100:00:00,160 –> 00:00:07,020Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick. Glad you could be with200:00:07,020 –> 00:00:13,020us today and today we’ve got a special edition of Open the Bible. We’re listening to a300:00:13,020 –> 00:00:17,040dramatic telling of the book Heaven How I Got Here.400:00:17,040 –> 00:00:21,040It’s the story of the thief on the cross. I think one of the most marvelous stories500:00:21,040 –> 00:00:25,620in all of the New Testament. Here’s this guy who nobody would expect to get into heaven600:00:25,620 –> 00:00:28,040and according to Jesus Christ, he’s there.700:00:28,040 –> 00:00:34,099So the original message that you preached, from which this book was taken, was an incredibly800:00:34,099 –> 00:00:36,799clear presentation of the gospel.900:00:36,799 –> 00:00:41,299You know, I think it blows out of the water the most common assumption about getting into1000:00:41,299 –> 00:00:46,259heaven. People think, you know, I get into heaven by living a good enough life. Well,1100:00:46,259 –> 00:00:51,340this guy hadn’t done that and he wasn’t in a position to do it, and yet, Jesus Christ1200:00:51,340 –> 00:00:57,439says, you will be with me in paradise. Now how does he get there? That’s the story and1300:00:57,480 –> 00:01:00,380I think it’s one of the most marvellous stories in the New Testament.1400:01:00,380 –> 00:01:07,000This is the dramatic telling of the book Heaven How I Got Here, so let’s hear chapter 1 entitled1500:01:07,000 –> 00:01:08,000Breakfast.1600:01:08,000 –> 00:01:12,000Chapter 1 Breakfast, 6 A.M.1700:01:14,000 –> 00:01:18,919Not many men open their eyes in the morning, knowing it’s their last day on earth. This1800:01:19,720 –> 00:01:28,360is it. This is the day I die. Looking back, the entire day and how it ended still blows1900:01:28,360 –> 00:01:39,220my mind. I awoke in the cell where they were holding me, pending execution, or to be more2000:01:39,220 –> 00:01:47,220accurate, torture, humiliation, and a long slow descent into death on a cross. Only the2100:01:47,500 –> 00:01:54,500Romans could have perpetuated such barbarity and I hated them with every fiber of my being.2200:01:55,260 –> 00:02:00,419My story began in an ordinary home and is largely without surprise. My father made a2300:02:00,419 –> 00:02:06,040modest living as a builder, while my mother, who set the pace for our family, gave herself2400:02:06,040 –> 00:02:11,020to setting her children on the right path. Because we were Jewish, the synagogue was2500:02:11,199 –> 00:02:16,779regular part of our family life, as was the annual trip to the temple in Jerusalem. My2600:02:16,779 –> 00:02:23,300mother, a woman of ridiculous faith, made sure that I was well-schooled in the teachings2700:02:23,300 –> 00:02:30,300of our fathers. God is watching you, she would say. He sees everything and He never forgets.2800:02:31,500 –> 00:02:37,380He remembers the good, and He remembers the evil. You always reap what you sow.2900:02:38,020 –> 00:02:41,160Her favorite book in the scriptures was the Book3000:02:41,160 –> 00:02:47,979of Proverbs. I can still hear her voice telling me that the fear of the Lord is the beginning3100:02:47,979 –> 00:02:54,979of wisdom. And then she would ask me, Do you fear God? It never occurred to me that there3200:02:54,979 –> 00:03:00,300was any other option. Like most children, I pretty much just accepted what my mother3300:03:00,559 –> 00:03:07,559taught me about God until my early teens when I began to have questions about God and about3400:03:07,779 –> 00:03:14,779authority in general. A major turning point occurred for me at the age of 13 when I saw3500:03:15,460 –> 00:03:21,779up-close the injustice that was woven into the fabric of our national life. My father3600:03:21,779 –> 00:03:27,539worked so hard to make ends meet for our family. But the intolerable taxes imposed on us by3700:03:27,539 –> 00:03:34,539the occupying roman army made even our modest lifestyle