First Saying of Jesus on the Cross (Luke 23:34)
This sermon was preached on 20/9/2009
The cross of Jesus is the most important happening in human history. Yet when we look at the people who were there, we see that, initially at least, it did not affect them as it should have done. The soldiers were indifferent, the Jewish leaders were hostile, the crowd was antagonistic, the crucified criminals were spiteful, his friends were distraught. We will see various attitudes and responses by these different groups as we think about the events that took place at Calvary. Through the hours that Jesus was on the cross, some of the members of these groups began to think differently.
Yet interesting as their reactions are, it is more important for us to understand what was going on in the mind of Jesus when he was on the cross. How can we discover what he was thinking? One way of doing so is by considering what he said when he was on the cross. In the Gospels are found seven sayings that Jesus uttered on the cross. He may have said more, but we are not told what these may have been. But we have the seven and they are sufficient to tell us what Jesus was thinking and experiencing when he was hanging on the cross. The first saying was, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
A squad of four soldiers was usually given the task of crucifying a condemned criminal. To them fell the duties of stripping the person of his clothes, of nailing him to the wood, and of lowering the cross into the hole in the ground. After they had completed their assigned work, they would sit down below the cross and keep guard in case any of the victim’s friends would try and release him. One of the few activities for passing their time was gambling and often they would begin their time of guard duty by gambling for the victim’s clothes. As they waited, they heard the crucified man’s continued cries of pain, intermingled with blasphemy; strong words which they had began to hear when they commenced nailing him to the wood.
The quarternion who oversaw the crucifixion of Jesus did not expect anything unusual. They knew that he had some followers, but they had fled when he was arrested, which meant that there was little likelihood of a rescue mission. For these soldiers, this crucifixion seemed no different from previous ones, and perhaps the only detail that interested them was which of them would take home the garments worn by the condemned man. They did notice that he did not curse or abuse them as they nailed him to the cross. Instead he seemed concerned about them, and as they sat down, they heard him praying for them: ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ But they continued to throw the dice.
This first recorded statement of Jesus on the cross is a very remarkable one. It is remarkable because he was in intense bodily pain due to the floggings and other physical abuse he had received during his trials. He has arrived at the cross following on from the betrayal by his disciple, Judas, the previous evening; since the arrest he has been the innocent victim of gross injustice from the Jewish Sanhedrin, from the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate and from Herod, the puppet king of Galilee. In the twenty-four hours or so after his arrest, he had undergone a trail of physical and mental abuse as well as torture, eventually leading to him carrying his own cross to the execution site. Further, his pain was sharply increased by the actions of the soldiers in nailing him to the cross. Yet there is no sign of anger on his face or sound of fury on his lips. Instead he makes this profound prayer, asking that the indifferent soldiers, who are about to gamble for his clothes, would be forgiven. And since the verb translated ‘prayed’ is in the imperfect tense, it is possible that Jesus repeated this petition several times.
1. A relationship he valued
The first recorded word that Jesus utters on the cross is ‘Father’. This is a reminder to us of the special relationship that existed between the Son of God and his Father. It had been an eternal relationship, for they had dwelt together in blissful love through the eternal ages before the Son had become incarnate. We are given an insight into their interaction through the profound words of John 1:1: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with [face to face] God, and the Word was God.’ They had enjoyed beginningless divine communion in the realm of light.
Yet now the Son is nearing a time of darkness when his sense of the Father’s presence will be taken away. Still he turns towards the One with whom he had spoken so often about the time and place in which he now was. Their fellowship and mutual interest in eternity had focused on what was about to take place on the cross. Jesus knew that he was not there by accident, or because his Father had lost control of events. Instead he knew that everything, including the actions of the soldiers, was in his Father’s divine plan for him.
The Son and the Father had not only had a divine relationship throughout the eternal ages. After the Son became human, he had enjoyed sweet communion with the Father, and had access to his presence at all times, and no doubt this access was especially meaningful at the occasions when others had rejected him. There had not been one circumstance in his earthly journey in which he had not prayed. The intensity of his prayer life had so impressed his disciples that they had asked him to teach them to pray, and he had given to them the petitions that we call the Lord’s Prayer. Here he is now, without a comforting voice to encourage from among the onlookers or from the indifferent soldiers. Yet he did what he always did, he called on his Father.
