. The word which was despised and rejected by the distinguished men around the cross, was taken to heart by this poor malefactor, and found to be life, eternal life. Here we see what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward; nailed to the cross, his mere word proves a ladder of glory by which his companion on Calvary may ascend to the highest and brightest regions of blessedness. But what a marvellous conception of Divine love was that which instituted at the cross itself, in the very hour of the crucifixion, a method of manifesting how the death of Christ was to become available! From all nations, tribes, and tongues, myriads of sinners come in their turn to the cross for life; and when they are there know not how they shall get it, till they see the thief on the adjoining cross take of the fountain before their eyes and live. Ten thousand ideas and imaginations of this world stand between the heart and the appropriation of the Divine life that is in Christ. What shall I do that I may inherit this eternal life? How long and how bitterly must I repent? How long and how devoutly must I pray? How much must I know of the word of God? How far must I conquer the evil of my nature? How much goodness must I put on? How much substance must I give to the poor? The answer to all these profoundly difficult questions is given by the poor thief that hangs on the adjacent cross. These weighty problems, which all the wisdom of this world could never solve, are effectually disposed of by the dying criminal whose very name is unknown to us. Do you wish to know what salvation is, and how it is obtained? how you are to get for yourself the benefit of Christ’s death? You have simply to take, as you are, the life that is offered you at the cross. Adam was sent forth from Paradise lest he should stretch forth his hand and take of the fruit of the tree of life, and live for ever. Had he stretched forth his hand and grasped the fruit, it would have detached itself from the tree as easily as the fruit of the forbidden tree: it had simply to be taken. But he was debarred it. Here you have the tree of life in the true and best sense, and no cherubim guard the way with fiery swords. Whosoever will may take. This fruit of life cannot be taken with the hand, it is taken with the heart. Lord (Lord of lords, though treated here as a worm), remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom! This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise. The poor man was being executed for his crimes, and felt that he was suffering justly, and that he needed a Saviour, even Jesus the Saviour, and without more ado, there and then, with all conceivable unfitness, he takes the life which Christ dies to bestow.

Perhaps there was never yet an evangelist so successful as this dying thief. Thousands will point him out in Paradise as the one who showed them the way of life.