When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. ... The people stood watching, and even the leaders were scoffing: "He saved others; let him save himself if this is God's Messiah, the Chosen One! " ... Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at him: "Aren't you the Messiah? Save yourself and us! " But the other answered, rebuking him: "Don't you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? We are punished justly, because we're getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And he said to him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise." Luke 23:33, 35, 39-43
On the day that Jesus was crucified, scriptures mention that there were two other criminals crucified with Him. While one joined in with the crowd in mocking Jesus, the other criminal did not. He challenged the man by telling him that they both deserved the punishment they were getting, but Jesus did not as He was innocent. He asked, “don’t you fear God?” The criminal then turned and asked for Jesus to remember him when He established His kingdom. An amazing request, as the criminal is acknowledging that Jesus is who He says He is. The man has faith that although this man next to him on a cross will die just as he will, that will not be the end of this man Jesus. He will establish His kingdom. Death will not be the end of Jesus this man is declaring, and he asks simply to be remembered. Jesus responds to him “today you will be with me in Paradise.”
Luke was the only one of the four Gospel writers to include this short conversation between Jesus and the criminal, but we can learn much from it. First we need to clarify a misconception that has been taught about this. It is taught that “Paradise” is what is referred to as Hades in the New Testament, or Sheol in the Old Testament. You will see and hear “Paradise” also being referred to as “Abraham's bosom” from the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. This is not scripturally correct, it is another example of a “tradition of men” that has been passed on without being biblically accurate. Paradise is not the same place as Hades, Sheol, or Abraham’s Bosom. These places are a reference to the holding place for the souls of the deceased. While the body is in the ground, the soul went to Sheol/Hades until the resurrection in Old Testament times.
So, where is Paradise then? There are only three references in the Bible to “Paradise,” the one from our text above in Luke, Paul mentions Paradise in his second letter to the Corinthians, and John mentions Paradise in the book of Revelation when quoting Jesus in His letters to the seven churches. Let’s look at these two passages more closely to see just what “Paradise” actually refers to if it is not Sheol/Hades.
“I know a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. I know that this man -- whether in the body or out of the body I don't know; God knows -- was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a human being is not allowed to speak.” 2 Cor. 12:2-4
Paul is speaking about himself in these verses, he was caught up to Paradise during his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus Road while on his way to persecute the church. In Acts chapter 9 we are given an account of what happened, and what Jesus said to Paul. But the point is Paul was “caught up” (neat word here by the way that in the Greek is Harpazo, and in the Latin is Rapturo, where we get the word rapture from) to Heaven where Jesus was, and where Jesus spoke to Paul. Paul was not caught up to Hades/Sheol. Paradise is not Hades/Sheol. Paradise is Heaven where God is.
"... To the one who conquers, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” Rev 2:7
Here in Revelation, John is quoting Jesus who is dictating a letter to the seven churches. In this letter to the church at Ephesus, Jesus promises to those that overcome that they will eat of the tree of life, and then locates that tree as being in the “paradise of God.” Then, three times in chapter 22 of the book of Revelation, John writes that the tree of life is located in the New City Jerusalem where God is…Heaven in other words. Paradise is not Hades/Sheol. Paradise is Heaven where God is.
So, what do we do with this new information that Paradise is not Hades/Sheol, but instead Paradise refers to Heaven? The criminal on the cross was soon to die. He had faith in Jesus that He would not die, and that He would establish His kingdom just as He said He would. The thief asked to be remembered in that kingdom. Jesus said he would be with Him in Paradise, or in Heaven as we have established, “this very day.” And the Greek word that Jesus uses there means exactly that, today, this very day. Jesus did not tell the man on the cross next to him “you will be with me in Heaven some day in the future.” No, He said “this very day.” That is a game changer. This is new information. This is life-changing.
You see, in the past, Old Testament Saints were told they would “sleep in the dust” (meaning their bodies) and their souls would go to Sheol to await the final resurrection. We see this for example in Daniel 12:2 Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake, some to eternal life, and some to disgrace and eternal contempt. In the Psalms we see this about Sheol: “Like sheep they are headed for Sheol; Death will shepherd them. The upright will rule over them in the morning, and their form will waste away in Sheol, far from their lofty abode. But God will redeem me from the power of Sheol, for he will take me.” Psalm 49:14-15. The prophet Daniel was even told he would not ‘receive his inheritance” until the end of the days (after the tribulation period referring to the Millennial Kingdom reign of Christ) "But as for you, go on your way to the end; you will rest, and then you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance at the end of the days." Daniel 12:13. Their body returns to the earth from where it was formed where it “sleeps”, and the soul (your consciousness, the thing that makes you “you”) goes to Sheol/Hades to wait for resurrection.
The criminal on the cross however is not told that he will go to Sheol, or that he will have to wait for Jesus’ Kingdom to arrive at some point in the far future at the “end of days.” He is told “today you will be with me” in Heaven, this very day. This is the New Covenant, the one symbolized by the Lord’s Supper which had just occurred the night previous to the crucifixion. Paul discusses the new covenant in his letter to the Corinthians: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” 1 Cor. 11:23-26. The criminal on the cross had faith and believed in Jesus as the Lord, and he was told he would be with Jesus in his kingdom that very day. And, that is exactly what happened, providing a promise for other Christ followers that when we die, we will be immediately with Jesus too.
“Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord-- ... but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” 2 Cor. 5:6,8
