Who do you think will be in heaven? Controversy over that question rages on. Consider what happened the day Jesus was crucified. Matthew 27:38 states, “Then two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right hand, and one on the left.” Many hurled insults at Jesus that day, but Matthew expresses with some surprise in verse 44, “Even the robbers who were crucified with Him reviled Him.” Luke 23:39-43 gives us more details. An astonishing conversation occurred among the men suffering on the crosses. One of the criminals continued to blaspheme Jesus (vs 39), but something dramatic happened to the other. In Luke 23:40-41 we hear that now, instead of verbally attacking Jesus, one criminal came to Jesus’ defense, rebuking the other thief, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing we are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” This sudden defender of Christ continues to suffer and has no hope of being delivered from death. But he clearly knows enough about Christ to believe he does have hope after death – and that Christ Himself is that hope! In a desperate appeal to Christ he pleads in verse 41 – “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” We don’t have space to consider all he might have had in mind. But the Bible is clear something mind- boggling happened later that day – Christ promised that penitent criminal in verse 43, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Who’d have thunk it?! Christ shows up in Paradise in company with a crucified criminal! Where would you have thought that thief would end up judging from appearances at the cross? Christ had power on earth to forgive sins (Matthew 9:6), and He clearly forgave this thief before he died, and took Him to Paradise after he died!
The Bible is clear those this side of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ must exercise faith and obey the gospel in order to receive forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 5:9; Mark 16:15-16;Acts 2:37-38; Acts 22:16). That being said, the New Testament is clear the gospel is powerful enough to clean up even the foremost of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)! The thief Jesus took to Paradise teaches us to stay off the judge’s chair and trust that Christ will save anyone who truly looks to Him and is willing to come to Him on the terms laid out in His gospel. Consider the following anonymous but very thought- provoking little piece entitled “Who’s In Heaven?”
I was shocked, confused, bewildered, as I entered Heaven’s door. Not by the beauty of it all, by the lights or its decor. But it was the folks in Heaven who made me sputter and gasp – people I thought wouldn’t make it, people I considered to be trash. / There stood the kid from 7th grade who swiped my lunch money twice. Next to him was my mean old neighbor who never said anything nice. / Leroy, who I always thought was rotting away in hell, Was sitting pretty on cloud nine, looking incredibly well. / I nudged Jesus, “What’s the deal? I would love to hear Your take. How’d all these sinners get up here? God must’ve made a mistake. And why’s everyone so quiet, so somber? Please, give me a clue.” ”Hush, child,” said He, “they’re all in shock. No one thought they’d ever see you.“ Will you think about it?
Dan Gulley, Smithville, TN
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