hard to sustain. That particular3800:03:35,460 –> 00:03:42,460day the tax collector knocked on the door with his latest unfounded demand. I remember3900:03:43,619 –> 00:03:50,619the pained, powerless look on my father’s face. It was as if they had broken his back4000:03:50,619 –> 00:03:56,220and crushed his spirit. Everyone knew that the system is riddled with corruption. But4100:03:56,220 –> 00:04:02,660what can you do when the power of a brutal army stands behind this slimy little taxman?4200:04:02,660 –> 00:04:09,660Seeing my father look that way, made me furious. What right did these imposters have to march4300:04:09,779 –> 00:04:16,779into our land and demand our money? Since when did we owe them? The whole thing was4400:04:17,140 –> 00:04:24,140an injustice. And even as a young man it made me mad. It simply wasn’t fair.4500:04:26,799 –> 00:04:31,339Our annual visit to the Temple in Jerusalem had always been a highlight of our family4600:04:31,339 –> 00:04:37,760life. Think of a vacation with your extended family and you’ll get the idea. My first4700:04:37,760 –> 00:04:44,160impression of the Temple was of awe and wonder. The size of the building, the depth of the4800:04:44,160 –> 00:04:49,279walls, the noise of the crowds, and the relentless activity in the temple courts took my breath4900:04:49,579 –> 00:04:56,579away. But as the years passed, my questions began to grow. The priests offered a relentless5000:04:58,179 –> 00:05:05,179diet of rules and morality. Wisdom for life, they called it. But what were they doing5100:05:06,380 –> 00:05:11,859about the glaring injustice that was plain for all to see in the ever-present oppression5200:05:11,859 –> 00:05:18,500of Rome…nothing as far as I could see. Gradually, I came to the conclusion that the Temple,5300:05:18,619 –> 00:05:23,640the Priests and the whole moral structure were supremely irrelevant to the real issues5400:05:23,640 –> 00:05:30,679of life for our people. Over time, the hatred I felt toward Rome showed up in a growing5500:05:30,679 –> 00:05:37,679resentment…toward the Temple, its rules and its God. I watched how people poured money5600:05:39,559 –> 00:05:44,739into the Temple treasury and thought about how that money could be used to fund the small5700:05:44,739 –> 00:05:50,000bands of freedom fighters who were ready to risk their lives in standing up to the5800:05:50,000 –> 00:05:55,540Roman occupation. But that didn’t happen. Instead, the money rolled into the Temple5900:05:55,540 –> 00:06:01,320coffers to be sunk into the endless maintenance of buildings and Priests who, as far as I6000:06:01,320 –> 00:06:08,320could see, had little to offer. Rules. Morality. Where was this getting us? What could it6100:06:08,940 –> 00:06:15,940all accomplish? Somewhere in these anxious and angry thoughts, a rebellion was born in6200:06:17,559 –> 00:06:22,559my heart. So you won’t be surprised when I tell you that the Temple was the scene of6300:06:22,559 –> 00:06:28,820my first theft at age 15. I had been watching as people put their money into the Treasury6400:06:28,820 –> 00:06:35,820and been surprised by the low level of security. It would be as easy, I figured, for me to6500:06:36,540 –> 00:06:42,660take money out of the Treasury as it was for them to put money in. If the priests weren’t6600:06:42,660 –> 00:06:49,320going to put the money to good use, maybe I could. As the thought settled, a decision6700:06:49,320 –> 00:06:56,320emerged, my palms began to sweat as I watched and waited for the right moment. Then with6800:06:57,000 –> 00:07:01,420money in hand, I stepped forward to the Basin where the gifts were gathered, feigned to6900:07:01,519 –> 00:07:08,519the drop of my coins, and in the same movement, gathered a fistful of cash. Walking away I7000:07:09,980 –> 00:07:16,359felt sure that a large hand would be laid on my shoulder, and that I would be confronted,7100:07:16,359 –> 00:07:23,320but it never happened, I had committed the