Father, forgive them

11 Luke 23:34 "Then Jesus said, 'Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do.'"

Jesus prayed. In Luke 22 He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He also prayed for Peter that his faith would not fail. And now? Now He prays for the people who put Him through a kangaroo court with Pilate and Herod. He prays for the soldiers who mocked Him and spit on Him and beat Him. He prays for the crowd who insisted that He be crucified (a Roman death) even though He did not break any Roman law. He prays for the guys who forced Him to carry the cross. He prays for the men who drove the spikes in His hands and feet. He prays for the people who mocked Him as He hung there dying. What does He pray? "God, send fire down and consume them."? Or: "Father get me off of this cross so I can prove who I am."? No. He prays: "Father forgive them…". This is a crazy prayer. Forgive them? These people were stupid. They did not understand what they were doing. They did not comprehend that fact that they were killing the Lord of Creation. They did not understand the gravity of this act. Forgive them? Yes…forgive them. Don't hold this debt to their account.

How could He do this? How could Jesus pray this? How could He go to His Father and ask Him to forgive these people? "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:17 Jesus whole mission was to save. "Because of you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior…". From His birth to His death Jesus goal was to rescue us. His goal was to rescue these people. His goal was to see these people come into His kingdom. Just look at the thief on the cross. No condemnation. Instead, forgiveness, hope, promise, paradise. v43 This was His prayer for these people…and, most likely, many of the people who stood there watching, and condemning, and mocking eventually turned to Him in faith…forgiven. This is the grace and compassion of God.

This is the grace and compassion of God now as well. We are all guilty. He came to rescue all of us as well. We were in that crowd. We are all guilty of hanging Jesus on that cross. It was my sin, my screw ups, my stupid words, my stinking attitudes, my dumb actions that put Him on that cross. And Jesus says: "Father, forgive Glen, for He really does not know what He is doing."

"Amazing grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see." Thank you Lord.