Today You Will be With Me in Paradise (Luke 23:43)
When Jesus uttered these second words on cross of Calvary, he was hanged along with robbers. Mathew uses the term ‘robber’ while Mark and Luke use the word ‘Criminal.’ According to the Greek Word that Luke used, they were professional criminals, men who killed not for need but fun & profit. Beyond that, we know little about them we do not know their names, their hometowns or the specific crime they committed. It may appear that these two men are exactly alike. They were both criminals who were sentenced to die at the same time, same place and same day. Both are now dying, covered with blood & wounds. But they differed in how they viewed the man in the middle, Jesus Christ. One man wanted escape and not forgiveness. Other man wanted forgiveness, not escape. One robber said to Jesus, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. (v 42). No man would be in a more desperate situation. He was dying in agony for the punishment given to him was just. The man is close to ...