We should not only be impressed by the example of Jesus here as he was about to enter his darkest moments; in addition we should imitate him in giving priority to prayer, and to prayer of intercession for others. In this he was imitated by Stephen when he prayed that God would not lay the sin of murder to the hands of his executioners (Acts 7:58-60). Who knows what effect Stephen’s imitation of Jesus had on Saul of Tarsus when he oversaw the execution of Stephen? And who of us can tell the future of a person who observes us imitating Jesus in difficult situations?
Prayer is always appropriate and always a priority in all of our circumstances. We can say of Jesus that he died as he had lived, praying to his heavenly Father. At many crucial moments of his life he prayed. He prayed at his baptism (Luke 3:21), before choosing his disciples (6:12), before his Transfiguration (9:28). Time with his Father was his escape from the unbiblical expectations of the crowd who had been fed by him from a few loaves and fish (Matt. 14:23). The intensity of his prayers is most clearly seen in Gethsemane where he wrestled in prayer that was so passionate his sweat became as great drops of blood (Luke 22:44).
As we think about this petition, we should be impressed by the confidence with which Jesus prayed this prayer. He knew it would be a prayer of which the Father would approve. How often had he talked, in the eternal ages and throughout his earthly life, with the Father about his love for lost sinners. How often had he taught about the Father’s love for lost sinners, whether in his parables or in his sermons or in one-to-one interaction with a wide variety of people. We are not only to marvel at the grace seen in the Saviour’s prayer; we are also to note the grace of the Father in listening to a prayer about sinners as they were crucifying his Son. Jesus, as he prayed, knew that his Father would be delighted with the petition because he also desired the salvation of these sinners.
2. A request he prayed
The first aspect to note about this request is that it was a fulfilment of prophecy. In Isaiah 53:12, it was predicted that the suffering Servant of the Lord (a title of the promised Messiah) would make intercession for the transgressors. As with many other predictions from the Old Testament that puzzled many readers down the centuries, this one was fulfilled when Jesus suffered on the cross.
Secondly, we can ask the question, ‘For whom did he pray?’ The context indicates his prayer was for the soldiers involved in his actual crucifixion. We can see this is the case if we look at the plural pronouns in Luke 23:33-34: ‘And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.’ What a surprise it must have been for these hardened soldiers to hear such words. ‘In the blinding agony that followed [the nailing of the Saviour to the cross], instead of the maniacal cries the Roman soldiers were accustomed to hear on such occasions, the tender tones of the Blessed One, supplicating pardon for his murderers, fell on their ears’ (David McIntyre). What a contrast between Jesus and others!
Thirdly, his prayer was an act of love. The Saviour saw these soldiers as perishing sinners, heading for a divine punishment. His great heart of love revealed itself in this compassionate petition. In this sense, Jesus was living according to his own teaching, for he had taught his disciples to forgive those who despitefully used them (Matt. 5:44). That seemed very high teaching, but he fulfilled its requirement fully when he suffered on the cross. It is marvellous to meditate on the love of Jesus as he puts the needs of poor sinners ahead of his own comforts.
Fourthly, the basis of his prayer was his own act of sacrifice on the cross, of his offering his perfect life as an act of atonement. Jesus had come to perform on behalf of sinners two divine requirements neither of which they could fulfil. He had lived a perfect life; indeed, he was still doing so (here he is obeying the commandment to love one’s enemies). But now he has come to offer up that perfect life as an atoning sacrifice, and because of that he prayed this prayer.
3. A reason he urged
Perhaps we are surprised at the argument that Jesus uses in this petition when he mentions the ignorance of the ones for whom he is praying. Whether his prayer is limited to the soldiers or extended to the crowd, there is a sense in which they did know what they were doing. The soldiers were aware of the cruel act in which they were engaged when they crucified a person; the crowd knew that they had called for the death of Jesus even when Pilate had offered to sent him free.
The Saviour is not suggesting that the objects of his prayer were not responsible in some ways for their actions. Yet he also is revealing that there were aspects of what they had done which had ignorance connected to them. As far as the soldiers were concerned, they were probably not Jews and would have had little, if any, awareness of a promised Messiah. Even the crowd would have included a large number of visitors from other lands who had come to Jerusalem for the annual feasts, and these visitors would not have known of the Messianic signs and wonderful teaching given by Jesus throughout the country.
