Luke 23 43

Luke 23:43 kjv

And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

Luke 23:43 nkjv

And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

Luke 23:43 niv

Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

Luke 23:43 esv

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

Luke 23:43 nlt

And Jesus replied, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise."

Luke 23 verses

Luke 23 43 Meaning

Luke 23:43 states Jesus' promise to the repentant criminal: "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise." This declaration highlights Christ's divine authority to grant immediate salvation and eternal life to one who trusts in Him, even at the point of death, underscoring that salvation is by grace through faith. It signifies the direct and immediate entry of a redeemed soul into a state of blessedness in the presence of the Lord after physical death.

Luke 23 43 Context

Luke 23:43 is uttered by Jesus during His crucifixion. He is at the agonizing climax of His earthly ministry, suffering on the cross between two criminals. One criminal mocks Him, aligning with the scorn of the religious leaders and Roman soldiers (Lk 23:35-39). The other criminal, however, rebukes his companion, acknowledges his own just punishment, and then turns to Jesus with a plea of faith: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (Lk 23:42). This verse is Jesus' immediate and definitive response to that dying man's faith, providing comfort and assurance of salvation despite his life of sin. The historical context includes the Roman method of crucifixion, a brutal form of public execution, and the Jewish expectation of a Messiah, which was largely misunderstood as a political king.

Luke 23 43 Word analysis

• Amen (ἀμὴν - amēn): Derived from Hebrew, meaning "truly," "certainly," "so be it." Here, Jesus prefaces His statement with "Amen" (translated as "Truly I tell you" or "Verily"), emphasizing the absolute truthfulness, certainty, and divine authority of what He is about to say. It marks a solemn and unwavering declaration.
• Lego (λέγω - legō): "I say." The present active indicative signifies a direct, personal, and authoritative declaration from Jesus.
• Soi (σοί - soi): "to you" (singular dative). Directly addressing the repentant criminal, making the promise profoundly personal and immediate.
• Sēmeron (σήμερον - sēmeron): "today," "this very day." This adverb is crucial. It asserts the immediate fulfillment of the promise after death, directly refuting any concept of an intermediate purgatorial state or soul-sleep, or waiting for a distant resurrection for entrance into a blessed afterlife.
• Esē (ἔσῃ - esē): "you will be" (future tense of "to be"). Denotes a future state of being, but in conjunction with "today," emphasizes its immediate commencement upon death.
• Met’ emou (μετ’ ἐμοῦ - met' emou): "with me." This signifies companionship and presence. The blessedness of Paradise is fundamentally tied to being in Christ's presence, not just a location. It means sharing His immediate glorious state post-crucifixion (though He descends to the dead before resurrection, the thief is "with Him" in the realm of the righteous dead).
• En tō paradeisō (ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ - en tō paradeisō): "in Paradise."
  • Paradeisō (παραδείσῳ): Derived from a Persian word for a walled garden or park. In the Septuagint (Greek OT), it translates "Garden of Eden" (Gen 2:8). In later Jewish thought, it became associated with the abode of the righteous dead (e.g., in Abraham's bosom, Lk 16:22), distinct from Sheol/Hades, where all the dead went, but separating the righteous and wicked. It is sometimes equated with the third heaven by Paul (2 Cor 12:4), representing a state of divine blessing and closeness to God. It is not necessarily the final new heaven and new earth, but the glorious intermediate state.
• "Truly I tell you, today": This phrase group emphasizes the certainty and immediacy of salvation. It underlines Jesus' unique authority to grant immediate access to the blessed state, circumventing the conventional understanding of a long wait or judgment process for one who has led a life of sin.
• "you will be with me in Paradise": This phrase highlights the intimate fellowship promised. Salvation is not just escape from judgment, but entrance into a relationship with Christ in a state of divine blessedness. The focus is on the presence of Christ as the source of Paradise.

Luke 23 43 Bonus section

• The repentant thief (often called the "Good Thief" or "Dismas" in tradition) did no "works" for salvation, embodying justification by faith alone. His act of faith, however, was profound: confessing Christ as King while Christ was being crucified and appeared powerless, a truly counter-cultural acknowledgment.
• The comma placement: In some older theological debates, arguments were made for placing the comma after "today" ("Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in Paradise"), suggesting Jesus spoke today but the fulfillment was later. However, consistent Greek syntax and theological coherence confirm the traditional punctuation: "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise," affirming immediacy.
• The promise of Paradise highlights the concept of an intermediate state for believers after death, where they consciously experience blessedness in the presence of God, awaiting the resurrection of the body and the final new creation (Rev 21:1-4). This is distinct from the ultimate and complete perfection of the New Heaven and New Earth, yet it is a state of unspeakable joy and rest.
• This verse assures believers facing death that they do not face oblivion or a terrifying, uncertain future. Instead, they can anticipate an immediate, glorious transition into conscious communion with their Savior.

Luke 23 43 Commentary

Luke 23:43 is a powerful testament to the sovereign grace of God manifested through Christ's redemptive work on the cross. The criminal's salvation exemplifies radical, instantaneous conversion, showcasing that faith, even if expressed at the last moment, is all that is required for God's merciful embrace. Jesus, despite His own immense suffering, demonstrates His messianic authority to forgive sins and grant immediate spiritual access. This promise solidifies the belief that for believers, physical death means immediate presence with the Lord in a state of blessed peace (Paradise). It stands as a profound polemic against any notion that one must earn salvation, endure a purification process like purgatory, or experience a state of unconsciousness ("soul sleep") after death before joining Christ. The very setting—on the cross—accentuates that even in His ultimate humiliation, Christ's kingly power to save remains absolute and accessible. The thief's simple, faith-filled request ("remember me") received a divine, immediate, and extravagant answer, revealing the vastness of God's saving grace.