The Criminal & The Cross

[Reformer]

The 
Criminal & The Cross
["Today you will be with me in Paradise"]

"Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with Him. And when they came to the place that is called 'The Skull,' there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on His right and one on His left" [Luke 23:32-33].

As the story unfolds, one of the criminals railed at Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" [Luke 23]. But the other criminal dressed him down. It is strikingly interesting that although this man is charged with being a robber and a criminal, he believed in God. "Do you not fear God?" he asked the other criminal. He lectured him by saying they deserve their sentence of condemnation, "but this man has done nothing wrong."

I am prone to believe this peacemaking criminal was possibly—and perhaps innocently—caught up in a crime he regretted later. I'm also thinking in terms that sometime, somewhere, during the personal ministry of our Lord, he was exposed to the Messiah's messages. You will notice that prior to asking Jesus for His grace, he indicated a belief in God. "Do you not fear God?" he asked his fellow lawbreaker.

Although the ages and names of the two criminals are not chronicled, to some extent the one who addressed our Lord seemed to have known Him personally, for he addressed Him as "Jesus." "Jesus," he said, "remember me when you come into your kingdom." Somewhere along life's pathway he had been taught about an approaching kingdom or reign, perhaps by the Lord Himself. He knew something about an era where Jesus would reign.

Our Lord's reply was—and is—simply beautiful and uplifting, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." Regardless of how ornery we've been, how ugly our behavior, how evil our lives, Jesus stands at the door of Paradise to welcome us in. Even though we may have fallen to the bottom of the pit, when we knock He hears and answers. What a splendid Doorkeeper and Rescuer He is!    

More About Paradise

The scriptures seem to indicate there's an intermediate state for the righteous dead—namely, Hades. It seems David is in Hades, as he did not ascend to heaven. "For David did not ascend to heaven" [Acts 2:34]. If David is not in heaven, where is he? In Hades, the unseen abode of departed spirits. His body was placed in an earthly tomb. His spirit, the real David, went to the Paradise side of Hades, as the scriptures seem to note. Even Jesus' spirit went to the Paradise side of Hades when he died to await His resurrection. "Today you will be with me in paradise," He told the criminal [Luke 23:43].

Some take the position that Hades was abolished when Jesus ascended and led the saved Hadean "captives in His train" [Eph. 4:8]. True, He took a number of saints with Him into heaven, for whatever reason, but I have my doubts about His abolishing Hades. For, after all, David was not in heaven, even after Jesus ascended there, as noted in Acts 2:34.

We must not forget that Jesus' spirit "was not abandoned to Hades," the unseen abode of departed spirits [Acts 2:31]. This one passage seems to establish that there is, indeed, an intermediate state for the righteous dead.

But what about the spirit "that returns to God who gave it," as the scripture affirms? Yes, even when departed spirits go to the Paradise side of Hades to await the resurrection, they return to God, for returning to any part of His domain, whether Heaven itself or to Paradise in Hades, they're still returning to Him. At the resurrection, they will be re-united with their transformed bodies [see Phil. 3:21].