7 Last words of Jesus on the Cross

Second saying: “Today you will be with me in paradise”

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

This saying is traditionally called “The Word of Salvation”. According to Luke’s gospel, Jesus was
crucified between two thieves (Dismas and Gestas). One of whom supports Jesus’ innocence and ask
him to remember him when he comes into his kingdom. Jesus replied, (Assuredly, I say to you,) followed
with the only appearance of the word “Paradise”. In the Gospels paradise refers to the “paradise
garden”.

Question: "What did Jesus mean when He said, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise’?"
 Did Jesus Christ tell the thief on the cross that they would be together in Paradise that very
day, or did he say on that day, that they would be together in Paradise?

Of course, no one will doubt that commas were introduced into the manuscripts centuries after the
authors of the New Testament books had died and that such commas are therefore not
authoritative. And there is the question of context. No one can dispute the fact that Jesus and the
criminal were dying on the cross, and that their death would be followed by a burial and, in Jesus’
case, by a resurrection from the dead three days later.

It has been argued that, since the context does not allow the conclusion that anyone entered
Paradise on that day, and since the position of the comma lacks authority, the punctuation “Today
you shall be with me in paradise” would leave the reader with a discrepancy between what had
been promised and what actually happened. On the other hand, the alternative punctuation (“Truly
I say to you today, you will be with me in Paradise”) has been endorsed as free from such problems
since it is not stated when they would be in Paradise. Thus, we follow the alternative punctuation.

For example, in Matthew 5:18, Christ said: “Amen I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot
or one tittle shall in no way pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” This construction enables Jesus to
move to the diametrically opposite position. His audience had thought that he was doing away with
the law. According to their thought, Christ’s new statement would be false. For that reason, he
began with the assuring tone of “amen” (verily). Christ’s intent was to surprise his audience — just
as we might do today by saying something like, “You may find this difficult to believe, but it is true,
nevertheless.”

Thus the word “amen” (verily) at the beginning of the first phrase (Verily I say unto you) announces
that a surprising truth is about to be revealed, while the word “today,” at the start of the next
phrase (today you will be…), is the unexpected, complementary emphasis — the truth Christ had
promised. In effect, Christ was saying, “It is not at all a case of my remembering you or that you
need to wait for some future time! You will be with me, as of today.”

We note that every major Bible translation inserts the comma before the word today. Thus, the KJV,
NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, and RSV all agree that Jesus was speaking of the time that the thief would enter
paradise. The thief would be in paradise with Jesus on that very same day.
What are the significant reminders this verse will teach us?

1. The Promise: Eternal Life "In Paradise"

The response of Jesus in this instance was profound to the criminal, as He promised this sinner that
he too would enter the gates of Heaven to live in Paradise, not later but that day! This was significant
for it represented what Jesus was doing in that moment. Jesus took on our sin, our debts, our guilt and
died for them. He did not have to do this, but His entire purpose in coming to earth was to not only love
us, not only to show empathy to us by taking on human flesh but to die for us in order to free us from
the penitence of sin.  Because three days later He would rise, and the promise would be fulfilled that
death had no hold on Him or those under His promise of salvation. 
We are not told what this criminal stole to be convicted guilty of, but whatever it was it was worthy
of the most severe punishment. Even a crime so terrible that man would consider worthy of death could
be forgiven by Jesus. The death of Jesus on the cross and His promise to the sinner next to Him
represents the compassion of Christ toward mankind.

2. The Takeaway: Jesus Paid it All

How Christ responded to the criminal next to Him has takeaways for Christians today. No matter
how severe the sin, there is opportunity for salvation and forgiveness from Christ—even in the final
breaths of life. Jesus died for our transgressions, and in that forgiveness, abides for us. This guilty
criminal acknowledged Jesus as Savior, for he acknowledged His Kingdom. Jesus knew his heart and
granted the promise that despite earth’s sentence upon this man, he would enter the gates of Heaven
that very day. 
In a world that is quick to not only judge but to condemn it is a magnificent relief to know that at
the end of it all God has the final say. If we choose to recognize Jesus as Lord and Savior we can rest
assured that we too will enter the gates of Paradise, just as the criminal on the cross next to Jesus did.

3. The Hope: God Fulfills His Promises  

There is hope in the promise of Jesus Christ that He is loving, full of forgiveness, and true to His
word. He promised in prophecy that following Him and accepting Him as Savior would grant the
freedom of eternal life with God. That hope is for all mankind, and it continues today. Hebrews
13:8 reminds us that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, so in that the very promise given
to those living when the words were spoken is available for us today. We can hope in the promise that
confessing Jesus is Lord is the key to life and life eternal with Him in Paradise. 
The second criminal reaching his own final moments croaked some of his final words calling out to
Jesus in the flesh. He knew the misdeeds of his life had landed him at the place where he would deserve
such a punishment. Yet, he knew within himself that the blameless man who hung next to him was pure
and without blemish. He sought Jesus as a lowly man to recognize his sin but to also recognize that
Jesus was who He said He was; He believed Jesus was the Savior. Jesus promised this criminal that he
too would be in Paradise with Him, just as He offers the same promise today. It is up to us to come
before Jesus, yes covered in sin, but also in the position of being able to receive His forgiveness, His
promise of eternal life, and His love. No matter how detrimental your sins may be, just like the criminal
on the cross, Heaven can await you as well if you turn to Christ.