Rev Francisco Bilog“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
The Gospels contain a most wonderful commentary on the Cross in the words of Jesus himself, spoken from the Cross itself. Seven sayings are recorded: if there were more we don’t know but surely it’s significant that seven is God’s perfect number. It represents completeness and wholeness. As Jesus hung upon that Cross almost two thousand years ago, he made seven great statements, treasured by believers as the Seven Words from the Cross. They cover the basic needs of mankind. Let’s meditate on them together as our Lord’s testament to a world wrecked by sin, bowed down by needs of healing in body, mind and spirit. The Words from the Cross reveal God’s answer to our basic needs.
“Forgive them” said Jesus. Who, I wonder, was Jesus referring to? There were many groups of people around the Cross. Closest to him would have been the execution party, soldiers of the Roman garrison, coarsened by discipline and cruelty. They had the unspeakable task of nailing a human being to a cross, but perhaps they were the least guilty of all parties who were responsible for putting to death an innocent man – after all, they were under the strict instructions of the Roman Governor, and to fail to co-operate in the execution would have meant instant death for themselves. Yet they were involved – they crucified the Lord of glory.
As Jesus prayed his utterly unselfish prayer “Father, forgive them” his eyes would have taken in other groups: they were the teachers who hated him, the priests who bought him with silver, the traitor who sold him to them, the crowd who had cried “crucify him” at the farce of his trial, and in the distance was Pilate in his palace trying to salve his conscience by blaming somebody else for what was happening.
But I like to think that Jesus was encompassing a wider body of people than those I have mentioned: there was the band of disciples who had been his constant companions for nearly three years. Had they lifted a finger to prevent this act of barbarism? They were there, at a discreet distance, perhaps standing next to the secret disciples of Jesus, those kindly men Nicodemus and Joseph who were to minister to the dead body of Jesus. But as Jesus endured the torture of crucifixion, they failed to make even a token protest against the terrible atrocity being committed. What does this tell us? All these groups either actively or passively helped to crucify Jesus – they were all guilty, but in a very real sense they are only representatives of a wider number of those responsible for crucifying Jesus, because the message of the Bible is that it was the sin of the world which crucified Jesus. The gospel writers simply wrote “They crucified Jesus”. Who crucified him? I’ll tell you who crucified him. I did – and you did, and they did, those groups around the cross.
The old Negro spiritual asked the question, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” “They” crucified the Lord? It would be truer to say “We crucified the Lord”. Every one of us is equally guilty, “They do not know what they do” said Jesus. What a perceptive word this is. Mankind had become so blinded by evil, so corrupted by sin that it reacted violently to the purity and holiness of God as shown in the Lord Jesus Christ. These poor representatives of mankind were swept along by the power of Satan in seeking to destroy the Lord of glory – “they do not know what they do” – but they did it all the same.
The wonder of this Word from the Cross is that there is forgiveness.
Forgiveness for the disciples who forsook Jesus and fled in the night.
Forgiveness for the evil ones who drove Him to the Cross.
Forgiveness for the soldiers who nailed him to the tree.
Forgiveness for the bitter hearts of his religious enemies, the priests and
teachers.
Forgiveness for every person who has ever sinned or made a mistake.
Forgiveness for you and for me. Thank God, there is forgiveness but it is a forgiveness that requires to be taken individually, to be drawn upon in the way that God has planned. Years later, one of the disciples, John, restated this truth when he wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9).
Forgiveness has always been the hallmark of Christianity, following the great example of its founder. The first Christian martyr, Stephen, showed this spirit when he was being stoned to death, “Lord,” he prayed, “do not hold this sin against them.” Non-Christians may have in their hearts the unforgiving spirit, but Christians know better; we are Christ’s men and women, and we must forgive as He forgave.
One of the great preachers of the early part of this century, Dr. F B Meyer, says that “in uttering this first cry from the Cross, our Lord entered that work of intercession which he ever lives to continue on our behalf. He thinks, not of himself, but of others; he is occupied, not with his own pain, but with their sins. He makes no threat but instead offers a tender prayer of pleading intercession.” When was that prayer answered? Seven weeks after this, on the day of Pentecost, three thousand of these people, whom Peter described as the murderers of Christ repented and believed; and, in the days that followed, thousands more, including a great number of the priests. That was the answer to this intercession, and it has continued down the centuries for we too, are the fruits of his prayer, “Father, forgive them.”
As on the Cross He prayed for the most undeserving people of all. They were utterly undeserving of a single good word on their behalf from the lips of our Lord Jesus.
If He interceded for them, what will keep Him from interceding for you?
Nothing…because Jesus Loves YOU. You are forgiven!