perfect crime. And as much as I hated to admit7200:07:23,320 –> 00:07:30,320it, it felt good. My theft at the Treasury planted the seed of a grander scheme for a7300:07:30,399 –> 00:07:37,399nobler purpose. Somebody needed to do something bold, and that became my life s ambition.7400:07:38,679 –> 00:07:45,679Each time I stole, it got easier for me. I had far bigger hauls and far less fear of7500:07:46,859 –> 00:07:53,380consequences. Over time, I became arrogant in my crimes and lazy in my efforts to hide7600:07:54,019 –> 00:08:01,019mischief. But after years of stealing, lying and taking advantage of others, the consequences7700:08:01,119 –> 00:08:08,119of my lifestyle finally caught up with me. That large hand of the law I had eluded for7800:08:08,619 –> 00:08:15,619so long landed on my shoulder and led me to the cell where I began the last day of my7900:08:16,480 –> 00:08:17,779life.8000:08:17,779 –> 00:08:24,779A loud thud reverberated on the cell door as a heartless guard stepped in with a mug8100:08:25,459 –> 00:08:28,059and plate in his hand.8200:08:28,059 –> 00:08:35,059Breakfast, he said, as he spat in my food, enjoy your last meal.8300:08:37,099 –> 00:08:44,099The door closed and I sat, alone, powerless, staring at the walls of my miserable cell.8400:08:45,619 –> 00:08:52,619This was the end of the line for me, and it felt as if the devil was on my shoulder.8500:08:53,859 –> 00:09:00,859In front of me was a day of excruciating pain, and who knew what would lie beyond that.8600:09:04,179 –> 00:09:10,719Rage against Rome had energized my life, and now I was in the hands of the people I hated.8700:09:10,719 –> 00:09:17,719I had dared to resist their power, and I knew that they would show me no mercy.8800:09:18,960 –> 00:09:23,840They would make an example of me and use my pain to stop any brave souls that might consider8900:09:23,840 –> 00:09:29,580following my example in their tracks.9000:09:29,580 –> 00:09:36,580As I considered the day that stretched in front of me, I determined to show no weakness.9100:09:36,679 –> 00:09:43,020The Romans could break my body but they could never break my spirit.9200:09:43,020 –> 00:09:48,979I resolved to die in defiance.9300:09:48,979 –> 00:09:53,500You’re listening to a special edition of Open the Bible.9400:09:53,500 –> 00:09:58,760It’s a dramatic telling of Heaven How I Got Here the story of the thief on the cross.9500:09:58,760 –> 00:10:02,940Originally, this was a book that that was turned into an audio book which we’re bringing9600:10:02,940 –> 00:10:05,119you this week on Open the Bible.9700:10:05,440 –> 00:10:10,479Heaven How I Got Here is a tool that the lord has been using to bring people to a saving9800:10:10,479 –> 00:10:12,760knowledge of Jesus Christ.9900:10:12,760 –> 00:10:17,599The simplicity of the gospel message through the story of the thief on the cross.10000:10:17,599 –> 00:10:25,000If you’d like to get a hold of a copy of the book come to our website openthebible.org.uk10100:10:25,000 –> 00:10:30,219Also this month we’re offering a special Easter giveaway bundle which contains two10200:10:30,219 –> 00:10:34,799copies of the new graphic novel version of Heaven How I Got Here the story of the thief10300:10:34,840 –> 00:10:39,739on the cross and a copy of the NIV outreach Bible.10400:10:39,739 –> 00:10:45,340Both the graphic novel and the Bible are ideal to give away to family and friends this Easter.10500:10:45,340 –> 00:10:50,260Let’s continue now with Chapter 2 of Heaven How I Got Here.10600:10:51,239 –> 00:10:52,979Chapter 210700:10:52,979 –> 00:10:54,700Hatred10800:10:54,700 –> 00:10:56,4609 a.m.10900:10:56,460 –> 00:11:00,739Two others shared my ordeal the day I was crucified.11000:11:00,739 –> 00:11:04,400One after the other, they nailed us to the crosses.11100:11:04,760 –> 00:11:08,880I was not able to see the guards do their work on the first victim.11200:11:09,780 –> 00:11:14,080But, I watched closely, as the second was pushed