Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23: 34, NIV.
Dear God, it is with joy that we approach the Throne of Grace, to give You thanks for Your unconditional love. We ask that Your mercy will flow over us in torrents; and may we experience Your forgiveness, like never before. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
I am not sure of the chronological order of Jesus’ “seven last words,” as they are referred to in some Christian communities. During this week, we are going to look at these statements and try to find what they may have meant to believers in the First century, and what message of encouragement they have for our lives, today.
Jesus has travelled from the gate of Pilate’s court, carrying a cross that was not made for Him. His back is bleeding; He has been scourged twice. All of His disciples have fled and left Him. Those who are still around, are following Him “at a distance” (Luke 22: 54, NIV). It has been a while since He has had anything to eat, and He is visibly exhausted, and possibly, on the verge of dehydration. He has not slept for more than twelve hours. He was been arrested on false charges, and condemned to death, without a fair trial. He has been beaten, spat upon, ridiculed, stripped of His garments, and clothed with an old kingly robe, and a crown of thorns. He is on His way to Calvary.
He faints beneath the weight of the cross. The mob looks on, but not in sympathy. They mock and jeer. None of the Jews can help Him. To help the Paschal Lamb would make them unfit, to partake of the Passover, by making them “unclean.” Jesus manages to raise Himself and they lay the cross upon His shoulders. Again, He falls to the ground. At that moment, Simon of Cyrene is passing by. He sees the crowd, and hears their mocking. His heart goes out in sympathy to the Nazarene. The soldiers seize Simon and lay the Savior’s cross on His shoulders. He accepts the cross. (The Desire of Ages, p. 655).
He finally makes it to the top of Mount Calvary. He is nailed to the cross between two criminals. The crowds passing by mock Him, “You saved others, save Yourself!” The soldiers taunt: “If He is who He says He is, the Anointed of God, let Him save Himself! Even one of the malefactors who is being crucified with Him railed on Him, “Save Yourself, and us.” It was under these circumstances that the Savior uttered one of the most unbelievable prayers: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
There was so much truth to the Savior’s prayer! The religious leaders did not know what they were doing, when they treated the Son of God like a common criminal. They would regret it for the rest of their lives. Pilate did not know what he was doing, when he had Jesus flogged, and then delivered Him up to be crucified, even though he “[found] no fault in Him”(Luke 23: 22). All the water in the palace could not wash the blood of the Savior off of his hands. Herod did not know what he was doing, by joining with the mob to mock the Savior. He brought judgment upon himself, that in time, would be meted out. The malefactor did not know what he was asking, when he challenged Jesus to save Himself and save them. If he only knew, that it was by not saving Himself, that the Savior was saving them! The angry mob did not understand, that if Jesus had come down from the cross, as they were daring Him to do, our world would have been lost in sin, forever! An entire nation did not know what they were saying, when they said “we have no king but Caesar” (John 19: 15); or, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas unto us” (Luke 23: 18). They were choosing the prince of darkness, over the Prince of Peace. They were choosing death instead of life. The people did not know what they were asking, when they said, ” ‘Let His blood be upon us, and our children’ ” (Matthew 27: 25). They would live to regret those words for as long s they lived! He knew that they did not know – that is why He prayed for them to be forgiven!
I thank God for a Savior, who, even when He was dying on a cross, could ask His Father to forgive His murderers.