John Calvin Commentary Luke 23:43

"And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." — Luke 23:43 (ASV)

Truly I tell thee. Though Christ had not yet made a public triumph over death, still He displays the efficacy and fruit of His death in the midst of His humiliation. And in this way He shows that He never was deprived of the power of His kingdom, for nothing more lofty or magnificent belongs to a divine King²⁷⁸ than to restore life to the dead. So then, Christ, although struck by the hand of God He appeared to be a man utterly abandoned, yet as He did not cease to be the Savior of the world, He was always endowed with heavenly power for fulfilling His office.

And, first, we should observe His inconceivable readiness in so kindly receiving the robber without delay, and promising to make him a partaker²⁷⁹ of a happy life. There is therefore no room to doubt that He is prepared to admit into His kingdom all, without exception, who will apply to Him. Therefore we may conclude with certainty that we will be saved, provided that He remember us; and it is impossible that He will forget those who commit to Him their salvation.

But if a robber found the entrance into heaven so easy because, while he saw on all sides ground for total despair, he relied on the grace of Christ, much more will Christ, who has now conquered death, stretch out His hand to us from His throne to admit us to be partakers of life. For since Christ has nailed to His cross the handwriting which was opposed to us (Colossians 2:14), and has destroyed death and Satan, and in His resurrection has triumphed over the prince of the world (John 12:31), it would be unreasonable to suppose that the passage from death to life will be more laborious and difficult to us than to the robber.

Whoever then in dying commits to Christ, in true faith, the keeping of their soul, will not be long detained or allowed to languish in suspense; Christ will meet their prayer with the same kindness He exercised towards the robber.

Away, then, with that detestable contrivance of the Sophists about retaining the punishment when the guilt is removed, for we see how Christ, in acquitting him from condemnation, frees him also from punishment.

Nor is this inconsistent with the fact that the robber nevertheless endures to the very last the punishment that had been pronounced upon him. For we must not here imagine any compensation that serves the purpose of satisfaction for appeasing the judgment of God (as the Sophists dream), but the Lord merely trains His elect by corporal punishments to displeasure and hatred of sin.

Thus, when the robber has been brought by fatherly discipline to self-denial, Christ receives him, as it were, into His bosom and does not send him away to the fire of purgatory.

We should also observe by what keys the gate of heaven was opened to the robber. For neither papal confession nor satisfactions are here taken into account; Christ is satisfied with repentance and faith, so as to receive him willingly when he comes to Him.

And this confirms more fully what I previously suggested: that if anyone disdains to follow in the footsteps of the robber and to follow in his path, he deserves everlasting destruction, because by wicked pride he shuts against himself the gate of heaven.

And certainly, as Christ has given to all of us, in the person of the robber, a general pledge of obtaining forgiveness, so, on the other hand, He has bestowed on this wretched man such distinguished honor so that, laying aside our own glory, we may glory in nothing but the mercy of God alone.

If each of us truly and seriously examines the subject, we will find abundant reason to be ashamed of the prodigious mass of our crimes, so that we will not be offended at having for our guide and leader a poor wretch who obtained salvation by free grace.

Again, as the death of Christ at that time yielded its fruit, so we infer from it that souls, when they have departed from their bodies, continue to live; otherwise the promise of Christ, which He confirms even by an oath, would be a mockery.

Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. We should not enter into curious and subtle arguments about the place of paradise. Let us rest satisfied with knowing that those who are engrafted by faith into the body of Christ are partakers of that life, and thus enjoy after death a blessed and joyful rest, until the perfect glory of the heavenly life is fully manifested by the coming of Christ.

One point still remains. What is promised to the robber does not alleviate his present sufferings, nor make any abatement of his bodily punishment.

This reminds us that we should not judge the grace of God by the perception of the flesh, for it will often happen that those to whom God is reconciled are permitted by Him to be severely afflicted.

So then, if we are dreadfully tormented in body, we should be on our guard lest the severity of pain hinder us from tasting the goodness of God. On the contrary, all our afflictions should be mitigated and soothed by this single consolation: that as soon as God has received us into His favor, all the afflictions we endure are aids to our salvation.

This will cause our faith not only to rise victorious over all our distresses but also to enjoy calm repose amidst the endurance of sufferings.

²⁷⁸ “Au Roy celeste;” — “to the heavenly King.”;” — “to the heavenly King.”

²⁷⁹ “De le faire participant.”.”