Father, Forgive Them!
Forgiveness is one of the most difficult things to do. Sometimes we find it difficult to even think about forgiving somebody who hurt us...
Pastor Smith challenges you to look at this issue of forgiveness through the eyes of our Saviour, who, looking at those who were crucifying him, uttered these amazing words: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." - Luke 23:34.
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The Word of Forgiveness - Sermon Summary
John 1:1-4, 14, 11 God the creator came to world He created- At birth – no room in inn
- Herod tried to kill him shortly after birth
- Continuously enemies sought His destruction
- Suffered mock trial
- Slandered, mocked, beaten
- Finally crucified on cross
- Then – lips move
- Is He crying for pity? NO
- Is He cursing His crucifiers? NO
- He is praying for His enemies
Lesson 1:
Luke 23:34 - "Father forgive them for they know not what they do"This is 1st of 7 sayings on the cross
- Christ’s 1st utterance on cross was a prayer
- Now – His ministry closes with prayer
- Nailed to cross
- Nailed to cross
- They fled and forsook Him
- Ministry of prayer
Important lesson for us
- Due to age or sickness – may not be able to work for Lord
- We can pray
- This may accomplish more than all our past activity
Christ’s prayer for enemies sets us example
- How to treat those who wrong us
- Never regard them as beyond reach of prayer
- Never loose hope when praying for someone
Inspired Thoughts:
"Through much prayer you must labor for souls, for this is the only method by which you can reach hearts. It is not your work, but the work of Christ who is by your side, that impresses hearts." Evangelism, p.525Lesson 2
Luke 23:34- What else can we learn from this text?
Isa 53:12 - He would make intercession
God is sovereign
- Nothing happens w/o His foreknowledge
- Christ’s crucifixion was not man overruling God’s plan
- Man was carrying out what God had foretold thru prophets
- Despised and rejected of men
- Man of sorrows & acquainted with grief
- Be wounded, bruised, chastised
- Go unresistingly to slaughter
- Be dumb before shearers
- Suffer at hands of men & bruised by Lord
- Pour out soul unto death
- Buried in rich man’s tomb
- Numbered with transgressors
- Make intercession for transgressors
Lesson 3
Luke 23:34- We see Christ identified with His people
- Previously Christ always forgave
- On cross – Jesus laid aside divinity. He did not exercise divine prerogative to forgive
- Matt 9:6 - Had power on earth to forgive
- John 12:32 - Now lifted up from earth
- Hung there as our representative – substitute
- He absolutely identified with His people
Lesson 4
Luke 23:34We see God’s estimate of sin & its consequent guilt
- OT Levitical law made provision for sins of ignorance (Lev 5:15-16, Num 15:22-25)
- Sins of ignorance need atonement as sure as conscious acts of sin
- Ps 19:12 - David prayed "cleanse me from secret faults"
Lesson 5
Luke 23:34We see blindness of human heart
- They not aware of enormity of their crime
- Had OT prophecies about Messiah
- Had perfect life lived before them
- Saw miracles
- Heard Father’s voice "This is my beloved Son…"
- Heard His teachings
- John 7:46 - "Never man spoke like this man"
- In spite of all this they rejected and crucified Him
- Rom 8:7 - very true – carnal mind enmity against God
- Man still rejecting God’s great salvation
- Reject invitation of mercy
- Acts 16:31 - Believe and be saved
Lesson 6
Luke 23:34We see perfect example of His own teaching
- Matt 5:44
- Christ always practiced what He taught
- Eph 5:26-27 - gives devil foothold in life
- Unforgiveness & anger: Destroys us spiritually, emotionally, physically
- Heb 12:14-15 - lost eternally
Lesson 7
Luke 23:34We see man’s great and primary need
- We all sinners and unfit for presence of God
- Highly respected
- Excellent in business
- Active in church
- Have my sins been put away by blood of Christ?
- 1 John 1:9
- faithful – merciful
- just – justice met
Lesson 8
Luke 23:34 - "Then..."We see the triumph of redeeming love
Notice the word "then":
- "Then" – after Christ was brought to Calvary & crucified
- "Then" – after man had done his worst
- "Then" – after man’s evil heart was revealed
- "Then" – Jesus might have uttered awful threats of condemnation
- "Then" – Jesus might have let loose righteous wrath & slain them all
- He did not!!!
- John 3:16 - God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son…
- Divine love was never revealed so clearly as at the cross
Conclusion
Luke 23:34There is wonderful good news in that 1st saying at the cross
The forgiveness provided at Calvary covers all our sins
- Rom 8:1 - no condemnation
- Rom 8:31-33 - none can lay charge to God’s elect
- 1 John 5:11-13 - know we have eternal life
"The first of the seven sayings of Christ on the cross is a prayer for forgiveness. Jesus' public ministry began with prayer. You read about that in Luke chapters 3 and 4. Throughout his ministry he prayed. And now, as his ministry is drawing to a close, we see him again in prayer.
His hands can no longer minister to the sick, for they are nailed to the cross. His feet can no longer carry him on errands of mercy, because they, too, are nailed to the cross. He can no longer instruct his disciples, because they have fled in fear for their own lives, and they have forsaken him.
How does he occupy himself?
He prays. He is still ministering. A ministry of prayer is all he can do. But it was a lot!
I think that is an important lesson for us. "