A few years ago, the book Heaven is For Real rocketed to the top of the New York Times best seller list, and its popularity peaked last year with the release of a 12 million dollar feature length drama that drew audiences searching for confident assurance that the promise in the title was definitely a fact. The fascination with this tale (and other stories like it) just proves the obsession with the subject of what happens after we die continues to be as common today as it has been throughout history.

It was this natural human desire to know what lies beyond the veil of death that birthed the plea that one of the condemned criminals posed to Jesus as they both hung painfully on their crosses outside Jerusalem.

Seeing that something was obviously different about the innocent rabbi suffering next to him, this man silenced the insults of the third convict saying, “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.” (Luke 23:41) He then turned to Jesus with his last request on Earth. “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42)

Jesus responded with words that can salve the internal longing for eternity that exists within each of us. “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Isn’t it amazing that Christ’s last words about the way to heaven were spoken to a helpless prisoner? Humanly speaking, it might be a little more expected for them to be delivered to John the Beloved, Joseph of Arimathea, or even His own mother. Certainly, these devout followers would be more likely to be worthy of this kind of assurance since they were among Christ’s disciples.

But when you think about it in light of Christ’s mission and ministry, the fact that the promise was delivered to a hopeless sinner trapped by the guilt of his own actions was the whole point!

In speaking to this particular man, Jesus not only assured him that heaven is indeed real, but that the way to get there isn’t dependent on anything a person does. Faith in who Christ is and asking for deliverance was all that was needed to grant the dying man access to the eternal heaven… and don’t miss this fact… we can be assured also, that faith in Christ is all that is needed to give us access too.

So be encouraged by these last words from the Lord! While each of us is a rightfully condemned sinner just like that man on the cross, the good news is that grace and mercy are just as available to you as they were to him!  So look to the cross, recognize Who Jesus is, what He has done, and ask Him to remember you too! Your expression of faith and plea for mercy will guarantee that one day you, too, “will be with (Jesus) in paradise!”

I spent the last couple of couple of months reading “The Story” which is a version of the Bible compiled by Max Lucado that presents its message as one continuous narrative in chronological order. While it isn’t a comprehensive study of scripture by any means, it was an interesting read that provided a well-connected understanding of God’s movements throughout the flow of time. As I neared the end of the chapters that contained the story of Jesus, I paused at the end to think about hours of His life on earth, and was drawn to the precious few words that He spoke in those last moments.

Obviously, in the desperate condition He was in, there wasn’t enough physical, mental, or emotional energy for Him to engage in conversation or stories, so His statements were brief and to the point. But His lack of words doesn’t negate the importance or impact of what He did say.

Since today marks the beginning of the annual journey toward Easter and the celebration of Christ’s triumphant victory over death, I would like to take the next few weeks to look at His last words from the cross to help us see the underlying message that still resonates for believers today.  Today, the first from Luke 23:34…

We have a round piece of glass six feet in diameter that covers our wooden dining room table. We bought it when we first got the table because we knew that with the constant parade of meals our kitchen produces, it wouldn’t be long until the finish would be ruined. Not so long ago, our grown daughter sat on the table top and leaned forward putting all her weight right on the edge. Not surprisingly, the glass snapped! She felt really bad, and apologized profusely saying over and over that she “didn’t think that would happen” and “didn’t mean to do it.” While, of course, that’s the truth, the reality is that whether the deliberate intent was there or not, the glass was (and still is) broken, and it was her fault.

You know, I think that’s part of what Jesus was communicating to us when He said, “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” No one knows the exact chronology of when He spoke this sentence, but one might imagine that they were uttered shortly after His cross was lifted into place. His reaction to the gawking eyes of onlookers was not hostility, but rather compassion. His heart of concern motivated him to call out to the Heavenly Father on behalf of all of them… including those who were at that precise moment carrying out His execution. His request was presented despite their lack of understanding for what they were actually doing. Sure, they were aware that a person was about to be killed, but I think we can also rightly assume that the most of the people on the scene had no idea that the man they stared at was anyone other than a common criminal, and certainly not the divine Son of God! But, pay close attention to this easily overlooked detail… Their unconscious understanding and unintentional nature of their actions did nothing to erase their accountability (because Jesus pinpoints them all as in need of forgiveness.) And only the guilty need a pardon.

People today are little different than they were then, and still default to pleading ignorance when they can’t or don’t foresee the consequences of their actions. But that excuse doesn’t work on a spiritual level. The plain truth of scripture is that whether they/we mean to or not, ALL people have broken God’s law and are guilty of sin. (Rom 3:23)

But thank goodness, that isn’t the only thing Jesus said in His request. Even in His dying moments, He understood the pitiful state of humanity and interjected a plea for mercy. And it’s key to see that juxtaposed to His request, His own life was in process of being presented to the Father as the necessary price that would make it possible for the request to be granted!

So, don’t read this as another blog to help focus attention on the Easter season. Ask yourself a serious question.  “What Jesus would say if He were looking at me right now?” Would He see the guilt of sin still marring your life? Or would He see that your guilt has been erased through faith in His sacrificial death… and that you are now completely pardoned and totally free!

“For whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved”
  – Romans 10:13

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