Father, Forgive Them

Read‍

Luke 23:33-34, 39-43 "When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: 'Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!' But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don’t you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.' Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'"

Think

Crucifixion was designed to be the most humiliating way to die. It was public. It was slow. The Roman Empire reserved it for people it wanted to make an example of. When Luke describes the death of Jesus, he does not pile on graphic details. He did not need to. His first readers knew exactly what a cross meant.

What Luke focuses on instead is what Jesus says.

As the soldiers crucify him, Jesus prays for them. He asks his Father to forgive them because they do not know what they are doing. Read that slowly. He is not praying for them after they apologize. He is praying while it is happening. The rulers sneer and dare him to save himself. The soldiers mock him and gamble for his clothes. And Jesus is asking God to forgive them.

Imagine getting caught doing something serious at school. You broke something expensive, and you know the consequences are going to be bad. You are sitting outside the office, dreading what comes next. Then someone walks in and says, "Put it on me." They take the suspension. They pay for the damage. The record that should have had your name on it now has theirs. You would never forget that person.

That scene is a small, imperfect picture of what is happening on that hill. Jesus did not die because the situation got out of his control. He died on purpose, in your place. Every sin, the ones everyone knows about and the ones nobody ever will, was placed on him. Romans 5:8 says God showed his love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Not after you cleaned yourself up, while.

Now look at the two criminals hanging beside him. One joins the mocking. The other does something remarkable. He admits he deserves his punishment, says Jesus has done nothing wrong, and asks Jesus to remember him when he comes into his kingdom.

This man has no time to earn anything. He cannot be baptized, show up to church, or make up for what he did. All he can do is turn to Jesus and ask. And Jesus tells him that today he will be with him in paradise.

If you have ever wondered whether you have done too much for God to want you, look at that man. The cross is where the distance between you and God was closed, and it was closed from God's side.

A few verses later, Luke includes one more detail. When Jesus dies, the curtain in the temple is torn in two. That curtain separated the most holy place, where God's presence dwelled, from everyone else. Only the high priest could go behind it, and only once a year. Think of the velvet rope at an event, the kind that says you are not allowed past this point. When Jesus died, God tore the rope down. The way into his presence opened for anyone who comes through Jesus.

So the cross is about more than forgiveness. It is about relationship. Jesus did not just pay a debt so you could avoid punishment. He paid it so you could come home.

His final words in Luke are a prayer of trust as he commits his spirit into his Father's hands. Picture that criminal one more time, out of options and asking only to be remembered. If Jesus said yes to him, what makes you think he would say no to you?

Apply

Receive, then release – Write down one thing you have been carrying guilt over and pray, "Jesus, you paid for this." Then think of one person you need to forgive and take one step toward it this week, even if that step is praying for them by name. Forgiving someone does not mean pretending what they did was okay or even restoring a relationship. Forgiveness is simply a step of obedience.

Pray

Jesus, I cannot fully understand what you went through on the cross. Thank you for loving me when I did not deserve it. I bring you the things I am ashamed of and ask you to take them. Help me believe I am forgiven and help me forgive others the way you forgave me. In Jesus' name. Amen.