"A Cross, A Prayer, A Paradise” - The Second Word Of Jesus From The Cross

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“A Cross, A Prayer, A Paradise”

The Second Word of Jesus from the Cross

The Gospel of Salvation

Luke 23:43 – “I tell you this: today you shall be in paradise with me.”

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1. Introduction – The Word That Opens Heaven

My dear brothers and sisters,

On the Cross, our Lord Jesus Christ spoke seven words before He died.

Each word reveals the heart of God and the mission of Christ.

The second word from the Cross is spoken to a dying criminal:

“I tell you this: today you shall be in paradise with me.”

(Luke 23:43)

This is not just a sentence.

It is the Gospel of Salvation.

At Calvary we see three crosses:

• One Savior

• Two criminals

• Three different hearts

One criminal rejects Jesus.

The other turns to Jesus.

One dies without hope.

The other dies with salvation.

And through this moment, Jesus reveals something powerful:

No life is too late for salvation.

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2. The Scene at Calvary

Let us imagine the scene.

Jesus is nailed to the Cross.

His body is wounded.

His blood is flowing.

On both sides of Him are two criminals.

They were condemned for serious crimes.

They were guilty before the law.

Yet on that day, something extraordinary happens.

One criminal mocks Jesus.

“Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

But the other criminal speaks with humility:

“We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.

But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he turns to Jesus and says:

“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

(Luke 23:42)

And Jesus answers:

“Today you shall be in paradise with me.”

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3. The Gospel in One Sentence

In that one sentence, Jesus reveals the whole Gospel.

This is the Gospel of Salvation.

The criminal had:

• No good works left to do

• No time to repair his past

• No opportunity to serve others

• No chance to live a new life

Yet he was saved.

Why?

Because salvation is not earned.

Salvation is received.

Salvation is the gift of God’s mercy.

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4. Two Criminals – Two Responses to Jesus

At Calvary we see two kinds of people.

The First Criminal – The Mocking Heart

The first criminal says:

“Save yourself and us.”

He sees Jesus as a miracle worker, not as a Savior.

He wants:

• Escape from suffering

• Freedom from punishment

• Immediate relief

But he does not want repentance.

Many people today respond to God like this.

They pray only when they need something:

• “God, solve my problems.”

• “God, remove my suffering.”

• “God, give me success.”

But they never say:

“Lord, forgive me.”

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The Second Criminal – The Repentant Heart

The second criminal does three important things.

1. He admits his sin

He says:

“We deserve this punishment.”

Salvation begins when a person says:

“Lord, I am a sinner.”

Pride blocks salvation.

Humility opens heaven.

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2. He recognizes Jesus

He says:

“This man has done nothing wrong.”

While others mocked Jesus,

the criminal saw His innocence.

Sometimes those who suffer the most

understand Jesus the best.

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3. He trusts Jesus

He says:

“Jesus, remember me.”

He does not ask:

• “Take me down from the cross.”

He asks for something greater:

“Remember me.”

This is faith.

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5. The Last Prayer of a Thief

This man is often called the Good Thief.

But he was not always good.

He lived as a criminal.

He hurt people.

He broke the law.

But on the Cross, something changed.

He offered perhaps his first real prayer.

“It was the first prayer he prayed in his life — and also his last prayer.”

A dying man prayed to a dying man.

Yet that dying man was the Saviour of the world.

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6. The Power of One Moment of Repentance

The thief prayed only one prayer.

He knocked once.

He asked once.

He sought once.

And Jesus opened heaven.

This shows something very important:

God’s mercy is greater than human sin.

Even at the last moment,

the door of salvation is open.

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7. The Meaning of “Today”

Jesus says:

“Today you shall be in paradise with me.”

Notice the word today.

Not tomorrow.

Not someday.

Today.

Salvation is immediate.

When a sinner truly repents,

God does not delay forgiveness.

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8. The Meaning of “Paradise”

The word Paradise reminds us of the Garden of Eden.

In Eden humanity lost communion with God.

Because of sin, the door of paradise was closed.

But at Calvary something happens.

The Cross becomes the key that opens paradise again.

Through Jesus, humanity returns to the presence of God.

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9. “With Me” – The Heart of Salvation

Jesus did not only promise paradise.

He promised something greater: