And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise. Luke 23:43
There is a debate among theologians as to whether the second comma in our text should come before, or after, the word ‘today’. There is no comma in the original Greek. The placement of the comma makes a great difference. If the comma comes before ‘today’, the repentant thief has only a matter of hours before he is to arrive in Paradise. If the comma comes after ‘today’, his arrival in Paradise is will eventually occur, but may not occur for a very long time. Supporters of the post-today comma claim Jesus was merely using the word ‘today’ as a emphasis, much as we might emphatically say, ‘I’m telling you right now that this is right’. But supporters of the pre-today comma – with whom I agree – point out that the word ‘verily’ is already providing the emphasis that Jesus would have expressed. They also note that Jesus was giving a very specific and very immediate response to the rather vague plea by the thief. All told, it doesn’t really matter, because whichever one is right or wrong, the thief still winds up in Paradise with Jesus. And that is what salvation is ultimately all about.
Humanly speaking, few people could have a poorer claim to a place in Heaven than that thief on the cross. His life was so wrong that he admitted himself that he deserved to be executed. His appeal to Jesus to remember him was not based on any good in himself, and he knew it. But what he did recognize was the good in the One Who was hanging on the cross beside him. Was it Jesus’ words, ‘Father, forgive them for they know not what they do (verse 34)’, that captured his attention and made him realize that mercy was available from Jesus? Probably. And he would have observed the meek submission of Jesus during the crucifixion ordeal. He probably also knew of Pilate’s declaration of innocence and eventual capitulation to the Jews’ demands. In recognition that the Messiah was beside him, he made his appeal in humble faith, daring only to ask to be remembered. How glorious must have been the Saviour’s response to him, and to us as well.
None of us expect to be in Paradise today with Jesus, no more than the penitent thief did. But we who are saved do expect to be there eventually with Him. We received that assurance on salvation’s day, and the Word of God ever reminds us of the certainty of that. It also reminds us of the uncertainty of life, the very real possibility that we could die today and be forever with the Lord. Also, we are reminded that the rapture of the saints could occur at any time, ‘perhaps today’, as my dear grandmother reminded me when I last visited her when she was 100 years old. When we commit the bodies of our fallen loved ones to the grave, we do so in the joyous knowledge that they are with Jesus in Paradise.
Deserve it we don’t, but we have a home in the Glory, and we will be with Jesus. Glorious hope! – Jim MacIntosh