I feel like it’s important that before we proceed with these last words that we need to remind ourselves the state Jesus was in when he made them. Before he made the journey with his cross, he was beaten with a whip, flogged, and ridiculed. It was the definition of torture. Most of us wouldn’t even be able to speak if we were experiencing the type of pain that Jesus was. What happened that day was unforgivable. And yet Jesus said, in his first words from the cross, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Can you imagine what those in his presence even thought when he spoke these words. They would expect someone being crucified to scream at those committing the act or beg them stop, not pray for their forgiveness. Yet that is precisely what Jesus offered to the men who were murdering him. He prayed that they might be forgiven.

As we look at how Jesus responds to his own crucifixion, we see that Jesus

* doesn’t offer a word in his own defense.
* He doesn’t proclaim his own innocence.
* He doesn’t turn against God.
* He doesn’t attack his attackers.
* He doesn’t attempt to save himself.
* He doesn’t blame anyone—though many were to blame.

Instead he prays.

The last part of Isaiah 53:12 explains the significance of this cry from the cross: “For he bore the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

No longer can his hands minister to the sick for they are nailed to the tree. No longer can his feet take him on errands of mercy. No longer can he take little children in his arms. No longer can he reach out to touch the lame and cause them to walk again. There is no time left for him to instruct his disciples. Soon he will be dead and he does the one thing he can do. He prays.

His prayer is very brief and very specific. He prays for his murderers that God would forgive them “for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus reminds us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace. If we have any concept of grace at all, we understand that grace extends to the worst of sinners. But that concept becomes very difficult when we have to forgive those who have sinned greatly against us.

So what does all of these mean over 2000 years later? What does it mean for us as Christ followers.

It means that we must remember that God forgave us when we were unforgivable.

Perhaps this prayer was for us as well. He was praying for us. But if we are honest with ourselves, we sometimes withhold forgiveness because we think we’re better than they are. We think we would never hurt anybody the way they have hurt us. We get angry because we think that we would never do to another person what they have done to us. How we deceive ourselves when we think that way. It is our false pride that keeps us from the hard step of forgiving the unforgivable.

If we truly want to become more like Jesus then we need to start by forgiving the people who have hurt us so deeply.

In order to come to grips with the healing power of forgiveness, we need two things: soft hearts and courage. Some of us have been deeply hurt by the things others have done to us. In response we chose to become hard on the inside to protect ourselves from any further pain. But that hardness has made it difficult for us to hear the gentle call of the Holy Spirit. We need soft hearts to hear his voice. We need courage to take the giant step of forgiveness. However painful forgiveness may be, it is infinitely better than refusing to forgive. We can find that courage if we will remember that when Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,” he was talking about us.

Let’s pray: Father, go now where my words cannot go—deep into the inner recesses of every heart. Show us the truth about ourselves. Forgive us for not forgiving others. We long for the freedom that comes from letting go of our bitterness. Break the chain of remembered hurts that binds us to the past.

Soften our hearts so that we can hear your voice speaking to us. Show us what we must do and then give us the courage to do it.

We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
- Amy Brunk