4. A response he received
The obvious question that arises from this prayer concerns whether or not Jesus received an affirmative answer to his prayer as far as the soldiers were concerned. I think it is possible to say that he did, in the conversion of the centurion and his men.
The responses of this centurion are recorded by both Mark and Luke. In Luke 23:47, we are told two things about this soldier: first, he praised God and, second, he affirmed the innocence of Christ. Mark tells us that the centurion was particularly impressed by the way that Jesus died and deduced that only the Son of God would die in such a majestic manner; Mark also places the statement of the centurion alongside the tearing of the curtain as two signs explaining the significance of Jesus’ death (Mark 15:37-39). Matthew tells us that the group of soldiers were filled with awe at the earthquake and other phenomena and exclaimed that Jesus was definitely the Son of God (Matt. 27:54).
What an amazing miracle is here! When Jesus prayed his request the soldiers were indifferent to his words and proceeded to gamble over his clothes. While they were focusing on a piece of cloth the Son of God was burdened about their souls. Their indifference may have changed as the hours passed. What had been initially another crucifixion became a spectacle that could have changed their eternal destiny for they were privileged to see marvellous things. When we put together the details from each Gospel we can suggest what they could have discovered, and I would point to three details in particular.
First, they saw a man whose circumstances were linked to the most unusual disturbances in the natural order. No Caesar had died in such a way. This man on the cross was not a mere mortal. Second, they saw a man whose sinlessness shone brighter as the situation grew darker. Here was a man without hatred or bitterness towards his enemies; here was a man who showed grace to a dying robber; here was a man who had prayed for them. Thirdly, they saw a man enter into death of his own choice, not as a victim, but on his way to Paradise. He died serenely amid the chaos of Calvary, committing his spirit into the hands of his Father. He died in majestic control. Although he was nailed to the tree, he was in control of the situation.
No wonder they were led to praise God. Perhaps the foot of the cross was where the Old Testament prophecies about the ingathering of the Gentiles began to be fulfilled. If so, the King who died had conquered the personnel of the most powerful army on earth and he had done so by love.
It must have been a wonderful meeting at the foot of the cross when Joseph and Nicodemus arrived to take down the body of Jesus. The secret disciples found disciples in the most unlikely place; one, the converted robber, was dying on a cross, and the others, now his brothers in the faith, were Gentile soldiers. They had important information to pass on to Joseph and Nicodemus, and we can imagine these two prominent Jews repeating what they had heard to many groups of disciples in the following years.
Of course, it is common to suggest that Jesus had others in mind as well when he prayed for the forgiveness of sinners. Those who make this suggestion point to what took place at Pentecost and later, and especially take note of Peter’s words in Acts 3:17 concerning their ignorance of what they had done in agreeing to the execution of Jesus. So there is a likely connection between the prayer of Jesus and the conversions in Jerusalem around Pentecost.
5. Our response to his prayer
In bringing this chapter to a close, there are three applications for ourselves. The first is that delay in receiving an answer to a prayer is not an indication of refusal by God. The Son of God prayed this prayer at the commencement of his sufferings, yet the answer did not come until his sufferings were over. We might be tempted to say that the period he had to wait was not very long, although how can we assess how long it was for him when he endured the abandonment he later mentions when he cried, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ This is a comfort for us who have been praying for years about a matter, perhaps for the conversion of others or for the reviving of God’s cause. Even if we die before they become believers or our congregations are revived, the Saviour knows our pain, and will yet answer our petition.
Secondly, we see in this prayer a picture of Jesus’ desire for sinners. If we had gone to Calvary that day, we would have observed that his paramount desire was for sinners to be pardoned. And if we could ascend to the throne of God, where the once-crucified Christ now is, we would discover that this desire is still the passion of his heart. What joy there is in the heart of the ascended Jesus when sinners are converted!
Third, we see in this saying the importance of forgiveness of our sins. Do we, as Christians, value for ourselves what the Son of God wanted us to have – pardon for all our sins? Sadly, and surprisingly, we can reach the stage where we take our forgiveness for granted, and petitions for pardon can become routine. When this attitude occurs, we need to take our place alongside these soldiers and others, and there admire the One who not only prayed on the cross, but who also suffered there, instead of his people, the awful wrath of God against their sins.
