Two Tickets to Paradise

Eddie Money, a famous American rock singer, produced a song in 1977 titled “Two Tickets to Paradise”. He wrote it in an attempt to sway his then girlfriend to take off with him on a vacation and to get away from all the negativity surrounding their relationship, as the girl's mom didn't want Eddie around. The song gained popularity in the late 70's and has been a classic ever since. Many continue to resonate with the ideas and emotions behind these words.

Got a surprise especially for you

Something that both of us have always wanted to do

We've waited so long, waited so long

We've waited so long, waited so long

I'm gonna take you on a trip so far from here

I've got two tickets in my pocket, now baby, we're gonna disappear

We've waited so long, waited so long

We've waited so long, waited so long

I've got two tickets to paradise

Won't you pack your bags, we'll leave tonight

I've got two tickets to paradise

I've got two tickets to paradise (Full Lyrics Here)

Why do many of us relate to this song? There are plenty of times when I think, “Man, let's just get out of here. Let's go someplace far away. Let's start over. Two tickets to paradise sounds really good right about now.”

There are no doubt many times in a day for some, or in a week for others, or in a month or in a year, where perhaps all of us identify with this song. 1) We want to leave our current circumstances. 2) We to go to some unidentified relaxing, beautiful, and carefree place we call “paradise”. In fact, Webster's Dictionary defines paradise as “a very beautiful, pleasant or peaceful place that seems to be perfect”. We relate to this song because we want to leave, and we want to 3) be with someone we love and that loves us. Hence, TWO tickets to paradise. And 4) we want to leave right now, let's leave tonight.

Notice the words, we have waited so long (implies the building up of negativity) for this trip so far from here, let's leave tonight, let's disappear. Boom...all problems solved. Just you and me in paradise.

Let's look at paradise. The first paradise. This same Webster's dictionary also defines “Paradise” as Eden, referring to the Garden of Eden. In looking at the first 3 chapters of the book of Genesis from the Bible, we can see humankind's beginning in their original created state. Two times in Genesis chapter 2, we read that God mad man and placed him in the garden that God made.

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Gen. 2:8-9)

Also, The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” (Gen 2:15-17)

Everything was really really good for the man. Except, he was alone, and that was not good. Thus, God formed from Adam, his wife Eve. Then everything was VERY GOOD!! (-;

I wonder if this is why we have this longing to be in a place with lush trees and vegetation, good food, clean clear waters. Most of us would picture some sort of Caribbean beach that would be similar to this description. Being in the garden (paradise) with the one you love AND with a great relationship with God. There are tasks to do, but they are fulfilling as opposed to negative, tedious, boring, unfulfilling.

Moving ahead to Chapter 3, something terrible happens. The first couple, they fall. They disobey God and plummet all of humankind and creation into a fallen and lost state. Now, their work becomes complicated, relationships are broken and though paradise becomes a distant memory, it remains a longing of the human heart. It is described this way...The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. And the Lord God said, The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (Gen. 3:21-24)

Notice three things? Because of Adam and Eve's sin, God banished them, He drove them out of the garden, and He placed a guard so as to prevent them in their fallen state to eat from the tree or life.

Let's fast forward to another time “paradise” is mentioned. Jesus, the Son of God, is dying on a cross. His hands and feet nailed to a wooden structure on a hilltop outside of Jerusalem and left there to die. Many were around him jeering and mocking him. He was crucified between two thieves. An interesting exchange takes place between the three men.

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the Jews.

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:32-43)

There are many interesting and important things to explore in this passage. The one criminal wants Jesus to get him out of this situation of being crucified. I find that this is the prayer of most. “Jesus, just get me out of this!!!!” No allegiance to Jesus, no submission to Jesus, just a selfish cry for intervention. The other criminal recognizes himself as a fallen man and justly punished. He recognizes that he will very soon stand before God and give an account for his life. He recognizes that Jesus is an innocent man. He recognizes that Jesus is the King. And he recognizes his need for a relationship with Jesus. He asks to be remembered in Jesus' kingdom. Jesus reply is to assure the man he would be with Jesus today in Paradise. Very interesting word choice--”paradise”.

The Greek word is paradeisos. It is translated paradise in the New Testament. In the Greek version of the Old Testament it is translated “garden”, “orchard”, “paradise”, and “Garden of Eden”. I have always thought that Jesus use of the word paradise was just a variant of heaven or perhaps a reference to some happy holding place prior to heaven. I know there can be a lot of theological discussion on all of this, but I simply want to pull out one point.

For the first time since the episode in the Garden of Eden where God banished and drove out the representatives of humankind from the Garden, God, in the person of Jesus, is now removing the angelic guard to the Tree of Life. He is inviting all who would recognize themselves for who they truly are and recognize Jesus for who He truly is to come back to the place where everything is VERY GOOD. Come back to the place where relationships can be healed, where relationships with God can be made right, where work can be once again fulfilling. For the first time in human history the banishment and the being driven out of the Garden (paradise) is reversed!!!!

There is a reason we all identify with Eddie Money at various times in our lives. We are born with a longing in our hearts for paradise, where relationships with others and with God are VERY GOOD.

Eddie wanted to leave his circumstances, he wanted to go far away with the one he loves and who loves him. He wanted to go that night. Well, on that Cross, and today, right now, Jesus is offering two tickets to paradise. He is offering you a way out of the circumstances of sin in your life. He is offering for you to go a long way from your current life and to be with someone you can love and who loves you—Jesus. And you can go right now. Jesus bought me one of those tickets and I am on that journey with Him even now. Two tickets to Paradise? One for you and one for Jesus. Actually, there are plenty of tickets, as much as any who would want to go to paradise.

The Apostle Paul caught a glimpse of this paradise—this place where all is VERY GOOD. 2 Cor. 13:3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, ... You can do more than catch a glimpse.

John records in the Book of Revelation chapter 2 verse 7 that Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

The big concern in the Garden of Eden is that Human Kind in their fallen state would reach out and eat from the Tree of Life and live forever in lostness and darkness and brokenness. But now through the Life, Death, Resurrection, Ascension and soon Return of Jesus, you and I can eat from the Tree of Life in the Garden of God, not as fallen creatures, but as renewed and restored men and women. Not with broken relationships and negativity being built up all around us, but with healing, health and meaning marking our lives. Not with guilt and lostness, but with freedom and wholeness.

What does our future hold? PARADISE….Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. (Rev. 22:1-5)

Jesus has a surprise especially for you

Something that you have always wanted to do

You've waited so long...

He's gonna take you on a trip so far from where you are now

He's got two tickets to paradise

Won't you leave your baggage, you can leave right now

He has got two tickets to paradise...It is essential you take one and join HIM…

By Michael Gohn

9/5/2016