None of us would have chosen him as the first invitee into the kingdom of God…at least the first one during or after the crucifixion. Yet, he is the poster child of the Christian faith. An unnamed criminal, undergoing the brutal torture of crucifixion, guilty of crimes that landed him on a busy street outside Jerusalem, an example for others to who not to be.

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:39-43, ESV

How did this unnamed criminal go from his own cross to paradise? We can’t overcomplicate this. This unnamed criminal owned his own sin. He tells the other taunting criminal, “And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds.” No one has ever entered heaven who did not first own his sin. No one ever will. It is the beginning point of every new follower of Jesus.

Second, this criminal believed Jesus was sinless. But this man has done nothing wrong. While the other criminal railed at Jesus, this man revered him. While the religious leaders reviled Jesus, telling him to save himself if he is the Messiah, this man requested that Jesus remember him. This man looked at a bleeding Jesus and saw a king.

Jesus hears that kind of prayer every time. Humility always gets God’s attention. Blown it? You’re in good company. So had the criminal. Yet he went with Jesus to paradise.