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Prayer for Forgiveness (Luke 23:34)
Prayer for Forgiveness (Luke 23:34)
The cross of Jesus is the most important happening in human history. Yet when we look at the people who were there, we see that, initially at least, it did not affect them as it should have done. The soldiers were indifferent, the Jewish leaders were hostile, the crowd was antagonistic, the crucified criminals were spiteful, his friends were distraught. We will see various attitudes and responses by these different groups as we think about the events that took place at Calvary. Through the hours that Jesus was on the cross, some of the members of these groups began to think differently.
Yet interesting as their reactions are, it is more important for us to understand what was going on in the mind of Jesus when he was on the cross. How can we discover what he was thinking? One way of doing so is by considering what he said when he was on the cross. In the Gospels are found seven sayings that Jesus uttered on the cross. He may have said more, but we are not told what these may have been. But we have the seven and they are sufficient to tell us what Jesus was thinking and experiencing when he was hanging on the cross. The first saying was, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’
A squad of four soldiers was usually given the task of crucifying a condemned criminal. To them fell the duties of stripping the person of his clothes, of nailing him to the wood, and of lowering the cross into the hole in the ground. After they had completed their assigned work, they would sit down below the cross and keep guard in case any of the victim’s friends would try and release him. One of the few activities for passing their time was gambling and often they would begin their time of guard duty by gambling for the victim’s clothes. As they waited, they heard the crucified man’s continued cries of pain, intermingled with blasphemy; strong words which they had began to hear when they commenced nailing him to the wood.
The quarternion who oversaw the crucifixion of Jesus did not expect anything unusual. They knew that he had some followers, but they had fled when he was arrested, which meant that there was little likelihood of a rescue mission. For these soldiers, this crucifixion seemed no different from previous ones, and perhaps the only detail that interested them was which of them would take home the garments worn by the condemned man. They did notice that he did not curse or abuse them as they nailed him to the cross. Instead he seemed concerned about them, and as they sat down, they heard him praying for them: ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ But they continued to throw the dice.
This first recorded statement of Jesus on the cross is a very remarkable one. It is remarkable because he was in intense bodily pain due to the floggings and other physical abuse he had received during his trials. He has arrived at the cross following on from the betrayal by his disciple, Judas, the previous evening; since the arrest he has been the innocent victim of gross injustice from the Jewish Sanhedrin, from the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate and from Herod, the puppet king of Galilee. In the twenty-four hours or so after his arrest, he had undergone a trail of physical and mental abuse as well as torture, eventually leading to him carrying his own cross to the execution site. Further, his pain was sharply increased by the actions of the soldiers in nailing him to the cross. Yet there is no sign of anger on his face or sound of fury on his lips. Instead he makes this profound prayer, asking that the indifferent soldiers, who are about to gamble for his clothes, would be forgiven. And since the verb translated ‘prayed’ is in the imperfect tense, it is possible that Jesus repeated this petition several times.
1. A relationship he valued
The first recorded word that Jesus utters on the cross is ‘Father’. This is a reminder to us of the special relationship that existed between the Son of God and his Father. It had been an eternal relationship, for they had dwelt together in blissful love through the eternal ages before the Son had become incarnate. We are given an insight into their interaction through the profound words of John 1:1: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with [face to face] God, and the Word was God.’ They had enjoyed beginningless divine communion in the realm of light.
Yet now the Son is nearing a time of darkness when his sense of the Father’s presence will be taken away. Still he turns towards the One with whom he had spoken so often about the time and place in which he now was. Their fellowship and mutual interest in eternity had focused on what was about to take place on the cross. Jesus knew that he was not there by accident, or because his Father had lost control of events. Instead he knew that everything, including the actions of the soldiers, was in his Father’s divine plan for him.
The Son and the Father had not only had a divine relationship throughout the eternal ages. After the Son became human, he had enjoyed sweet communion with the Father, and had access to his presence at all times, and no doubt this access was especially meaningful at the occasions when others had rejected him. There had not been one circumstance in his earthly journey in which he had not prayed. The intensity of his prayer life had so impressed his disciples that they had asked him to teach them to pray, and he had given to them the petitions that we call the Lord’s Prayer. Here he is now, without a comforting voice to encourage from among the onlookers or from the indifferent soldiers. Yet he did what he always did, he called on his Father.
