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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
As you saw in that picture on the front cover, there hung the two malefactors or criminals, and in the middle was Jesus. And they’ve been hanging there for more than an hour. The first words that they hear out of Jesus’ lips are these words, “‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'” How profound that the first words out of Jesus’ lips between these two criminals is a general absolution for them and for all who hear.
But of the true criminals, one heard it with disgust and disdain, and the other heard it with pure sweet joy by the Holy Spirit. The one makes a confession, but it’s a confession of worldly fear. For in his mind, he fears the consequence that has finally caught up to him. And now he has to, as they say, pay the piper. And so in his statement, he says, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.” Fix my problem that I’m in right now and get me out of it so that I can continue my life as I want to live. That’s worldly fear.
There’s no relationship with Jesus in worldly fear. There are only blocks to check. Fix my problem that I may continue to live as my own God in the center of my universe. Save me from this just condemnation which we are receiving.
Now the other confession that’s made on the cross is a confession of godly fear. And it’s not what you think. The first words out of the other criminal’s mouth is a faith out of godly fear. “Do you not fear God?” he says. Where’s God? This man not only knows that God is in heaven; this man is also saying that the man hanging in the middle is God. He goes on. “We’re getting our just desserts for what we’ve done, but this man has done nothing wrong.”
He’s, in essence, saying, “Save me; I know you are a God of love, but you’re not a God of love who just excuses sin and overlooks it. I believe you are a God who is love, but who a God who does not excuse sin, but rather kills sin. And that means you, the God-man Jesus, you’re paying the price I owe.”
And it all goes back to those first words of Jesus, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” This one believed. And again, he rebuffs his fellow criminal and makes a statement that this man has done nothing wrong, which is godly fear.
And then he adds the second strong statement of faith, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Remember me doesn’t mean keep me in the back of your mind as if it’s some abstract thing. No, no, no, no, no. He means include me, my person. Be here for me as I die and as I go on. Suffer here for me that I may not suffer for eternity. Die here for me that I might live forever. And let your kingdom claim me. All of that is wrapped up in remember me.
That’s godly fear. He is pleading not for what he deserves. He is pleading for something he doesn’t deserve. And he’s pleading for only grace, mercy, and forgiveness. And Jesus gives it always.
Now you’ve got to remember this scene. This conversation was not a private conversation. The conversation that Jesus had when he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” was in the hearing of everyone there. And the thief or the malefactor’s response, both the one who responded in godly fear and the one who responded in worldly fear, both are having their information that they’re confessing put out in front of everyone. So everyone is hearing and watching and analyzing and putting this all together. It is a live audience.
So when Jesus turns and says to this thief, “Truly I say to you,” this is important. All seven words or seven statements that Jesus says from the cross; this is the only statement that He includes that phrase, “Truly I say to you.” That’s important because throughout his ministry, whenever he spoke and wanted to make a very strong point, he would either say, “Truly I say to you,” or he would put a double truly. “Truly, truly I say to you.”
And he’s making this point so that this thief, as he is looking upon himself and experiencing the throes of death, trusts in Christ. “Truly I say to you, today,” not someday in the future, but “today you will be with me in paradise.”
Now you know and I know they took that thief’s body down from the cross and buried it, burned it, or threw it in with all the other malefactors in that grave area. But that body will rise on the last day. But that man is not waiting there with that body. He is in heaven at that moment, or our Lord would never have said the word today.
Finally, he says, “you’ll be with me, with me in paradise.” Not “you’ll be in paradise,” “you’ll be with me in paradise.” I’m not going to send you off into some sequestration of purgatory to hang out there. You’re going to be with me in paradise. We are not going to ever be parted one from the other. Everybody’s hearing this. The other thief is hearing this. The soldier is hearing this. And only one person is believing this.
That we know of. I mean obviously, Mary, Mary Magdalene, and John, but we’re talking about the others. Only that one thief or malefactor believes it. And there are no better words for him to hear than those words spoken by the Lord as his second statement from the cross.
Amen. Such a statement to this man is a more personal absolution than “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Because Jesus is also saying, “Hey, you all knuckleheads, this guy is going to be with me in paradise.”
Now everybody can sit back and look. How can he, who says he is God in the flesh, claim some malefactor who’s dying a just death for his sins? That’s Satan talking, isn’t it? It’s what he says to you and me. How can you, Jesus, save me who has offended you, hurt my brother and sister with words and statements? How can you save me and have me be with you in paradise?
The important thing to remember is that this scene with this malefactor is not the exception to the rule. This scene with this malefactor is the norm. Christ listens to cries for mercy and forgiveness. He does not turn a deaf ear to such cries.
Secondly, He answers them immediately. And thirdly, He’s with you now. And you, like that thief, are experiencing paradise now. You are as close to Jesus in this church, hearing His Word and receiving His Supper, as that thief was geographically next to Jesus on the cross. In fact, more close are you than He, for He dwells within you.
And He is with you throughout every single day of your life, even after you close your eyes in death. There will never be a time when you are apart from Him. That’s why He said, “…with me in paradise to that man.” This man is our brother in Christ. He pleaded for mercy, and that’s what he got. He received it.
Worldly fear does not plead for mercy. Worldly fear is always looking at a way to avoid, to counter, to step aside so that they can avoid God’s wrath. This thief receives God’s wrath, and Christ stands in front and receives it for him. He doesn’t plead for relief from his sorrow. He pleads for relief from his sin, which is true sorrow, and he receives it.
Godly fear is lived in relationship with the one who gives grace and mercy always. Worldly fear is just looking for what it can get and move on. Worldly fear is never lived in a relationship manner because worldly fear is centered on self. And godly fear takes our eyes off of ourselves and, by the Holy Spirit, moves those eyes to look upon Jesus.
The prayer that our brother in Christ prayed—and we will see him in heaven, and we will finally know what his name is—the prayer of our brother in Christ is, “Lord, remember me.” That’s all we have, isn’t it? At the best of days and at the worst of days, that’s all we have. “Lord, remember me.”
Like the father of the prodigal son always remembered his son, though the son had turned his back on the father. Your Lord never stops remembering you. Not as a memory, but as a relationship where He is joined to you and in you.
So when He says to you, “Today you will be with Me in paradise,” you are with Him in paradise. As close as it can come in this world, for you are gathered with the regular saints. You are eating the flesh and blood of the one who suffered and died for you and rose again. And joined to Him and Him to you, and you to one another.
Today you are with Him in paradise. The difference between now and when we close our eyes, we will have the full realization of paradise. We live in God’s presence here and now. So does the rest of the world. We live in it in a relational way, the rest of the world in a worldly fear way.
Christ tells you today and always, which is what He ended the Gospel of Matthew with, wasn’t it? “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Same words that he said to the thief. It is not the exception; it is the norm.
“Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom, now and always.” In the name of Jesus, amen.
