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Father forgive them, for they do not know what
they are doing (Luke 2334)
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Introduction

• As Jesus our Lord was on the cross, His last
  words teach us many lessons

• In this series I hope to share with you some
  insight into those final moments before Jesus
  took His last breath and died.

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Father, forgive them

• Jesus first cry from the cross is one of
  pardon for His enemies

• Forgiveness is a great concept until you are
  called to practice it

• Jesus often granted mercy to those who needed
  it (Mark 25-12)

• While on the cross Jesus asked the Father to do
  what He often did for others (Luke 2334)

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Father, forgive them

• Jesus addresses God as Father only twice on
  the cross (Luke 2334, 46)

• Once, in His darkest moment He calls Him God
  (Mark 1534)

• Here Jesus is recognizing the sin He had to
  bear and He pleads with His Father to forgive
  all those who put Him on the cross (The Greek
  text implies a repeated asking of Father,
  forgive them)

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Father, forgive them

• When man was at his worst, Jesus prayed for
  mercy not justice

• He who was the victim of histories greatest
  crime, prayed for the criminals

• Jesus realized the seriousness of what He was
  going to do on the cross and willingly accepted
  His Fathers will (Matt 2639)

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Father, forgive them

• The cup provided the blood that would purchase
  or redeem mankind (Rev. 59)

• Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us that
  we might be free from the consequences (II Cor.
  521)

• Jesus left vengeance in the hand of God and
  asked for mercy for His enemies (Rom 1219)

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Father, forgive them

• Though He was sinless, He was numbered with the
  transgressors (Isaiah 5312)

• Jesus was praying that the sacrifice that He
  made be directly applied to the ones who
  mistreated Him (Isaiah 5312)

• Jesus prayed that believers of His word would
  come into a relationship with Him and His Father
  (John 1720-21)

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for they do not know what they are doing

• The question is, were the murderers of Jesus
  ignorant of their doings?

• Judas knew he was betraying a friend, Pilate
  found Jesus innocent, the Sanhedrin gave bribes
  to make false witness stand true (Isaiah 5312)

• The problem was they never realized they were
  crucifying the Lord of glory (I Corinthians 28)

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for they do not know what they are doing

• These people knew what they had done, but not
  all that they really did

• There is a difference between sins of ignorance
  and willful sins, yet they are both sins worthy
  of death (Numbers 1530 Leviticus 515)

• Jesus never said, Let them go freethey dont
  know, but rather paid the sacrifice that would
  set them free (Hebrews 1010-14)

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for they do not know what they are doing

• We need to take seriously the things that we do
  before God (Hebrews 22-4)

• The one who bore our penalty for sin, now asks
  God for our pardon

• The ignorance of mankind is obvious from the
  preaching found in the NT (Acts 236-41
  312-15 44 67)

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for they do not know what they are doing

• When the people said, Let His blood be on us
  and on our children.., they wanted it to be
  applied as guilt to them (Matt. 2725)

• In a very different way the blood was indeed
  applied to those who come in trusting faith to
  Christ (Revelation 79-10, 13-14)

• Christ wasnt forgiving those at the cross, but
  was rather making the way for forgiveness (John
  179)

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for they do not know what they are doing

• When man is called to forgive sins, they have a
  difficult timebut God forgives all who seek Him
  (Hebrews 1015-18)

• He who needed no forgiveness died for those of
  us who are condemned without it (Rom. 56-9)

• Forgiveness can only come when we ask for its
  blessings and we need to pray for those in sin
  (Mt. 544 Lk.173-4)

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for they do not know what they are doing

• We need to learn how to make friends out of our
  enemies, like Jesus didcommitting our life to
  God (I Peter 223)

• When we realize the terrible nature of sin we
  realize the wonderful God of forgiveness we
  serve (Mt. 1821-22)

• When sin is not taken seriously, forgiveness is
  taken to lightly (Rom. 61-7, 15-18)

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Are you going to accept His forgiveness?

• See Acts 236-39

• Hear (John 1248)

• Believe (John 824)

• Repent (Luke 133, 5)

• Confess (Matt. 1032-33)

• Baptized (Mark 1616)

• Faithful (Rev. 210)