39One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, "Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!"
40But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
41"And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."
42And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!"
43And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise."
44It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour,
45because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
46And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, "Father, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMIT MY SPIRIT." Having said this, He breathed His last.
I love it that one of Jesus' last acts was to extend His mercy and grace to a criminal hanging on a cross next to Him. This man, by his own admission, was guilty. As he hung on the cross, he defended Jesus as a man who had done "nothing wrong" and asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom! Jesus' response as he neared His own death was so simple and yet beautiful; "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." Just imagine how that man may have felt at that moment in his agony, guilt and humiliation when Jesus spoke those incredible words.
For me, this event reinforces the idea that the Christian life is not all about performance. This guy didn't have time to do anything for Christ and yet he got to be in Paradise with Him that very day. All the man did was ask "Jesus to remember Him when He came into His kingdom." Asking and receiving, not performance are God's way into the kingdom life and the key to kingdom life as long as we are here on the earth. My Jesus is always ready to invite anyone who believes in Him into His eternal family, but He also is always ready to give me what I need when I take the time to ask Him. I am reminded of the several New Testament passages that say you need to ask Jesus for your needs (Matthew7:7, John 14:13, James 1:5 and 1 John 5:14). Whether I need into the kingdom or am learning to walk in the Spirit led kingdom life, I need to ask and receive.