"Verily I say unto thee, today shall thou be with me in Paradise" (Lk: 23:4 off)

The first citizen of heaven was not allowed the privileges of citizenship on earth. A Roman citizen, according to law, could not be put to death upon a cross; he could be put to death in another manner, but not subjected to the ignominious death by crucifixion. What it was not permissible to do to a Roman, men did to Jesus, the Son of God; The cross never an easy sight, was nothing less than a sacrificial altar. Jesus was the paschal lamb, slain before the foundation of the world". A crowd gathered around the three crosses from the beginning, many of them talking of various things. Surely words of sympathy passed among Mary the mother of Jesus and her sister and Mary Magdalene. After a while a conversation sprang up, not at the bottom of the crosses, but among the men on the crosses. The two criminals on either side of Jesus began to pick up what was being said from the ground and one of them added to the ridicule being heaped upon Him. It was not unusual for the soldiers to gag with a cloth those they were crucifying in order to keep them from saying all the vile things they would want to say concerning their crucifiers.

One of the thieves said to Jesus, "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us". He was much more anxious to be able to live a few more years in his physical body than to be saved for eternity. One was saying "come down from the cross, Let eternity go, let us live for today" - demands haven't changed since then as to day, to come down from cross, is human nature, to carry cross is godly, repentance, tears and suffering is the way to the Kingdom of salvation. This plea and the answer of Jesus are some of the most reassuring words in all scriptures. The incident illustrates the great promise that "whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely", (Rev: 22:17). One of the great theologians of another day said that the only person in all the world who really believed in Jesus at that moment was the penitent thief. Many were criticising Jesus, many were doubting him. Wasn't He dying? All of those who had followed Him were disillusioned.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day". He accepted the cross, Jesus also accepted him, one who rejected the cross, was also rejected by Jesus. The first word from the cross was a prayer of Jesus for men: "Father, forgive them". The second word from the cross was an answer to a prayer of another, directed to Him. "Lord, have mercy". People have never understood the cross; Some have made light of it. To the Jew it is indeed a stumbling block, but to the Christian it is God's signpost to eternity. As the Bible says, "Is it nothing to you all the passers by, today also Good Friday, for many is an occasion of gathering, occasion of murmuring, occasion of jokes, for you Jesus died on the cross, is it nothing for you, Jesus selected many, He selected disciples but now Jesus is alone, He is suffering, weeping and praying, for the sin of the world, you daughters of Jerusalem, weep for thyself and for thy children. The scripture suggests, first, a person, a pardon, a promise "Lord, remember me.... Lk: 23:42. It may be the centre cross was the place where Barabbas was supposed to have been crucified for he was the chief among the criminals of that day. Jesus took the place of the worst of the lot. Have you ever wondered why the railing thief was not given a name? Perhaps he remained nameless in order that we might see in him our worst selves. All of us take our places beside one of those outer crosses. We either deride Jesus and turn on him or we accept Him as the son of God and plead, "Lord have mercy".

A great preacher called this episode "a case book of repentance', for if there is anything in all the world that the Bible urges, it is repentance toward God and peace through the Lord Jesus Christ, the thief got the paradise, by tears, repentance, suffering, man trying for kingdom and Kingship, power and position. Penitent thief cried out, remember me, sudden was the pardon, "Today shall thou be with me in paradise", Does the Lord put you on probation if you care to Him? Oh, no, For Jesus said...." him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out".... Jn. 6:37 when Jesus went home to glory, a penitent thief went too. Jesus was his last hope - as He is always our last hope, our only hope; Not only was there a pardon, for mercy prayer of thief, there was a promise which was a prophecy. He said, "Lord, remember me when thou come into thy Kingdom, Jesus said "Verily I say unto thee, today shall thou be with me in paradise. Where do we go when we die? Where is Paul, where are the other prophets and disciples. Bible says "to be absent from the body" is "to be present with the Lord". Jesus said to the thief," I will take you home, with me. I will take you to paradise." The crowd was railing against him, but the gates of heaven were open to Him and the angels were singing. Now think, what should be our mode of living in this temporary world, one went to paradise, one didn't which one do you mean?