forward.11300:11:14,559 –> 00:11:17,859A large beam of wood was placed on the ground, and a moment later…11400:11:17,940 –> 00:11:22,659The victim, who had been pole-axed by the guard was lying on it.11500:11:23,179 –> 00:11:28,599One of the soldiers stomped on the man’s right forearm, pinning him to a second beam.11600:11:29,880 –> 00:11:32,299Then they produced the nails.11700:11:32,619 –> 00:11:40,280An agonized scream cut through the morning air as the victim’s hand was pierced by a blunt spike.11800:11:42,039 –> 00:11:44,760Four times I heard that awful shriek.11900:11:45,440 –> 00:11:49,840This is what happens to thieves, shouted one of the guards.12000:11:50,700 –> 00:11:56,080His words seemed to be for the crowd rather than the victim, to whom he gave no regard.12100:11:57,140 –> 00:11:59,619Then it happened to me.12200:12:00,119 –> 00:12:02,320September 15, 194112300:12:03,099 –> 00:12:06,719Detention12400:12:11,780 –> 00:12:16,080There are no words to describe the pain of crucifixion.12500:12:17,140 –> 00:12:22,320All I can tell you is that hatred sustained me.12600:12:22,440 –> 00:12:25,640September 15, 194112700:12:27,900 –> 00:12:29,299Determined to show no weakness12800:12:29,340 –> 00:12:32,900I fixed my eyes on the guard with the hammer and loathed him.12900:12:33,119 –> 00:12:35,039He looked at me for a brief moment,13000:12:35,119 –> 00:12:38,320but seeing the intensity in my eyes, he turned away.13100:12:38,880 –> 00:12:41,780I stared at him and steeled myself13200:12:41,919 –> 00:12:45,479as he indulged his macabre act.13300:12:46,320 –> 00:12:48,320But worse was yet to come.13400:12:49,200 –> 00:12:52,039After fixing my body to this instrument of torture13500:12:52,039 –> 00:12:54,219they lifted me up and dropped the beam13600:12:54,260 –> 00:12:56,419into the roughly cut hole in the ground.13700:12:58,739 –> 00:13:00,659The weight of my entire body sent13800:13:00,820 –> 00:13:04,099searing pain through the wounds in my hands.13900:13:04,340 –> 00:13:07,419My only relief was to press down with my legs14000:13:07,500 –> 00:13:11,140transferring the most intense pain to my feet.14100:13:11,539 –> 00:13:14,219I found that I could breathe when the weight was on my feet14200:13:14,299 –> 00:13:17,260so I developed a kind of rhythm14300:13:17,820 –> 00:13:20,580in which I moved between hanging from my hands14400:13:20,960 –> 00:13:22,400and pressing on my feet.14500:13:22,679 –> 00:13:27,280Either way, the agony was unrelenting.14600:13:28,119 –> 00:13:33,280The first victim was clearly the object of unusual attention.14700:13:33,359 –> 00:13:36,039His cross had been placed at the center14800:13:36,200 –> 00:13:41,119with the second victim and myself just a few feet away on either side.14900:13:41,599 –> 00:13:45,119I was completely absorbed with my own pain15000:13:45,419 –> 00:13:49,520and had taken no notice of him until I heard him speak.15100:13:52,700 –> 00:13:54,979”Father, forgive them,” he said.15200:13:57,400 –> 00:14:02,239”Forgive them? Who is this man? Some kind of saint?”15300:14:03,679 –> 00:14:08,580My entire life I found it hard to even think about forgiving people who wronged me.15400:14:08,940 –> 00:14:13,739I held grudges for years over small things people said or did to me.15500:14:13,739 –> 00:14:19,739The idea of forgiving these executioners for mutilating our bodies and seemingly enjoying it?15600:14:20,580 –> 00:14:24,179You’ve got to be kidding, I hated them.15700:14:25,000 –> 00:14:28,020Anyone who would forgive them was no friend of mine.15800:14:29,340 –> 00:14:33,320As I turned toward him, I saw the writing by his head.15900:14:34,000 –> 00:14:37,520”This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”16000:14:39,219 –> 00:14:43,159Jesus, I had heard about him,16100:14:43,979 –> 00:14:48,299the miracle worker from Nazareth who claimed to be the Messiah.16200:14:51,200 –> 00:14:57,500”Well, I thought, if he is able to perform miracles, this is surely