Luke 23:32-43
Suffering to Paradise
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus was crucified between two other men...The two men were criminals and were to be executed...One of the criminals was hard in heart to the very end, and would not repent...He hurled insults at Jesus while both hung on their crosses...The first criminal said "Aren't You the Messiah?...Save Yourself and us!"...The second criminal rebuked the first criminal...He ask the other criminal, "Don't you fear God, since you are under the same sentence?...We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve...But this Man has done nothing wrong....Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."...
One criminal was insulting Jesus, and one criminal was defending His Christ...The two criminals, as well as Jesus, were suffering greatly...All three would die...But Jesus saw the second criminal had repented...The criminal ask Him to remember him, when He entered the kingdom of God...Jesus told the repented criminal, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise."...
Jesus was going to take the repented criminal to paradise...The criminal was going to heaven with Jesus...He was a criminal, who repented at the last hour and still would make it to paradise...The criminal was saved...However, the criminal was still on the cross and would suffer on the cross until his death...Even though he got the most important blessing of his life, albeit late in his life, he would suffer on the cross until he would die...His body would go through , no doubt, a lengthy painful death...Jesus did not say he would not suffer, but He did tell him he would see paradise...
I think life of a Christian, and one who believes in Jesus, is a little like the criminal's last hours...The man had sinned and would suffer...We, too, often suffer through life, with troubles, challenges, illness, death of our family and friends, but paradise awaits for those who both believe and repent...The criminal, while in a suffering state, saw Jesus on the cross at the worst time in His life, and humbly defended His Christ and Master...We must go through suffering to get to His paradise...We might learn something from a thief, in defense of His Christ, while he himself was suffering on his way to death...