“Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.” – Luke 23:43

I wonder what went through the mind of the thief on the cross when Jesus told him that today he would be with the Lord in paradise. If it was your average twenty-first century American Christian I can imagine several possibilities.

The first one that comes to mind would be an image of a white-robed saint blissfully playing a harp on a cloud in a setting of stark white nothingness. How many times on TV have we seen that one? Or possibly, a happy-go-lucky fellow skipping along on a gold-bricked street in a moneyless world. Which begs the question about what attraction gold would really have if it isn’t worth anything; and I’m pretty sure there are better road construction materials available in paradise.

How about the picture of a huge ornate mansion with a single lone occupant? Even with biblical support for this notion (John 14:2), I fail to see the thief finding much comfort from the idea of eternally living on his own no matter how nice the pad is. With the size of families going down and the size of houses going up these days, I think a whole lot of people are going to feel the same way, especially since the time required to pay off these enormous mortgages approximates eternity.

But the top vision of paradise for many Christians is probably the mental image of a disembodied spirit floating around among other disembodied spirits, none of which remember or recognize each other from their former lives. I guess that could be considered paradise if your church relationships aren’t all that good.

With all these funny images of heaven in our minds, is it possible to really know what Jesus meant by paradise? Fortunately, there are clues in the Bible about what God thinks paradise is. Firstly, He created Adam and Eve in a place of paradise, it was called Eden. Secondly, Jesus explicitly described in His earthly ministry what God’s kingdom (paradise) was like. And lastly, the Apostle John gives us dramatic pictures of the consummation of the ages in the book of Revelation. From these sources we can form a pretty thorough concept of the paradise Jesus promised.

Eden was a place of community. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit made mankind in Their own image, an image characterized by fellowship. Adam and Eve’s love for each other reflected the love of the Trinity. Eden was first and foremost the scene of divine communion. Paradise will be an environment of community.

Adam and Eve’s wardrobe can tell us a little about paradise. Their nakedness represented complete honesty and openness. It’s hard to keep secrets while letting it all hang out. They were who they were – no lies, no pretenses. Paradise will be an honest and truthful environment.

Being created unashamed meant that Adam and Eve had no guilt, no fear, and no shame. They accepted and enjoyed their humanity. God said being human was very good. With all their limitations, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities, Adam and Eve were at peace with themselves. Paradise will be a peaceful environment.

In Luke four, Jesus describes His mission as preaching the good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and freedom to the downtrodden. He proclaimed the favorable year of the Lord. Everywhere Jesus went he spoke of the Kingdom of God. This is the message of paradise our Lord brought.

Poverty robs people of so many things. The good news is that in God’s kingdom no one will suffer from poverty. Like the early Jerusalem church, in God’s kingdom there will be no needs among His people. Paradise will be a prosperous environment.

The lame walk, the blind see, and the prisoners are set free. Paradise will be a place free from sickness, bondage, and oppression. God’s people will flourish and their welfare and blessing will be eternal. We will finally be whole. Paradise will be a wholesome environment.

The favorable year of the Lord…all will know God’s favor and be loved for who they are. No one will be lonely or alone. Rejection and self-hate will be unknown. Familial love and warmth will permeate the very atmosphere of paradise. Paradise will be an accepting environment.

The Apostle John says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.’ And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.'”

We live in a faded beauty. We know only a diminished world. God will reverse all this and restore everything to perfection. Nature, relationships, sounds, smells, tastes, joy, celebration will all be promoted to its original glory. He will make a new heaven and a new Earth…all things He will make new. Paradise will be a restored environment.

Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them. Heaven and Earth will kiss. The dwelling place of God will be among men. Body and soul will be integrated. There will be no secular and sacred divide. All will be sacred. Paradise will be a spiritual environment.

A line from old chorus, based on Isaiah 51, goes like this, “Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. The devil will be defeated and all things that make for sadness will be destroyed. If we had to say just one thing about paradise it would be this: Joy, eternal joy. Paradise will be a joyful environment.

Paradise:

• A place of community
• An honest and truthful place
• A peaceful place
• A prosperous place
• A wholesome place
• An accepting place
• A restored place
• A spiritual place
• A joyful place

The thief on the cross probably knew the scriptures. And he had some understanding about the ministry and message of Jesus since he rebuked the other criminal for his foolish insults. Hearing those loving words, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise,” he died a happy man.