the day to produce one.16300:14:57,760 –> 00:15:01,260But it’s always the same thing with these religious types.16400:15:01,500 –> 00:15:04,119Great claims, nice thoughts,16500:15:04,260 –> 00:15:08,719but no muscle to confront the harsh realities of this world.”16600:15:09,179 –> 00:15:14,000Seeing him writhe in agony seemed only to prove my point.16700:15:14,419 –> 00:15:18,320Praying for forgiveness might sound impressive to some,16800:15:18,460 –> 00:15:24,080but it could never match the raw power of nails and a hammer.16900:15:26,700 –> 00:15:31,000I watched him, and already, I despised him.17000:15:31,799 –> 00:15:33,479I was not alone,17100:15:33,599 –> 00:15:36,359crucifixions always drew a crowd,17200:15:36,359 –> 00:15:39,780but this crowd was larger and more hostile than usual.17300:15:40,640 –> 00:15:43,700People walked back and forward in front of His cross,17400:15:43,820 –> 00:15:47,380looking up and addressing the helpless victim above them.17500:15:48,739 –> 00:15:50,340Someone shouted,17600:15:50,460 –> 00:15:54,320if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.17700:15:54,479 –> 00:15:58,940The crowd responded by chanting in a wave of agreement,17800:15:58,960 –> 00:16:03,840Come down, come down, come down.17900:16:07,479 –> 00:16:10,520Then someone else from the crowd stepped away and pointing it,18000:16:10,640 –> 00:16:11,640Jesus shouted,18100:16:11,760 –> 00:16:15,580you said you would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days,18200:16:15,700 –> 00:16:18,159save yourself.18300:16:20,280 –> 00:16:21,619As the taunts wore on,18400:16:21,780 –> 00:16:25,739I wondered how this Jesus had ignited so much hostility.18500:16:25,979 –> 00:16:28,059After all, someone who wanted to destroy the temple18600:16:28,200 –> 00:16:32,380couldn’t be all that bad as far as I was concerned.18700:16:42,500 –> 00:16:47,820What it would mean to be the Son of God was vague to me then,18800:16:47,979 –> 00:16:52,059though it is wonderfully clear to me now that I’m in heaven.18900:16:52,099 –> 00:16:55,020Names described characters in our culture.19000:16:55,679 –> 00:16:59,979If you were a miserable person, you might be described as the son of misery.19100:17:00,640 –> 00:17:06,319If you regularly encouraged others, you could be described as a son of encouragement.19200:17:07,239 –> 00:17:14,819So, Son of God, would describe a person who embodied all that God is in the flesh.19300:17:16,939 –> 00:17:19,939The absurdity of this might seem obvious to you.19400:17:20,280 –> 00:17:23,280Jesus had claimed to be the Son of God.19500:17:24,119 –> 00:17:27,619So, it was hardly surprising to hear them give him this challenge.19600:17:28,660 –> 00:17:32,079If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross!19700:17:32,479 –> 00:17:34,859Path 50019800:17:48,000 –> 00:17:53,920Pain seared through my body as I pressed down on my feet to take another gulp with air.19900:17:55,359 –> 00:18:01,359It was hard to tell how much time had elapsed since my crucifixion, which had been set for 9 am.20000:18:02,160 –> 00:18:07,760Since then the minutes had seemed like hours, but from the position of the sun at that point I20100:18:07,760 –> 00:18:16,239guessed it was around 10 am. One hour had seemed like an eternity. Already it was clear to me that20200:18:16,239 –> 00:18:22,640as time passed I would be less able to lift my weight, and were that less able to breathe.20300:18:23,839 –> 00:18:27,359I was inching toward death on a one-way street.20400:18:28,079 –> 00:18:36,640Looking at Jesus, I noticed the many wounds up and down his severely beaten body. There20500:18:36,640 –> 00:18:44,319were countless deep and open lacerations around his entire torso and up and down his legs.20600:18:46,319 –> 00:18:53,040Long thorns had been pressed into his brow as if to crown this bloodied King.20700:18:53,959 –> 00:18:59,040If God had a son, it was hard to imagine how he could ever look like