Father Forgive Them
Jesus was tried in a mockery of justice, accused of blasphemy because He confessed the truth that He was the Son of God. He was accused of treason because He confessed that He is a King.
He was then whipped, beaten and nailed to a cross. Words From the Cross, II
As He hung there, the crowd mocked Him, And even the rulers were sneering at Him, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.’ The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up to Him, offering Him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save Yourself!’ (Luke 23:35-37).
And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, ‘You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, ‘He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. He trusts in God, let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God’ (Matt. 27:39-43).
Jesus’ response to this inhumanity: Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).
As Jesus experiences excruciating pain and cruel mocking, He releases forgiving grace on the perpetrators. They are ignorant, as are all unredeemed people: The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2 Cor. 4:4).
Their ignorance does not excuse their crime nor do they deserve to be forgiven. Jesus asks the Father to forgive them because this is why He was born in human form, to obtain mercy for sinners, For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:20).
God pours out grace and mercy on undeserving sinners because this is the heart of God.
Jesus’ prayer produced immediate results.
One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, ‘Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us’ (Luke 23:39). Actually, both of the condemned criminals had been hurling abuse at Jesus, to begin with (Matt. 27:44). But one of the thieves had fallen silent.
Now he speaks, ‘Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.’ And he was saying, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!’ (Luke 23:40-42).
In those few words we see a heart that has opened to saving grace.
Earlier He was blaspheming the Son of God, though in ignorance. Now he asks the other criminal, Do you not even fear God? (Luke 23:40). He reverences the justice and wrath of God. The reverence of God is the beginning of repentance.
Notice also his sense of personal sinfulness: We indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds (Luke 23:41). He is not blaming others for his sins and mistakes. He accepts personal accountability.
Reverencing God and admitting his own sinfulness reveals true repentance. He is correctly assessing his condition. Salvation begins with the confession that I am an unworthy sinner in need of a Savior.
Notice his correct assessment of the innocence of Jesus, This man has done nothing wrong (Luke 23:41). He understands the righteousness of Jesus.
Now he pleads for mercy, Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom! ((Luke 23:42).
He does not speak of his prior good works, of his merit, of his righteousness. He does not say, “Lord, I know I’ve made some mistakes but I’ve done some good things too. I deserve your grace.”
Nothing of that. He realizes his complete spiritual bankruptcy. He is like the writer of that song who said, “Nothing in my hands I bring, only to Thy cross I cling.”
His request demonstrates saving faith: Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom! He realizes that Jesus is truly bringing the kingdom of God into history and he asks to be included.
What does he believe about the kingdom of God? He knows he will be dead very soon so he must understand that the kingdom of God is a dimension of being that transcends this life. He seems to understand that somehow there will be life after this death, there will be a kingdom over which Jesus will rule and he asks to be part of it.
He had just heard Jesus intercede for those who were gathered at Calvary. He had heard the gracious plea that forgiving grace would be poured out on sinners and he thinks, “If mercy is available to the people who are committing such brutality to an innocent man, maybe there is grace for me.”
He is asking, “May I be one of those who experiences an answer to Your prayer — save me from the judgment of a righteous God and may I be included in Your kingdom when my life is ended!”
This is a man who is experiencing the miracle of salvation. Salvation is always a miracle which God works in the hearts of those who awaken to His grace.
Jesus said to Nicodemus, Unless one is born again (or born from above) he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). How do we enter the kingdom of God? As we are reborn, regenerated by the power of God.
The Apostle Paul said that though we were dead in trespass and sin, God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:4-6).
Salvation is a miracle wrought by God in a heart awakened to grace. Jesus said, No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day (John 6:44).
No one can come in faith to Jesus unless the Father awakens him, draws him. But the Father in His unmeasured mercy does awaken, does draw men and women to Christ and so He did with this condemned criminal in the final hours of his life.
Today You Shall Be With Me In Paradise
Jesus’ immediately responded to this plea for mercy, Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise’ (Luke 23:43).
What an incredible event! A condemned criminal hanging on a cross asks for mercy and a Savior hanging next to Him lavishes mercy on the man.
What a miracle! A man who lived only for the kingdoms of this world suddenly receives revelation that there is a greater kingdom beyond this life, asks to be included and receives assurance that before the day is over he will be in that kingdom.
There was no time for him to earn his way in by human achievement or religious works. No time to establish his own righteousness by giving something, doing something. The saving grace of God is entirely a gift, as we are reminded by the Apostle Paul, For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:10).
There is no greater illustration of grace than this — God rescued, redeemed a dying man.
Consider this irony:
The crowd is mocking Jesus for not saving Himself as He saves a thief by not saving Himself.
The Giver of life dies so that those who are dead may have life.
He who was unwilling to save Himself becomes the Savior of the world.
We also read, It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour because the sun was obscured (Luke 23:44,45).
In a land of blazing sunlight, at high noon the light begins to fade until all becomes dark. God is often associated with light. Jesus said, I am the Light of the world (John 8:12). Paul tells us that God dwells in unapproachable light (I Tim. 6:16).
But God is also associated with darkness, especially when expressing His wrath: Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; surely it is near, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness (Joel 2:1,2).
Speaking of the return of Christ, Joel said, The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes (Joel 2:31).