We should not only be impressed by the example of Jesus here as he was about to enter his darkest moments; in addition we should imitate him in giving priority to prayer, and to prayer of intercession for others. In this he was imitated by Stephen when he prayed that God would not lay the sin of murder to the hands of his executioners (Acts 7:58-60). Who knows what effect Stephen’s imitation of Jesus had on Saul of Tarsus when he oversaw the execution of Stephen? And who of us can tell the future of a person who observes us imitating Jesus in difficult situations?
Prayer is always appropriate and always a priority in all of our circumstances. We can say of Jesus that he died as he had lived, praying to his heavenly Father. At many crucial moments of his life he prayed. He prayed at his baptism (Luke 3:21), before choosing his disciples (6:12), before his Transfiguration (9:28). Time with his Father was his escape from the unbiblical expectations of the crowd who had been fed by him from a few loaves and fish (Matt. 14:23). The intensity of his prayers is most clearly seen in Gethsemane where he wrestled in prayer that was so passionate his sweat became as great drops of blood (Luke 22:44).
As we think about this petition, we should be impressed by the confidence with which Jesus prayed this prayer. He knew it would be a prayer of which the Father would approve. How often had he talked, in the eternal ages and throughout his earthly life, with the Father about his love for lost sinners. How often had he taught about the Father’s love for lost sinners, whether in his parables or in his sermons or in one-to-one interaction with a wide variety of people. We are not only to marvel at the grace seen in the Saviour’s prayer; we are also to note the grace of the Father in listening to a prayer about sinners as they were crucifying his Son. Jesus, as he prayed, knew that his Father would be delighted with the petition because he also desired the salvation of these sinners.
2. A request he prayed
The first aspect to note about this request is that it was a fulfilment of prophecy. In Isaiah 53:12, it was predicted that the suffering Servant of the Lord (a title of the promised Messiah) would make intercession for the transgressors. As with many other predictions from the Old Testament that puzzled many readers down the centuries, this one was fulfilled when Jesus suffered on the cross.
Secondly, we can ask the question, ‘For whom did he pray?’ The context indicates his prayer was for the soldiers involved in his actual crucifixion. We can see this is the case if we look at the plural pronouns in Luke 23:33-34: ‘And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.’ What a surprise it must have been for these hardened soldiers to hear such words. ‘In the blinding agony that followed [the nailing of the Saviour to the cross], instead of the maniacal cries the Roman soldiers were accustomed to hear on such occasions, the tender tones of the Blessed One, supplicating pardon for his murderers, fell on their ears’ (David McIntyre). What a contrast between Jesus and others!
Thirdly, his prayer was an act of love. The Saviour saw these soldiers as perishing sinners, heading for a divine punishment. His great heart of love revealed itself in this compassionate petition. In this sense, Jesus was living according to his own teaching, for he had taught his disciples to forgive those who despitefully used them (Matt. 5:44). That seemed very high teaching, but he fulfilled its requirement fully when he suffered on the cross. It is marvellous to meditate on the love of Jesus as he puts the needs of poor sinners ahead of his own comforts.
Fourthly, the basis of his prayer was his own act of sacrifice on the cross, of his offering his perfect life as an act of atonement. Jesus had come to perform on behalf of sinners two divine requirements neither of which they could fulfil. He had lived a perfect life; indeed, he was still doing so (here he is obeying the commandment to love one’s enemies). But now he has come to offer up that perfect life as an atoning sacrifice, and because of that he prayed this prayer.
3. A reason he urged
Perhaps we are surprised at the argument that Jesus uses in this petition when he mentions the ignorance of the ones for whom he is praying. Whether his prayer is limited to the soldiers or extended to the crowd, there is a sense in which they did know what they were doing. The soldiers were aware of the cruel act in which they were engaged when they crucified a person; the crowd knew that they had called for the death of Jesus even when Pilate had offered to sent him free.
The Saviour is not suggesting that the objects of his prayer were not responsible in some ways for their actions. Yet he also is revealing that there were aspects of what they had done which had ignorance connected to them. As far as the soldiers were concerned, they were probably not Jews and would have had little, if any, awareness of a promised Messiah. Even the crowd would have included a large number of visitors from other lands who had come to Jerusalem for the annual feasts, and these visitors would not have known of the Messianic signs and wonderful teaching given by Jesus throughout the country.
