Today you will be with Me in paradise. May that be the last words we all hear Jesus speaking to us! In this series we walk through the final 7 phrases Jesus speaks during His earthly life, and using the King James Version of the Bible, those 7 phrases equate to 47 Words. This week we talk about the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus, one eventually repentant and one not. This juxtaposition creates for us a prophetic picture for each of our lives. We are all sinners deserving of death for choices we have made. As Paul writes in Romans, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. His standard of holiness is beyond our reach. And yet, with this picture of sin deserving death through the two thieves, let’s not forget Jesus is there too! He is there for you and me. He is there to take upon Himself the death we each deserve so we can say: I am at one with God, rescued from myself, just as if I’m perfect, because Jesus paid it all. One thief accepts the forgiveness Jesus offers. One thief recognizes Jesus is the Messiah. One thief in just 6 hours with Jesus on the cross began those hours mocking but ended them forgiven. In this message we explore more about why Jesus uses the term “paradise” and how He pairs that with the word “today.” Today isn’t just about what’s to come after death, there is a measure of paradise waiting for all of us this side of Heaven. Our best life is waiting for us on the other side of the best version of ourselves, and the best version of ourselves is only possible with Jesus! Will you choose Him today?
by City Life