Christians: Can you explain this please?

I was confused with this too at one time. Well the word paradise that Jesus uses is not referring to heaven above...not exactly. In the old testament people were under the law bc christ had not come yet to offer the sacrifice for sins. So they went to a place Jesus called paradise or in another verse its called the bosom of abraham.(when lazurs the begger died and the rich man later died and went to hell...he says how he sees lazurs the begger in the bossom of abraham but there was a great gulf between them). Paradise ""was"" a place reserved for those faithful to the law God gave rather than goin to hell. So when christ died the bible says that he went to hell. Now for what? he went there to preach to those that were in "paradise" or the bossom of abraham. So he was telling the theif that when he died he'll see him in paradise...and there he preached to them and those that believed in him and were saved God latter took to heaven with him. Hope that helped out some...let me know if u need it explained better and i'll give verses too..sry i dont have my bible in front of me right this sec. GOD BLESS :]