Thou shalt be with me in paradise

Bible Reading: Luke 23

Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

The thief on the cross exhibited true repentance as he hung there beside the Savior.  Matthew’s gospel tells us:

Matthew 27:44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

Both of the thieves were mocking him and cursing him.  But as the day went on, one of the thieves had a change of heart.

Luke 23:39-41 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

Not only did he rebuke the other thief, but he also confessed his sinful state.  He realized that Jesus had done nothing wrong but he was being executed for his crimes.  What a truly amazing change came into this man’s life as he hung dying on the cross.  Soon, he called upon the name of the Lord.

Luke 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.

The man realized that Jesus was the king and cried out to him to remember him.  Somehow he knew that this was not the end of the King’s life, but the beginning of the kingdom.  Please notice that this man had no opportunity for good works of any kind.  He could not be baptized or go to church.  He simply called upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 12:3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

One thief cursed Jesus.  The other called him Lord.  We can see the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of this man as he hung on the cross.  And when he called out to Jesus, he received assurance of his salvation and destiny.  Jesus promised him that very day he would be with Jesus in paradise.  What a wonderful change came upon this man.  The same can happen for anyone who will repent and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

In Christ,

Rody

And wept bitterly

Bible Reading: Luke 22

Luke 22:62 And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

Why was Peter weeping?  He had been sifted like wheat and it looked like he was nothing but chaff!  He had failed his Lord.  Just as Jesus had told him, Peter had denied the Lord on the very same night that Peter had declared that he was willing to go to jail with Jesus and even to die with him!  Now he stood outside the high priest’s house and wept bitterly.  It is interesting to me that Jesus knew what Peter would do and the sifting that Peter was to go through.  He also said he had prayed for him.

Luke 22:31-32 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

The only way Peter was able to withstand the sifting from Satan was the fact that Jesus had prayed for him.  His faith would falter, but it would not fail!

Let us look at another time that someone wept in Scripture.

John 11:35 Jesus wept.

Outside the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus was groaning in spirit.  The people did not believe.  His friend Lazarus was dead and he was there to show the power of the resurrection.  As I think of the times when people weep, it is interesting.  We weep when we grieve.  We weep when we lose of fail.  Jesus weeps over the lack of faith in himself.  

Our sins cause us to weep.  Our sins cause Jesus to weep.  He has no failure or sin to weep over.  He weeps over ours!  I suppose one aspect of being Christ-like is when we begin to weep more for others than we do for ourselves!  

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

In Christ,

Rody

He is not a God of the dead

Bible Reading: Luke 20

Luke 20:38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

People love to argue religion.  There are those who refuse to believe and trust the Word of God and they love philosophy rather than revelation from the Bible.  In Jesus’ day, these people were the Sadducees.  They were materialists that did not believe in a resurrection from the dead.  They challenged Jesus on this issue and he went to Scripture to refute them.  Their argument was based on scripture and suggested that seven brothers each married the same woman but with no children.  Each brother died in turn and the next took her as his wife but none had any children.  If there is a resurrection, whose wife will she be?

Jesus’ answer is revealing in many ways.

Luke 20:34-35 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage.

Life after the resurrection will be different than life is now.  There will be no marriage according to Jesus.  Marriage brings two families together to form a new family, but in the resurrection, we will all be children of God and therefore brothers and sisters.  We will all be one family.

Jesus then turned to the Exodus account of Moses talking with God at the burning bush.  God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  These men were no longer living in Moses’ time – on earth.  But Jesus said they were alive.  God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  God is alive and those who trust him and live unto him are alive.  

In another place, Jesus said this:

John 11:25-26 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Do you believe this?  Jesus is the resurrection and the life.  Those who live and believe in him shall never die!  What a wonderful truth.  

In Christ,

Rody