Luke 23:32-43: The Promise of Paradise

INTRODUCTON

The Chapel in the Maximum Security Prison at Ft. Madison has this title above its door. It reads: “The Chapel of the Good Thief.”

The Christians who established that chapel put that title there because they hoped that the chapel would be a place where even the state’s worst offenders could still find a way back to God…to forgiveness…to salvation…to life everlasting.

The “Good Thief” refers to one of the two men who were crucified on either side of Jesus. In my Bible they are called “bandits” in Matthew and Mark and “criminals” in the gospel of Luke.

In the King James Bible they are called “malefactors” in Luke and “thieves” in Matthew and Mark.

Here is the story, as recorded in Luke 23:32-43:

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left.

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching; but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him vinegar, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

I. Let’s picture the scene in our minds.

A. Jesus is nailed to his cross, and on either side is a bandit—two evildoers.

Perhaps Jesus’s executioners put Jesus between these two really bad men was to heap more shame on Jesus—to make everyone see that Jesus was an evil and dangerous man.

We read in Mark and Matthew that when Jesus and the two bandits were hung on their crosses and the crowd was mocking and reviling Jesus—and that the two criminals were also taunting him.

But Luke tells us the story of the bandit who changed his mind about Jesus.

Various traditions have given names to these two criminals: the one who turned to Jesus is called “Dismas” (sometimes St. Dismas), and the one who continued to mock Jesus is called “Gestas.” I don’t know whether those were their real names, but tradition has given them those names—Dismas and Gestas, and I will use those names as I refer to them.

Very ancient tradition has it that Dismas was a bandit who dwelt in the desert and robbed or murdered anyone unlucky enough to cross his path. There is no doubt; he was a bad man. He admits as much. Perhaps Gestas was his companion in crime.

B. Let’s put ourselves in the place of the Dismas and Gestas.

We don’t know what, if anything, Dismas had known about Jesus before this last day of his life.

Maybe Dismas had seen Jesus or known about him. Maybe he had heard reports of his healings and of his teachings. Maybe Dismas had seen him give sight to a blind man. Maybe he had met him. But he had not believed.

But these are some of the things Dismas saw this day—his last day on earth.

He heard Jesus pray for his tormentors. He heard Jesus say, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

Dismas saw the soldiers casting lots for Jesus’s clothes. (You may know that people were crucified naked. This was to ensure the maximum of shame.) The executed man’s clothes were a perk the executioners received for the gruesome job they had to do.

Dismas saw and heard the rulers scoffing at Jesus and saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”

He also saw the soldiers mocking Jesus, offering him vinegar, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”

Dismas saw the inscription nailed over Jesus’s head: “The King of the Jews.”

And Dismas joined Gestas, and the soldiers, and the priests, and the rabble in their ridicule of Jesus.

But then something strange happened. After Gestas called out, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

Dismas had a change of heart.

He turned to Gestas—hanging on his cross on the other side of Jesus—and said, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

According to Luke, Dismas was the third person to acknowledge that Jesus was innocent—first Pilate, then Herod, then Dismas. Later, the centurion in charge of the execution would also bear witness after seeing Jesus die that Jesus was a righteous man, and that Jesus was the Son of God.

II. I like to imagine what changed Dismas’s heart from taunting to faith.

A. It may have been seeing the suffering, bleeding Jesus begging forgiveness for his tormentors.

It may have been the taunts—which actually contained the truth.

Luke quotes the rulers as shouting, “He saved others; let him save himself…”

Mark quotes the chief priests as shouting, “He saved others; he cannot save himself!”

Maybe Dismas realized that those chief priests spoke more truth than they realized. Jesus did save others. And because he was saving others, he could not save himself.

Maybe Dismas considered the inscription that the governor had put above Jesus’s head—“The King of the Jews”—and believed its truth—however it had been intended.

B. And Dismas turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Isn’t that remarkable? Just at the time when Jesus’s enemies had put Jesus to his greatest shame—the dying criminal was suddenly convinced that Jesus was actually who he said he was—the King—the Savior.

