Return To:  Paradise On That Day?
Church of God, New World Ministries

Christ did NOT say that the thief would enter paradise on THAT day!

As Jesus Christ hung there on the cross (the Greek word really means stake or tree not cross) there were at least two thieves being crucified beside him—one on his left and one on his right. One thief was railing on him saying, “If you be Christ, save thyself and us.” But the other thief answered him, saying, “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord; remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom” And Jesus said unto him, “Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

On face value it appears that Jesus and the thief are going to go directly to Paradise THAT DAY. But wait a minute, how could that be? Christ hadn’t even been taken down from the cross at that time. Joseph of Arimathaea had to hurry and get permission to take Christ down from the cross before the Sabbath (not the weekly Sabbath but a special Holy Day Sabbath). He put Christ into the sepulcher just at sunset on Wednesday afternoon. Did Christ immediately depart and go to heaven and take the thief with him? IMPOSSIBLE! Jesus Christ said that he had to be in the heart of the earth (in the grave) for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:39-40). “Is That Really in There?” It surely is. Look it up in your Bible. If that is true, Christ must have lied to the thief. But, we know Christ was perfect and never sinned. He could not have lied. Surely there is a reasonable explanation for this perplexing question.

If you would like to know the answer to this question click here to read (or print) the article entitled “Three Days and Three Nights”.

You can also click here to order our FREE CD entitled “The Three Resurrections”.

Oh yes, what about the thief? Click below to order our FREE CD entitled “After Death, Then What?” for the answer.

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