“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
One of the crucified criminals cries out mockingly, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Luke 23:39). The other criminal points out to the mocker that he is making a mistake. After all, Jesus has done nothing wrong.
This man recognizes that Jesus is indeed the promised Christ. He acknowledges Him as the true King of Israel. He makes a request: “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” This is a very remarkable confession, that none of Jesus’ disciples would have made at this time. Instead, they are perplexed by what has happened to Jesus, despite having previously confessed that Jesus is the Christ.
Amidst all the shouting and commotion, Jesus has remained silent. Now Jesus does speak. He responds immediately and emphatically to this prayer, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Immediately after his death, the crucified man will go to a wonderful place of rest where Jesus Himself will also be, where there is perfect peace and harmony.
In this account, Luke describes the salvation message of the Gospel: the criminal repents, expressing regret and confessing his faith in Christ and praying for forgiveness and salvation. Jesus accepts his repentance, grants forgiveness and promises eternal life in God’s Kingdom. This is the good news for everyone!