ANOTHER PUZZLING VERSE.

Jesus was crucified between two criminals. One cursed him and the other recognized him as Savior, repented, and requested to enter the kingdom of heaven. What was Jesus’ response and why is it so puzzling today?

This series addresses the concerns we all have: the concern for sin, evil, death, dying, and what happens after we die. Is there hope after death? When God created us, humans, he intended for us to live forever in a loving, peaceful relationship with him. But this relationship has been broken by sin.

Here, we address the origin of sin and look more closely at death and dying.

But, instead of looking at death negatively, we look at it in the context of hope, the promised hope based on what Jesus did for us when he died and came back to life again. 

From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 4: Sabbath.School (See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School)

Visit SabbathSchoolDaily.com for more videos like this one.

Let’s invite the Spirit of God

Heavenly Father, Your Word guides our way. We humbly ask that you give us understanding so that even that which may seem most difficult may become clear.

In Jesus’ Name Amen

The story of the repentant criminal on the cross in Luke 23:39–43, powerfully reveals the great truth of salvation by faith alone. Despite his sin, he had been a thief, and even though he had nothing to offer God, Christ promised this repentant criminal eternal life. Though we may not be a thief, in many ways, we are just like the two criminals. Hanging on the cross, near death, we have the choice to curse God and experience the second death, eternal death or repent of our evil deeds and accept God’s amazing saving grace so that we can escape the second death and instead go to heaven when he returns and live eternally with him in paradise.  

39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?

41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)

The response Jesus gave to the thief is so profound. Yet many miss the point because they wrestle with the sentence structure of Luke 23:43 attempting to use it as proof of the immortality of the soul. Thereby perpetuating Satan’s lie in the garden of Eden, you will not surely die.  Yet, God told the couple in the garden of Eden, on the day you eat of the tree you shall surely die.  Hence, we are mortal beings subject to death and will only become immortal, and will never die, when Jesus returns the second time to this earth. At this time the righteous dead will be raised to life and both the righteous living, and the righteous dead will be changed from mortal to immortal. For more details, review the previous lesson on this topic at Sabbathschooldaily.com. 

43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43, NKJV).

This verse is written the same in almost all Bible versions. What is the problem with this verse? It seems to indicate that the thief became immortal the very day Jesus died, it would seem that Jesus and the thief together went to heaven.

This is the result of the comma in the sentence. You need to know that the comma was added in the translation. Those who did the translating believed that humans are naturally immortal.

So, where should the comma be in Luke 23:43?

Before we answer that let’s explore what happened at Jesus’ death. Did he go to heaven on the day he died?

After resting in the grave on Sabbath, on the first day of the week, Jesus rose from the grave. What did Jesus tell Mary Magdalene in John 20:17 when she reached out to grab him,

17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ” (John 20:17)

We see here that the assumption that Christ and the thief went on that same day to Paradise (or heaven) contradicts Jesus’ words to Mary Magdalene after His resurrection. What Jesus says to Mary indicates that He had not yet gone to be in the presence of His Father in heaven. (Split)

In other words, Jesus slept in the tomb with His body. His spirit did not wing its way to heaven, there to maintain a separate existence, and to look down upon the mourning disciples embalming the body from which it had taken flight. All that comprised the life and intelligence of Jesus remained with His body in the sepulcher; and when He came forth it was as a whole being; He did not have to summon His spirit from heaven. He had power to lay down His life and to take it up again.—Ellen G. White Comments, in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 5, p. 1150.

Moreover, in John 14:1–3, Jesus promises His disciples that they would be taken to heaven only at His second coming (John 14:1–3).

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:1-3)

 So, how should we understand Jesus’ promise to the thief? How do Jesus’ promises to Mary and His followers help us answer this question?

If, Jesus’ words to Mary Magdalene show that Jesus hadn’t gone to see His Father in heaven (John 20:17).

If Jesus also tells His disciples that He will take them to heaven only at His Second Coming (John 14:1–3).

Then, what is the best way to write Luke 23:43.

It’s in the comma.

43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you today,  you will be with Me in Paradise.”

When we write the verse this way, we see that Jesus is making the promise to the thief on that day. Jesus promises the thief, right then and there, that he will be saved. No, Jesus was not telling the thief he was to go to heaven that very day. Jesus, on that day, promised him he would be in paradise/in heaven essentially when he returns the second time to this earth.

As with the theft on the cross, Jesus, our Saviour stands right by our side. He is there to help us. He would, if necessary, send every angel out of heaven in our struggle to help us overcome sin so that Satan cannot have victory over us. Christ . . . took on our human nature so that He could relate to us humans in the temptation by which we are tormented. Therefore, Christ our Redeemer knows just how to help us in every one of our struggles to overcome sin. —In Heavenly Places, p. 263. Adapted

Thus, today, I say that we too can be in paradise when Jesus returns if we accept his saving grace.

Who enjoys suffering? No one and neither did the Apostle Paul, a Messenger of Jesus. What was his attitude to suffering? And why is his response puzzling? Find Out Day 4: “‘To Depart and Be with Christ”

Watch Past and Present Lessons at SabbathSchoolDaily.com