this.20800:19:01,000 –> 00:19:06,540He saved others, the crowd chanted, but he can’t save himself.20900:19:07,180 –> 00:19:11,680Who had he saved? What did he save them from?21000:19:11,680 –> 00:19:16,339As a child I had been taught that God is the one who saves,21100:19:16,339 –> 00:19:20,839if Jesus was the Son of God, saving was clearly something he would do.21200:19:20,880 –> 00:19:26,380And yet when the crowd called on him to save himself, he made no response.21300:19:27,439 –> 00:19:30,800That’s religion for you! I thought.21400:19:30,800 –> 00:19:35,099He says he will destroy the temple but doesn’t remove a stone.21500:19:35,099 –> 00:19:40,060He claims to be the promised savior but can’t even save himself.21600:19:40,560 –> 00:19:45,439My anger intensified as these thoughts raced through my mind.21700:19:45,900 –> 00:19:47,020My mother used to say,21800:19:47,020 –> 00:19:51,180God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.21900:19:51,180 –> 00:19:52,939As far as I was concerned,22000:19:52,939 –> 00:19:56,180he was way too slow to anger with the Romans22100:19:56,439 –> 00:19:59,900and not nearly compassionate enough to us.22200:20:02,520 –> 00:20:07,180The searing pain shooting through my body seemed to reinforce the point.22300:20:10,020 –> 00:20:14,520It takes energy to speak when you are in excruciating pain.22400:20:15,599 –> 00:20:19,599And up to this point I had not spoken a single word.22500:20:20,140 –> 00:20:23,939But somehow these thoughts caused all hell22600:20:24,180 –> 00:20:26,119to break loose inside of me22700:20:26,119 –> 00:20:31,640and I poured out the foulest stream of hatred and abuse toward Jesus.22800:20:31,640 –> 00:20:33,099Pure venom.22900:20:33,219 –> 00:20:38,719The second victim, whose cross had been planted on the other side of Jesus, joined in.23000:20:38,839 –> 00:20:41,800And that got the crowd going again.23100:20:42,619 –> 00:20:47,719I wondered if there had ever been a time when so much hatred23200:20:47,719 –> 00:20:51,500had been poured out on one man.23300:20:53,199 –> 00:20:58,040Looking down, there were a few weeping women and one man who seemed to care about him.23400:20:58,040 –> 00:21:02,099But to everyone else he was an object of ridicule.23500:21:02,219 –> 00:21:04,599Although I knew little about him,23600:21:04,599 –> 00:21:06,979I was glad to join them.23700:21:07,319 –> 00:21:09,400I couldn’t keep it up though.23800:21:09,719 –> 00:21:12,699My body soon sagged, exhausted.23900:21:13,280 –> 00:21:16,540And as my voice fell silent, I began to wonder24000:21:16,540 –> 00:21:20,119why had I aimed my tirade at Jesus?24100:21:20,119 –> 00:21:21,359I hated Rome.24200:21:21,479 –> 00:21:26,300So why didn’t I spend that energy cursing Caesar or Pilate24300:21:26,300 –> 00:21:30,119or the Centurion, who was standing just a few feet away?24400:21:30,400 –> 00:21:34,500A thought came to me like a shaft of light I had never seen before.24500:21:35,119 –> 00:21:39,420Behind every hatred lays a deeper hatred of God.24600:21:42,439 –> 00:21:45,640I had never thought of myself as a God-hater before,24700:21:45,640 –> 00:21:48,060but somehow this thought made sense to me.24800:21:49,780 –> 00:21:54,420Long ago, I had come to the sad conclusion that God and his laws24900:21:54,420 –> 00:21:56,020were irrelevant to my life25000:21:56,020 –> 00:21:59,479and that the religious establishment was largely useless25100:21:59,479 –> 00:22:02,099to the great causes of justice and peace.25200:22:03,060 –> 00:22:06,199I had thought of myself as a God-skeptic,25300:22:06,199 –> 00:22:11,680but in that moment I saw something deeper and darker in my soul.25400:22:11,680 –> 00:22:15,300Behind my hatred of Rome lay my hatred of God.25500:22:17,380 –> 00:22:21,579The same God who had allowed Rome to stomp all over its people,25600:22:22,219 –> 00:22:25,640who had permitted the tax collectors to extort our family,25700:22:26,540 –> 00:22:31,900who had made a world in which