Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing
John Hall
The seven sayings on .the cross show us the Saviour's great love for
sinners. Matthew and Mark are similar and record his deep agony. He
experiences 'forsakenness' as he suffers as a sin bearer. John records
his care for his mother, his fulfilment of Scripture and the cry of
victory. Luke brilliantly shows his compassionate love for sinners and
his trust in his Father. The Saviour prays for his enemies, assures the
thief of his salvation and commits his own soul into his Father's hand
as he voluntarily lays down his life.
The
context in which the Saviour speaks is the giving of his life as a
ransom for many or as Peter later wrote, He himself bore our sins in
his body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24 NIV). For the first of these
seven sayings Luke takes us to the place of the Skull where we meet
three men, soldiers and a sneering crowd. The two criminals and Jesus
are nailed to crosses, 'crucified'. Then Jesus offers up this amazing
prayer: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are
doing (Luke 23:34). It is amazing that as the nails are
driven into his hands and the taunts of criminals, crowd and leaders of
the people reach his ears, he does not pray for retribution on them nor
for his own needs but for those inflicting the pain on him.
Who is praying?
Jesus, the Messiah, God-made-man who had all things committed into
his hands by his Father. He had power and authority yet he is here
nailed to a tree. He has gone there, allowed it to happen and now stays
there.
To whom does he pray?
He says 'Father' showing us a unique relationship. Here is God the
Son on the cross doing his Father's will by dying to save the people
given to him before the foundation of the world.
What does he request?
He thinks first of his enemies' needs and says, 'Father forgive
them'. Only God can forgive sin and what terrible sin is taking
place: the crucifixion of the sinless Saviour, the sneering and gloating
of his enemies, the bitterness of the criminals, the mocking of the
soldiers and the disregard for his sufferings as they gamble over his
clothes. What greater need has anyone than the cancelling and blotting
out of their sins before God, because that is what forgiveness means?
For whom does pray?
The reason Jesus gives for his request, 'for they do not know what
they are doing', gives us a clue to their identity. They were blind
to the fact that they were crucifying the Lord of Glory. Just as a few
months later Stephen prayed for those who stoned him, so here Jesus is
praying for the soldiers, the criminals, and his Jewish mockers. Was the
prayer answered?
Read on and see one of the criminals repenting and finding mercy and
the centurion praising God and saying 'this was a righteous man' (Luke
23:47) or in Matthew 27:54 saying also, 'Surely he was the Son of
God', Then a few weeks later 3000 were saved on one day.
What can we learn from this saying?
1 It shows us the tenderness of the Lord's heart towards sinners and
reassures us that our sins, however great, can be blotted out as we turn
from them and trust the Saviour's death.
2 As the Saviour prayed here, he is still praying for his people in
heaven and therefore we know our place there is guaranteed. In telling
us about the Saviour about 750 years before he came, Isaiah said, For
he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors (Isaiah
53:12). We see that fulfilled here and so can take comfort as we read in
Hebrews 7:25, Therefore he is able to save completely those who come
to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
3 In praying for his enemies the Lord gives us an example to follow.
He said Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that
you may be sons of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44). How will
you put this into practice in your life?
4 Maybe you are not a Christian and yet know you are a sinner. Maybe
you long to be free from guilt and fear. But you think God is not really
willing to forgive you. You feel you cannot be sure of that. Surely in
this saying you have all the encouragement you need to come to this
Saviour and be forgiven. If in the agony of dying he showed such a
willingness to forgive, now that he is glorified in heaven you can be
assured that you can trust him for your forgiveness. Trust him now and
know the joy of sins forgiven!
