Today

So many of our questions about life after death are answered just in this one sentence of Jesus.

We know the narrative: Jesus was dying on the cross, amidst two other men who were also being crucified. They were justly convicted of crimes committed and being punished according to Roman law of the time, whereas Jesus was innocent of all wrongdoing and had to endure unjust punishment. One criminal ridiculed Jesus, saying that if He was the Christ, He should rescue them all from this death they were facing. But the other man pointed out the truth that they had got what they deserved, but Jesus had done nothing wrong. He then asked Jesus to remember Him when He came into His Kingdom. Upon which Jesus answered in the words quoted above.

This man must have heard about Jesus before speaking to Him here or even heard Jesus Himself explaining that the Kingdom of God was now near, and that one had to have faith in Jesus as Son of God to be able to enter it, because he spoke without having anything explained to him at the cross. Jesus’ teachings were so widespread by that time, that I would think the other man had also heard of Him.

And Jesus responds to a heart-felt plea from an unredeemed sinner by instantly accepting him and promising him a place in heaven with Him, that very same day. With these words Jesus affirmed His many teachings that indeed, there is a life after death (today you will be with Me in paradise); that one cannot earn your way there by doing religious things here on earth (he was hours away from death, and had no time left to do things for Jesus); and that one can also not enter without believing in Him (the offer of paradise was not made to the other man who only scoffed Jesus).

We can only wonder at the love Jesus has for us. You and I should have hung on crosses on that hill, rightly condemned for the sin in our lives. But God! Jesus took all our sin on Him and died in our place – Hallelujah!

Pearls to ponder:

 Think about this: He extends the same mercy and grace to a man who had lived a lifetime of crime and committed who knows how many sins before turning to Him, as to someone who has always tried to live a pure and holy life!

Are we prepared to treat all people in our lives with Christ’s mercy and grace? What are our true feelings when we encounter that person trying to sell us something at the robot. Or the car guard at the sixth parking lot we had to stop in this morning. Or the person who keeps borrowing money without ever paying back? What about that neighbour who daily arrives at our door minutes after we arrive home, seeking attention?