Dismas didn’t know any theology.

He probably didn’t know anything of the traditions of the Jewish faith.

He didn’t know John 3:16. He didn’t know the way of salvation according to the Book of Romans.

All he knew was that Jesus was a good man, who inspired faith, and was destined to be a King. And he turned to Jesus with his whole heart and made his request: “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

And Jesus gave him the answer that satisfied his need: “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Dismas would hang on the cross for a few more hours. He would hear Jesus cry out “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me!”

And then he would hear Jesus commit himself to God: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

And he would see a dead Jesus hanging there beside him. And Dismas knew that death was his friend, because that very day he would be with Jesus in the Paradise of God.

III. So what is the meaning of this story?

A. We see Jesus on the cross. And we see humankind divided into two classes.

One class is represented by the unrepentant criminal. He is as guilty as the other man, but he doesn’t turn to Jesus. He represents those who hear the gospel, but are not interested.

They may be good people, who think they don’t need God.

They may be bad people—as Gestas was—who turn away from God.

The other class of humankind is represented by Dismas. They see Jesus on the cross…they believe that Jesus’s death is for them…and they turn to Christ, and commit themselves to him, and receive the gracious promise of eternal life with Jesus in Glory.

B. This story makes clear that God’s grace is free. Poor Dismas didn’t have the opportunity to do one righteous act except to rebuke his fellow criminal, but he was promised everlasting joy.

Some people miss out on salvation because they think they have to earn it. For Dismas there was no chance to do anything to earn his salvation—or to deserve it.

Dismas is our example of the truth of Ephesians 2:8-9: “By grace are you saved, through faith, and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not because of works, lest anyone should boast.”

The next verse is: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

This makes it clear that the “good works” are necessary but not for salvation. They come after salvation. We have then our opportunity to prove our faith by living for our Savior.

Dismas’s opportunity to live the life of faith lasted only for a few hours. Ours lasts longer.

But ironically, Dismas accomplished more in his brief life for God than any of us ever will, because he bore witness to Jesus, and his story has brought faith and hope to multitudes ever since—including those convicts who worship at the Ft. Madison Penitentiary in “The Chapel of the Good Thief.”

CONCLUSION

Let us consider the scene we have just observed.

Jesus is on the cross, dying for you and me…dying to bring us back to God.

The great Roman historian Tacitus knew about the crucifixion of Jesus. It happened during the reign of the Emperor Tiberius. He mentioned it in his history. But Tacitus didn’t realize that Jesus was important. He wrote: “Under Tiberius nothing much happened.”

“Nothing much!” Only the most important event in the history of the world!

The cross of Christ is the watershed moment in history.

Everything that came before the cross looked forward to it.

Everything that has come after the cross of Christ looks back to it.

The ancient theologians had this phrase: “Christ reigns from the Cross.”

The church was right in using the cross as the symbol of our faith.

Some people like to skip over the cross and go right to the Resurrection.

But Paul writes of the death of Christ (Philippians 2.7-11):

And being found in human form,

Jesus humbled himself

and became obedient even to death,

even death on a cross.

Therefore God has highly exalted him

and bestowed on him the name which is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

The cross is Christ’s throne. He has one throne in the heavens and the other is the cross.

The cross is Jesus’s pulpit. It is from the cross that Jesus preaches his message—and his message is a message of love.

The cross is God’s magnet.

Jesus said (John 12:32): “I when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

On the cross Jesus opens his arms to welcome us sinners into the arms of God.

And the cross is the Gateway to Paradise.

Like Dismas we are guilty and need forgiveness and salvation.

And we each have a choice. We can turn away from Jesus and do without him—now and for all eternity.

Or we can turn to Jesus with faith and say, “Remember me when you come into your Kingdom”—and hear his promise: “You will be with me in Paradise”—if not “today,” then sometime soon.

Sing “Jesus, Remember Me…” several times…slowly.

The Score is on the Internet at  

http://www.saintwilliams.org/files/Jesus%20Remember%20Me.pdf