people die excruciating deaths on wooden beams.25800:22:33,020 –> 00:22:38,560Pain fueled the hatred that filled my soul in this awful ordeal.25900:22:40,099 –> 00:22:41,420I hated Rome.26000:22:42,959 –> 00:22:44,219I hated myself.26100:22:45,459 –> 00:22:46,660I hated God.26200:22:48,300 –> 00:22:49,719I hated his son.26300:22:51,699 –> 00:22:53,359I was on the brink of hell.26400:22:55,500 –> 00:22:57,060I could taste it already26500:22:57,060 –> 00:23:06,959Such a powerful picture of the thief from the novel, Heaven, How I Got Here.26600:23:07,760 –> 00:23:10,920Colin, it shows us the hatred which the thief had.26700:23:11,160 –> 00:23:16,719Yeah. I think he’s about as far from God as it’s possible for a person to be at this point in this story.26800:23:17,400 –> 00:23:21,459And yet the remarkable thing is that Jesus says to him before the end,26900:23:21,619 –> 00:23:24,140you’re going to be with me in paradise.27000:23:24,140 –> 00:23:27,439So, if there’s hope for this person in Jesus Christ,27100:23:27,439 –> 00:23:31,699then there is hope for the person who feels very far from God even today.27200:23:31,800 –> 00:23:37,640And Colin, as we continue the novel this week, we’re going to see what actually happens to the thief.27300:23:37,939 –> 00:23:40,800Yeah, and there’s this great change that comes over him.27400:23:40,800 –> 00:23:42,060It’s very wonderful really.27500:23:42,060 –> 00:23:46,699I mean, he’s been pouring out all of this hatred onto Jesus Christ.27600:23:47,140 –> 00:23:50,719He comes to realise that this Christ actually loves him27700:23:51,000 –> 00:23:53,599and that there’s hope for him in this Christ.27800:23:53,599 –> 00:23:58,079And this is the great change where a person comes to a place of saying,27900:23:58,239 –> 00:24:00,199you know, I’ve been hating this Christ.28000:24:00,199 –> 00:24:02,640I should be asking him to help me.28100:24:02,640 –> 00:24:05,439And that’s where this thief comes and Jesus does help him28200:24:05,439 –> 00:24:09,079and says today you will be with me in paradise.28300:24:09,280 –> 00:24:12,119That’s what this week’s broadcast is all about.28400:24:12,119 –> 00:24:15,400So, I hope you’ll stay with us for the whole series.28500:24:15,619 –> 00:24:18,040Open The Bible is supported by our listeners28600:24:18,119 –> 00:24:21,280and if you’ve been considering becoming one of those supporters,28700:24:21,520 –> 00:24:25,439this month when you set up a new Direct Debit of £5 or more28800:24:25,599 –> 00:24:28,239or a one-off gift of £50 or more28900:24:28,719 –> 00:24:31,880we’d love to say thank you by sending you two copies29000:24:31,880 –> 00:24:34,359of the graphic novel of Heaven How I Got Here29100:24:34,359 –> 00:24:36,359the story of the thief on the cross29200:24:36,680 –> 00:24:40,359along with a copy of the NIV Outreach Bible.29300:24:40,640 –> 00:24:44,079Both the graphic novel and the Bible are absolutely ideal29400:24:44,079 –> 00:24:47,760to give away to your family and friends this Easter.29500:24:48,239 –> 00:24:50,680Full terms and conditions are on our website29600:24:51,000 –> 00:24:54,760that’s at openthebible.org.uk29700:24:55,040 –> 00:24:56,719and you can give online.29800:24:56,920 –> 00:24:59,400If you’d like us to send you this free gift29900:24:59,400 –> 00:25:02,199please remember not to give anonymously30000:25:02,199 –> 00:25:04,359and to leave your full name and address30100:25:04,359 –> 00:25:06,359so we can send you your gift.30200:25:06,839 –> 00:25:09,319For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith30300:25:09,319 –> 00:25:10,599I’m David Pick30400:25:10,599 –> 00:25:14,959and I hope you’ll join us again next time on Open the Bible.30500:25:19,040 –> 00:25:22,560If you’ve ever wondered what Jesus can do for you30600:25:22,560 –> 00:25:24,359Pastor Colin shows you30700:25:24,359 –> 00:25:27,000in the story of the thief on the cross.30800:25:27,000 –> 00:25:29,479That’s next time on Open the Bible.