"Today You Will Be With Me In Paradise"

·36 min·3 clips

A dying criminal turns to Jesus and says, 'Remember me when you come into your kingdom'—and receives an immediate promise.

The episode opens by noting the popularity of true crime podcasts, with 19 million weekly listeners, and links this to a timeless human fascination with criminals like Jack the Ripper and Al Capone. The host suggests this interest stems from recognizing both our difference from and similarity to criminals. He discusses how crimes range from minor violations to universally wrong acts, using the example of a Kenyan tribe where cattle theft is seen as noble within one's own tribe but not when done by others. The sermon then focuses on Luke 23:39-43, where two criminals are crucified with Jesus. Before examining the passage, the host vividly describes the crucifixion process: victims were whipped, forced to carry their crossbeams, stripped naked, and nailed up, dying slowly from exposure, suffocation, and shock. In the biblical exchange, one criminal mocks Jesus, demanding proof by saving them, while the other rebukes him, acknowledges their own guilt and Jesus' innocence, and asks, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus replies, 'Today you will be with me in paradise.' The host analyzes the first criminal's blasphemous taunt as representing humanity's self-centered rebellion. He explains that every sin, even minor ones, contains a seed of evil like lust or anger. The second criminal shows contrition by fearing God and recognizing Jesus' perfection—'nothing in him is out of place.' The host contrasts modern evangelical emphasis on confessing specific sins with the thief's broader plea for Jesus to be king over everything, which leads to less sin. He then explores Jesus' promise of paradise, explaining that 'today' means in this salvific moment, not just chronologically. Paradise is a Persian loanword for garden, evoking Eden's harmony. The host challenges the idea that Christians simply 'die and go to heaven,' citing N.T. Wright's concept of 'life after life after death'—the hope is bodily resurrection in a new heaven and new earth. He speculates that in this renewed creation, there will be no animal shelters, child abuse, or exploitative mining. The host also addresses the other thief's destiny, stating hell exists because people reject God's grace, not because God is fickle. The sermon concludes by inviting listeners to ask Jesus to remember them, emphasizing that the gospel is about restoring all that is broken.

As heard by us

A sermon on the criminal beside Jesus turns forgiveness toward surrender, resurrection, and hope for a broken world.

This single-episode review frames a sermon on the criminal beside Jesus as a challenge to easy assumptions about guilt, grace, and the gospel.

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Why you'd press play

You want a sermon where a condemned criminal becomes the doorway to hope larger than private forgiveness.

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