SUNDAY October 11, 2026
Will You Choose Paradise?
And Jesus said to him [the thief], “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Luke 23:43
Jesus, along with two thieves, hung gasping for air on a torturous cross. Crucifixion was a terrible death. The thieves were guilty and deserved their sentence of death for their crimes. However, Jesus was an innocent Man; He had done nothing worthy of death. The pain was agonizing, yet the people watching mocked Jesus. The thieves, one on His right, and one on his left, began to join in with the crowd’s comments:
Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:39-42).
The two thieves dying next to Jesus each had a choice to make before they entered eternity. Their choice decided their eternal destination––heaven or hell. One criminal chose to blaspheme Jesus in unbelief. He voiced, “If Jesus was truly the Son of God, then He would save them and Himself. You see, Jesus’ failure to save them was evidence enough for this man to declare Him an imposter.
Yet the other thief declared boldly that Jesus had done no wrong, and he told the other criminal to keep quiet. Why? He sensed they were in the presence of God. In an incredible act of faith, before his legs were broken so that he could no longer gasp for air, the thief asked to be remembered when Jesus came into His Kingdom (Luke 23:42). What a blessed assurance was given to a dying sinner who knew he was guilty: ...Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).
After His death, Jesus went to hell––to Abraham's bosom––and took the righteous to heaven, including the thief. Then hell expanded as one place.
What you do with Christ here and now decides where you shall spend eternity.
~Billy Graham~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
