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Today You Will Be With Me In Paradise
Brian Mashburn
April 3, 2011
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Famous Last Words
In response to our current focus on the cross of Christ, specifically looking at the things that Jesus said while hanging there, one of our small group leaders pulled out his old copy of the movie "The Passion of Christ" and showed portions of it to his small group.
It was sobering.
This movie, as well or better than any other ever made, does a good job of visually taking you through the pain and suffering that Jesus endured on his last day.
If you think reading it in scripture is painful, try watching those scriptures realistically depicted on the big screen.
And if you think watching that is painful, imagine being Jesus suffering through it for real.
Crucifixion is probably the most painful form of capital punishment ever adopted by a nation or empire.
It was so painful, that a word was made up to describe it: excruciating.
The idea that Jesus could speak any intelligible, thoughtful words at all is amazing. That everything he said had God's glory and love for others in mind is just outright miraculous.
Today, we look at the words that speak directly of life beyond the grave when he promised the thief next to him that "Today, you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)