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Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

We have to wait for heaven. That’s just true. And things aren’t always going to be easy while we are waiting. The apostle Paul and his fellow missionary Barnabas couldn’t have said it any more plainly than they did during their first missionary journey. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

So then, what a great deal Jesus was offering one of the men hanging on a cross next to him. The man had confessed his sin and placed his confidence in Jesus for forgiveness and salvation. He had boldly asked, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And how did our Savior answer? You’ll have to wait? No! “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “today you will be with me in paradise.” Skip the line! Have paradise today!

The Bible does not tell us that the thief on the cross was transported, body and soul, to heaven that day, like the Old Testament believers Enoch and Elijah were. No, he died that day. His body was removed from the cross and presumably buried to await the day of resurrection. Yes, his believing soul went to dwell with God, but the reunion of his body and soul in heaven would have to wait until Jesus comes again.

We’ll have to wait for heaven, too. But like the thief on the cross, we can be confident that paradise is ours because the heavy burden of our sin was left on the cross with our Savior. And, we have the promise from the Bible that, “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Jesus, thank you, for your sake I can be confident of my place in paradise. Amen.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.