Remember Me When You Come into Your Kingdom

Remember Me When You Come into Your Kingdom

Luke 23.35-43

35 And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” 

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36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 

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37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

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39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 

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40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 

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41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 

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42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 

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43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

• Modern scholars often highlight the paradox of the thief being granted paradise. One of the themes Luke loves is the way God’s reign emerges from the margins of society. The kingdom comes to tax collectors, sinners, women, Gentiles, shepherds, the poor, and—here—an executed criminal – folk you wouldn’t think have part in the Kingdom of God.
• GREGORY. On the cross nails had fastened his hands and feet, and nothing remained free from torture, but his heart and tongue.
• THEOPHYLACT. And as every king who returns victorious carries in triumph the best of his spoils, so the Lord having despoiled the devil of a portion of his plunder, carries it with Him into Paradise.
• CHRYSOSTOM. Here then might one see the Saviour between the thieves weighing in the scales of justice faith, and unbelief. The devil cast Adam out of Paradise. Christ brought the thief into Paradise before the whole world, before the Apostles. By a mere word and by faith alone he entered into Paradise, that no one after his sins might despair of entrance. Mark the rapid change, from the cross to heaven, from condemnation to Paradise, that you may know that the Lord did it all, not with regard to the thief’s good intention, but His own mercy.

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Bonus:

Bishop Robert Barron, one of my favourite Christian apologists, says that at our baptism, at our confirmation, when we are chrismated, we are not only becoming members of Christ’s body, but we’re also sharing in Christ ministries. You know that the chrismation oil is representative of the oil that was poured out on kings at their anointing. And when we’re baptized, when we’re confirmed, that oil of chrism is marked on the crown of our heads with a Cross. When we were baptized, we entered Jesus’ ministry as prophet, priest …and king; and as we grow in holiness towards the Lord, we grow more into those ministries.
If this is the case, and I think it is…
Ordering things towards a proper end Think about a conductor Think about a coach or a quarterback
At your baptism/confirmation, you are chrismated on the crown of your head Chrism oil used into the anointing of kings As baptized, you are conformed to Christ as prophet, priest, and KING Every baptized person is a king formed in the image of Christ

As partakers in Christ’s kingship, do you listen to HIS voice?

• Jesus’ kingship seems upside down.
• Jesus’ kingship is an afront to earthly powers. So don’t be surprised when you face backlash because you stand for Christ.
• Jesus’ kingship is rooted in sacrifice rather than domination.
• The Kingdom of God breaks in now, not just in the future.
• Jesus gathers a kingdom community that is driven by nothing else but trust in Him.
• Jesus fulfills Israel’s hopes of a new king, but in an unexpected way.