When the Lord poured out judgment over Egypt, one of the plagues was darkness so thick and impenetrable that it could be felt (Exodus 10:21-23).
Speaking of the coming day of the Lord’s judgment, Amos said, Alas, you who are longing for the day of the Lord, for what purpose will the day of the Lord be to you? It will be darkness and not light … Will not the day of the Lord be darkness instead of light, even gloom with no brightness in it? (Amos 5:18-20).
Jesus described hell as a place of outer darkness (Matthew 8:12).
What is this darkness that encompasses the land at noon? It is the presence of God’s judgment poured out on the holy, dying Lamb of God. This is the cup which Jesus anticipated as He sweat drops of blood in Gethsemane, the night before. The wrath of God is not poured out on the mocking priests nor on the cruel soldiers. It is unleashed in full measure on Jesus.
As the darkness of hell encompasses Calvary, Jesus, the holy, sacrificed Lamb took our sin upon Himself, became a cursed, sin offering, bore the Father’s eternal judgment of sin and experienced the sinner’s absolute separation from God.
As the sin of the world and the wrath of God fell upon Jesus, God the Father turned away from His beloved, only begotten Son. Jesus sensed this and cried out, Eli, Eli, Lama Sabachthani? which means, My God, My God, why haveYou forsaken Me?’ (Matt. 27:46).
As Jesus hung on the cross bearing the weight of sin, the curse of sin and God’s wrath toward sin, He also experienced the result of sin — complete alienation from the Father. His cry expresses horror at something which He had never known from eternity — the death of communion with His Father. There is a sacred mystery here. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are one God existing from eternity as three distinct Persons and yet One God, co-equal in glory and power, perfect in unity and substance and nature, eternally perfect in purpose, will and power, eternally One, indivisibly One.
The unity of God cannot be divided. Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, cannot be separated from God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
But because God is holy, He cannot look upon sin (Hab. 1:13). God therefore turned away from His Son, the sin-offering for the world. In some way, for these three hours, Jesus experienced loss of communion with His Father. That should have been our just sentence, separated from God for all eternity in hell. But Jesus bore it for us, in our place.
Later, sensing the Father’s acceptance of the atoning sacrifice, He cried out, Tetelestai — It is finished! (John 19:30). Tetelestai means accomplished, done, complete.
Finished! Atonement for sin has been accomplished, humanity is redeemed from the curse and penalty of sin. Wrath is appeased, Scripture fulfilled. Satan is defeated, his entangling enslavement of humanity is destroyed. It is this miracle — the sacrifice of the holy Lamb of God — which enabled the miracle of the thief’s salvation.
Having completed the work which he came to do, Jesus shouted with a loud voice, ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last (Luke 23:46).
As he said this, the earth began to quake, rocks split.
Immediately another miracle took place: When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, ‘Surely this man was innocent’ (Luke 23:47).
Something happened to the Roman officer in charge and Matthew gives us more insight: Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’ (Matthew 27:54).
There may have been others present that day who came to saving faith. Seven weeks later, as Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, 3,000 souls are added to the kingdom. In the following weeks, even priests come to faith in Christ. Were some of them present on Calvary?
The wrath of God and the fury of hell was poured out on that lonely hill but not poured out on the offending sinners. It was poured out on a holy Lamb whose atoning blood wrought miracles that day and in the following weeks and in the centuries that followed.
We are participants in that miracle and may God be praised.
Many of you have heard the story of Corrie ten Boom, so greatly used of Lord in spreading the message of God’s redeeming love. She lived during World War II and was arrested with her family for assisting Jews. As a result, she spent several years in women’s death camp at Ravensbruck. Her beloved sister died in that camp. Her father also died at the hands of the Nazis.
After the war the Lord gave Corrie a ministry of reconciliation and she traveled all over the world sharing the Good News that God forgives all who come to Him through His Son.
Once Corrie was speaking in a church in Germany and after she finished sharing, as always, she invited anyone who would come to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. A man came forward, tears streaming down his cheeks. As he walked down the aisle, Corrie recognized him — he had been one of the cruelest guards in the camp.
As he approached he held out his hands and asked, “Is it possible that God can forgive me? Can you forgive me too?”
Corrie said her hands were frozen at her side. She did not have it in her to forgive him or even to reach out and touch him. She prayed silently, “Lord Jesus, if I cannot forgive this man then all I have said tonight is a lie. But I don't have any forgiveness. Will you give me yours?”
She said the love of God began to flow through her like an electric current. She reached out to the man, they embraced and as their tears mingled, she said, “Yes, my brother, the Lord Jesus forgives you and so do I.”
For the former guard and the former prisoner, the war was finally over.
Jesus was speaking of each of us from that cross when He said, Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.
He was speaking to each of us who have trusted in Him when He said, You shall be with Me in Paradise.
When we come to God through His Son Jesus, God forgives us and raises us from the prisons of our sin and failure. But the prisons of resentment and bitterness will linger on in our soul until we also forgive as we have been forgiven. Forgiving ourselves, forgiving others is not always easy. It may even be painful. Yet it was at the moment of His greatest pain that Jesus said, Father forgive them, they know not what they do.
You and I do not have that kind of love or grace in us by nature. But our new nature in Christ contains the seeds of His nature. And as His life fills and transforms us, we too will be able to say of ourselves and others, “Father, forgive.”