How could the repentant thief on the cross go to Paradise THAT DAY with Jesus, when Jesus did not ascend to heaven until forty days after his resurrection on the third day? (Luke 23:43)

August 01st 2014 | 53233 views 

Luke 23:43 is often understood to mean that a person goes immediately to heaven at death, but a closer look at the language, context and the rest of Scripture shows that Jesus was giving the thief a promise of future restoration, not describing something that would happen that very day. The key begins with the word “paradise,” which originally referred to a beautiful garden or park. The first biblical paradise was the Garden of Eden, where humanity lived in harmony with God before sin brought death and separation (Genesis 3:22–24). Scripture promises that this Edenic condition will one day be restored when Christ’s kingdom is established on earth. Acts 3:19–21 speaks of the coming “restoration of all things,” Ezekiel 36:35 describes the land becoming “like the garden of Eden,” and Isaiah 35 portrays deserts blooming and creation rejoicing. This future paradise is the very kingdom the thief had in mind when he said, “Remember me when you come into Your kingdom.” He was not asking for an immediate transfer to heaven but for a place in the restored earthly kingdom when the Messiah would reign.

The thief was almost certainly thinking of the future earthly kingdom because that was the only kingdom concept available to Jews of his time. First?century Jews did not expect to “go to heaven” when they died; their hope was always resurrection and restoration on earth under the Messiah’s reign. This expectation runs through the Psalms, the Prophets and the common Jewish teaching of the era. The Messiah was believed to be the one who would restore Israel, renew the land, bring justice and establish God’s rule in the world. Even Jesus’ own disciples, after three years of teaching, still asked him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” Their question shows the mindset of the entire nation: the kingdom was earthly, future and restorative. It is a reasonable assumption the thief would have shared this understanding.

Even in agony, the thief looked ahead to the time when the Messiah would restore what had been lost — the very restoration the prophets described as Eden returning, deserts blooming and the earth becoming a paradise again.

Jesus’ reply must be understood in harmony with what actually happened that day. Jesus himself did not go to Paradise on the day of His crucifixion; he was dead in the tomb for parts of three days and was not raised until Sunday morning. After his resurrection, he told Mary that he had “not yet ascended” to the Father, making it impossible that he and the thief were together in Paradise on Friday.

This alone shows that the traditional punctuation of Luke 23:43 cannot be correct. Ancient Greek manuscripts contained no punctuation, no spaces and no lowercase letters, so the placement of the comma is a translator’s choice. When the comma is placed after the word “today,” the sentence reads, “Truly I say to you today, you will be with me in paradise.” This rendering is grammatically valid and fully consistent with the rest of Scripture. Jesus was not telling the thief when he would be in paradise; he was telling him when he was making the promise—on that dark, seemingly hopeless day when Jesus hung dying, appearing to have no kingdom at all.

The Bible consistently describes death as a state of unconsciousness, silence and “sleep,” in which there is no activity or knowledge. The dead remain in this condition until the resurrection, when Christ returns and establishes his kingdom. The thief, like all who have died, sleeps in the grave awaiting that future awakening.

When the kingdom is established and the earth is restored to Edenic beauty, he will rise to life in that promised Paradise and receive a full, fair opportunity for eternal life. This earthly hope is distinct from the heavenly calling offered to Jesus’ faithful followers during the Gospel Age. On the cross, Jesus was assuring the thief that despite the shame and agony of that moment, he truly was a king with a kingdom, and that the thief would be remembered and blessed when that kingdom comes. The promise was made that day, but its fulfillment awaits the resurrection and the restoration of all things.

Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #988: “Did Jesus and the Thief Go from the Cross to Paradise?”
Finding the true meaning of Jesus' words to a thief about paradise
CQ Rewind Show Notes

Related Questions