Brendan Mc Crossan
“AThief” was the first to get into Heaven, after Jesus died.”
A thief was the first to enter heaven after Jesus died. Mc Crossan 14A thief, the first into heaven!
It is awesome to think about it; here was Jesus slowly suffocating on that cross and on his mind was one single soul that was seeking mercy, the man on the other cross. Most people when they are dying slowly probably wouldn’t be thinking about someone else suffering a slow death like them, but would be consecrating on their pain and death, but such is the love Jesus has for mankind that he forgot about his suffering for a moment and gave that man confidence that he will get into heaven, that is love in action, pure unselfish love, divine love.
This man, a thief, was the first human being to enter heaven after Jesus died, remember the soldiers come to break the legs of the men crucified on their crosses to hasten death because it was starting to get late and the Sabbath was approaching.
Jesus was dying on that cross on Calvary and he was being tormented even as he hung there dying; and one of the thieves who were hanging on crosses one on each side of him, mocked him even as he himself was dying. But the other thief recognised that this was no thief or criminal hanging beside him; he realised this was the Son of God, his only hope of salvation, and he turned and said, ‘Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ And Jesus answered him and said, ‘today you will be with me in paradise.’
Maybe somewhere this thief had come across Jesus as he was talking or ministering miracles or healing and witnessed some great healing or miracle and he saw that Jesus had supernatural power from God, and this remained with him and he realised at the moments he was in the process of dying, that this man was truly God’s son as he claimed to be. Whatever was the reason, this man was given grace at the cross where his sins were taken away, he didn’t realise that part I suppose, but he believed that Jesus could get him into heaven and asked for mercy from him and received it.
Brendan
Luke 23-39- One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
John -19-31- Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
One11-2011
1 Peter 3:18-20
The Empty Tomb 20-1-Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance 20-10- Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.
New International Version (NIV)
For Christ [the Messiah Himself] died for sins once [a]for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous (the Just for the unjust, the Innocent for the guilty), that He might bring us to God. In His human body He was put to death, but He was made alive in the spirit, 19In which He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20[The souls of those] who long before in the days of Noah had been disobedient, when God's patience waited during the building of the ark in which a few [people], actually eight in number, were saved through water Jesus promised the man on the cross salvation and he would get into heaven that day he died, remember that death is eternal and is outside of time and is in eternity; and he kept his promise and brought him into heaven with his assent from Hell, and went to the prison where the souls of the dead were kept, and preached to them probably salvation through him and those who believed arose with him.
Remember Jesus died before the two thieves died, and as scripture said he descended into hell and was there for eternity, and eternity is outside of time and so is heaven, and in hell he defeated Satan the devil. He arose bringing with him all the souls that had been in the prison of darkness, as well as bringing Stan the devil and his hoards of evil angels and spirits before God in heaven.
The first man into heaven that we know was a thief, a robber, someone who stole from other people, taking their possessions and money.
Isn’t that amazing grace, displayed for all to see, God does not look at us like we look at ourselves, God judges with mercy not vengeance. Two A prostitute the first to see Jesus after he arose
Amplified Bible (AMP) 18
So this man to whom Jesus promised salvation entered heaven this day as Jesus said, this day in eternity is different from this day in time, as I said eternity is outside of time so when scripture says on the third day Jesus arose from the dead, time was in our dimension and not in eternities dimension where there is no time.
Now let’s look at someone else that received great mercy and forgiveness from Jesus and was given the privilege of being the first person to see Jesus after he arose, Mary Magdalene a prostitute a hooker in today’s terminology John -20-1-John 20
20-11- now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
Godcountsusashisfriends,nothisservantsandfriendshavedifferentnaturesandpersonalities.
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 at this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (Which means “Teacher”)? 17 Jesus said “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and you’re God.’
Just think of this a thief on the cross was the first into heaven and a prostitute the first to see Jesus, and we doubt God’s love for us because of what we are or were. In both of these scriptures I can see the love God has for us mortal beings, the people he created to love him and created also in hisown diving imageand heisletting usknowthatifathiefand aprostitute can be the first to with Jesus, then he will do the same for us.
Jesus really picks his friends doesn’t he, he picked Peter a rough foul mouthed fisherman; fishermen in those days didn’t carry about with them dainty little handkerchiefs for blowing their noses, Peter probably just held his nose with two fingers and blew it out. He had two
One of Jesus disciples was a terrorist, ‘Simon;’ not Simon Peter. Simon was a member of a subversive political party, something like the IRA or UDA, Or UVF –Luke-6-16, and he had an informer with him also Judas {son of James} who later betrayed him with a kiss.
This was the first person Jesus appeared to, a former prostitute a woman who sold her body for sex for a price to any man. He didn’t appear to the two disciples Peter and John even though John was supposed to be his favourite disciple and Peter was the one whom he used to build his church on, they were there with Mary after she ran and got them to come and see the tomb was empty, but they left to go back home again. Mary stayed at the tomb and was there weeping, she saw two angels and they asked her what was wrong with her. Two angels asked her what was the matter with her, not one, it must have been awesome to see two angels dressed in white and have them ask her, ‘why are you crying?’ but then she was privileged to see Jesus himself standing beside her alive. And he also asked her why she was crying and then he said to her “Mary” he called her by name, and she instantly recognised him. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see Jesus and to hear him call our name? Mary must have motioned to hug or touch Jesus when he warned her not to touch him, because resurrection power was still upon him. God only knows what would have happened to Mary if she had touched him. Maybe she would have experienced the rapture at that instant and gone straight into heaven, I don’t know but something seriously would have happened or else Jesus would not have stopped her hugging or touching him.
All you need to do to become friends with Jesus is to say, “Jesus forgive me for my sins,” “come into my heart as my lord and saviour,” and he does; and it happens instantly, you are saved, that simply means that you are guaranteed that you will get to heaven, and God is so merciful that he actually gives us a written guarantee in his word.
If you feel lost and distant from Jesus and God because of who you are and what you did; then know this, you are very welcome to come to Jesus and to receive his mercy and forgiveness.
1-Corinthians-1-8-And
That is an awesome gift from God to count you worthy to be considered guiltless and free from all sin. Romans -1-8- there is no condemnation for those who belongs to Christ Jesus. God does not care how bad you were in the past he is only concerned that you accept his mercy and forgiveness and his promise to get you into heaven. He is willing to become your friend, and there is no need to keep reminding God how bad you were he forgets once you asked for forgiveness, he sees you just one way; like his Son Jesus. Jesus friends were not the friends most religious people would chose, thank God those religious people are not God. God is love and he is in love with you and me. Amen
disciples that wanted him to rain down fire from the heavens and burn up a city; if they could have done it they would have. Such is these that Jesus chose to be in fellowship with.
I wonder if you would chose people like that to have your Christian fellowship with, yet the Son of God chose such people, letting us know that Jesus looked at the potential in them and he looks at the potential in us also, he sees the possibilities for greatness. If you have been any way like those mentioned and you feel because of your background and situation that you are in, that there is no hope for you, then think again. Jesus himself said, I did not come to save the righteous but the lost.
He will establish you to the end [keep you steadfast, give you strength, and guarantee your vindication; {acquittal} He will be your warrant against all accusation or indictment {condemnation}so that you will be] guiltless and irreproachable, {immaculate} in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). 9God is faithful (reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to His promise, and He can be depended on); by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. {Amplified Bible} The Way Bible, says it much better God guarantees right up until the very end of your life that you will be counted free from all sin and guilt on that day that he returns. {The way Bible}