4. A response he received
The obvious question that arises from this prayer concerns whether or not Jesus received an affirmative answer to his prayer as far as the soldiers were concerned. I think it is possible to say that he did, in the conversion of the centurion and his men.
The responses of this centurion are recorded by both Mark and Luke. In Luke 23:47, we are told two things about this soldier: first, he praised God and, second, he affirmed the innocence of Christ. Mark tells us that the centurion was particularly impressed by the way that Jesus died and deduced that only the Son of God would die in such a majestic manner; Mark also places the statement of the centurion alongside the tearing of the curtain as two signs explaining the significance of Jesus’ death (Mark 15:37-39). Matthew tells us that the group of soldiers were filled with awe at the earthquake and other phenomena and exclaimed that Jesus was definitely the Son of God (Matt. 27:54).
What an amazing miracle is here! When Jesus prayed his request the soldiers were indifferent to his words and proceeded to gamble over his clothes. While they were focusing on a piece of cloth the Son of God was burdened about their souls. Their indifference may have changed as the hours passed. What had been initially another crucifixion became a spectacle that could have changed their eternal destiny for they were privileged to see marvellous things. When we put together the details from each Gospel we can suggest what they could have discovered, and I would point to three details in particular.
First, they saw a man whose circumstances were linked to the most unusual disturbances in the natural order. No Caesar had died in such a way. This man on the cross was not a mere mortal. Second, they saw a man whose sinlessness shone brighter as the situation grew darker. Here was a man without hatred or bitterness towards his enemies; here was a man who showed grace to a dying robber; here was a man who had prayed for them. Thirdly, they saw a man enter into death of his own choice, not as a victim, but on his way to Paradise. He died serenely amid the chaos of Calvary, committing his spirit into the hands of his Father. He died in majestic control. Although he was nailed to the tree, he was in control of the situation.
No wonder they were led to praise God. Perhaps the foot of the cross was where the Old Testament prophecies about the ingathering of the Gentiles began to be fulfilled. If so, the King who died had conquered the personnel of the most powerful army on earth and he had done so by love.
It must have been a wonderful meeting at the foot of the cross when Joseph and Nicodemus arrived to take down the body of Jesus. The secret disciples found disciples in the most unlikely place; one, the converted robber, was dying on a cross, and the others, now his brothers in the faith, were Gentile soldiers. They had important information to pass on to Joseph and Nicodemus, and we can imagine these two prominent Jews repeating what they had heard to many groups of disciples in the following years.
Of course, it is common to suggest that Jesus had others in mind as well when he prayed for the forgiveness of sinners. Those who make this suggestion point to what took place at Pentecost and later, and especially take note of Peter’s words in Acts 3:17 concerning their ignorance of what they had done in agreeing to the execution of Jesus. So there is a likely connection between the prayer of Jesus and the conversions in Jerusalem around Pentecost.
5. Our response to his prayer
In bringing this chapter to a close, there are three applications for ourselves. The first is that delay in receiving an answer to a prayer is not an indication of refusal by God. The Son of God prayed this prayer at the commencement of his sufferings, yet the answer did not come until his sufferings were over. We might be tempted to say that the period he had to wait was not very long, although how can we assess how long it was for him when he endured the abandonment he later mentions when he cried, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ This is a comfort for us who have been praying for years about a matter, perhaps for the conversion of others or for the reviving of God’s cause. Even if we die before they become believers or our congregations are revived, the Saviour knows our pain, and will yet answer our petition.
Secondly, we see in this prayer a picture of Jesus’ desire for sinners. If we had gone to Calvary that day, we would have observed that his paramount desire was for sinners to be pardoned. And if we could ascend to the throne of God, where the once-crucified Christ now is, we would discover that this desire is still the passion of his heart. What joy there is in the heart of the ascended Jesus when sinners are converted!
Third, we see in this saying the importance of forgiveness of our sins. Do we, as Christians, value for ourselves what the Son of God wanted us to have – pardon for all our sins? Sadly, and surprisingly, we can reach the stage where we take our forgiveness for granted, and petitions for pardon can become routine. When this attitude occurs, we need to take our place alongside these soldiers and others, and there admire the One who not only prayed on the cross, but who also suffered there, instead of his people, the awful wrath of God against their sins.
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