Father Forgive Them (Part 1)
Looking at 3 words this morning and evening
The most profound words ever spoken
"Father forgive them"
We will see this morning how these words bring us glorious comfort and this evening a profound challenge
Crucifixion:
A terrible experience
Jesus endure this death
He plumbed the depths of suffering at Calvary
Suffering often causes us to look within
Yet Jesus looked beyond Himself, beyond His suffering and pain out to others
John tells us He looked beyond Himself to His mother
He thinks of His mother as He suffers
Luke tells us something more remarkable – His heart went out to those who were responsible for the crucifixion
This is mind blowing and supernatural
Jesus did not deserve any punishment – He had done no harm but devoted His life to good, and in His last 3 years teaching and healing
He does not plead for vengeance or vindication
This is a continual prayer – Father forgive them
Jesus practiced what He preached
Why was Jesus so concerned about the people?
The people have no understanding what they were bringing upon themselves
They knew of the false charges and the process of crucifixion
To crucify an ordinary man would have been inexcusable
But they were putting the Son of God through this
They were crucifying their only hope of salvation
Peter refers to this [Acts 3:13]
Consider the weight and the consequences of this
Jesus was not asking His Father to excuse them …
… but to bring them to repentance
… to forgive them
What a Saviour is Jesus the Lord!
He was filled with compassion and grieved with their plight
What a heart has Jesus
It makes you want to run to Him
Jesus will make intercession for the transgressor [Isaiah 53:12]
How could such a heinous sin be forgiven?
The cross was done to Jesus (by His enemies) and by Him (for His enemies)
It shows us the depth of human sin and the immensity of divine love
The cross is staggering
Jesus suffered for the people in order to forgive the people
This was good news for them
It is good news for us
Each of us have crucified Jesus – how?
We were not in the crowd – but we have done it in our hearts
The crucifixion involved a rejection of Jesus
By nature we have all done this
To reject the call of the gospel/Jesus Christ is to reject Jesus and tell Him to go away and die
So says the writer to the Hebrews [Hebrews 6:6]
Quote from the Song written by Horatius Bonar
Quote from Song written by Stuart Townend
Before we loved Jesus, we were not neutral towards Him
If you are not Christian – you are rejecting Jesus Christ
Glorious Comfort
Jesus’ words to us
Jesus pleads for our saving, pardoning, repentance and ultimately to be with Him
Jesus does not want people to go to hell but to be showered with God’s goodness
See the enormity of what you have done and the enormity of what Christ has done
If you are not a Christian – turn to Jesus and live
If you are a Christian – remember what Jesus has done for us
What about the Father’s heart?
Think of the thief on the cross – he was brought into paradise
Think of Peter preaching at Pentecost [2 Peter 2:37-38]
The people repented, believed and a church of some 3,000 people was born
The Father and the Son’s heart beat as one
If you call out to God – you will be forgiven
If we have cried out to God – we have been forgiven, because of the cross
A warning
Their heart is for forgiveness
If we do not cry out to God – there will be a judgment
In AD 70 judgment came upon Jerusalem
The good news is there is forgiveness for those who believe but judgment for those who will not believe
Quote from Song written by Charles Wesley