LEARNING DAILY

 

Luke 23:43, And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

 

Yesterday, I attended the funeral of a teacher I taught with at First Baptist Academy. The funeral was more of a celebration of a life well-lived, of one who lived her life faith to her Savior and Lord. The point was well made that she walked the narrow way during her life and is now in God’s kingdom with Jesus. That was/is a powerful testimony that I desire to leave when I walk into His eternal kingdom. The Pastor centered his words on the fact that heaven has been purchased for every person who has accepted His way of salvation – forgiveness of sin through His death and resurrection. “The fear of what happens after death has caused people to live in doubt and dismay daily. However, there is hope found in the promise of Jesus from the cross that not only applied to the thief, but to you as well” (Dr. Ed Newton).

 

Luke 23:43, above, are the words of Jesus to a repentant thief hanging on a cross beside Him. The thief had admitted his own sinfulness, his guilt, and knew he deserved to die; he needed forgiveness. In his situation, he had no time to join a church or walk down an aisle to be forgiven, no time to be baptized and there was no time to do good works. He only had time to believe in Jesus. He did and he was forgiven of his sin. The result was to be with Jesus in “paradise”.

 

Paradise refers to a “walled garden”. There are those Bible authorities who believe this is a reference to a new Garden of Eden. It is reference to where all Believers are headed – heaven. If we breakdown the verse, the word “in” tells us heaven will be where we will live after we die, Death becomes a doorway, it is not the end of life but the beginning of eternity with God. Stephen, in Acts 7:55 was able to look into heaven before being martyred. “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” For the child of God there is no unknown about what happens after death. They immediately go into the presence of Jesus in “paradise”.

 

When Jesus talked directly to the thief, He was specific when He said “you”. When Jesus spoke to people, He spoke directly to them with the words “you” and “your”. The same words are for each of us. The message of paradise or heaven is a personal one for each of us. Not all people go to heaven because nothing unclean will enter heaven. People are unclean because they have not come to Jesus to be cleansed through His forgiveness. There is no other way to heaven except through Him. “Salvation is not based upon how you performed, but through whom you profess” (Dr. Ed Newton).

 

Jesus told the thief that being in “paradise” meant to be “with Me”. The Lord Jesus is clearly teaching us that after death the saved go immediately into His presence in heaven. This tells me the importance of developing a relationship with Him now that will continue on with Him throughout eternity! Our walk with Jesus on the narrow way is so important as we study His written Word, develop a prayer life with Him, and walk on the narrow way that continues to cleanse us of unrighteousness! Doing so should encourage us about our future with the Lord!