'Father forgive them for they know not what they do’

Luke 23:32-38

The Sinners’ ignorance of Jesus identity and mission. The Saviour’s undying love for others.

1. The Sinners’ Ignorance of Jesus Identity and Mission.

Some might say that if the people had known that Jesus was God Himself they would have worshipped Him. Yet this is only true of the believer’s heart.

Rom. 1:28 says that the unbelieving sinner is cursed with a stony heart which does not like to retain God in their knowledge’ and also God has given them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient’. This means that even at the cross if Jesus enemies realised who He really is, God incarnate, they still would have sought to crucify Him. There is no love of God in the sinner’s heart.

The mystery here at the cross though is that the people didn’t realise who Jesus was, though He had told them many times through words and proven it undeniably through many miracles; still they were ignorant of who He was and of His mission. They didn’t even realise, as they were attacking Him, torturing Him, nailing Him to the tree, mocking him, they were fulfilling ancient Old Testament prophecies. What they meant for evil God was using for good.

Let’s consider how ignorantly these sinners treated Jesus, the Messiah, The Son of God.

a. The ignorance of the Soldiers – Matthew 27:27-31

The soldiers stripped Jesus off of His body and put a scarlet robe on Him

The soldiers made a crown of thorns and pushed it onto Jesus head

The soldiers put a reed in Jesus hand for a sceptre

The soldiers bowed down, laughing, saying ‘Hail, King of the Jews’!

The soldiers spat on Jesus

The soldiers took the reed from His hand and smacked Him on the head

The soldiers took and robe off of Jesus and put His own clothes back on Him

The soldiers then took him out and up to the hill where they nailed Him to the cross and left Him there to die.

And there on the cross the soldiers took Jesus clothes, exposing Jesus naked and bloody body.

God, Who once graciously clothed Adam and Eve, is now stripped of His clothing by men.

God who provided clothing for Israel in the wilderness is now shamefully left naked by His creation.

And there on the cross the soldiers continued to mock Jesus – Luke 23:36-37

b. The Jewish Rulers sneered at Jesus – Luke 23:35

c. The people standing there, mocked Jesus – Mark 15:29-30

God’s anger must have been great against these people.

Yet the people were not scared of mocking and crucifying Jesus because they were ignorant of Who Jesus was.

Q. Why couldn’t the people see what they were doing was wrong?

- They had the Old Testament scriptures which prophesied of Jesus coming to die for our sins

- The people had seen Jesus great miracles

- The people had heard Jesus say He was going to be crucified

2 Cor 4:4-6

They were blind because their sin.

They were blind because of their own selfishness.

They were blind because Satan had blinded their eyes from the truth.

Note: Even sin done in ignorance is sin and must be punished for. For this reason Jesus responds by praying to the Father, ‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do.’

2. The Saviour’s Enduring Love for Others. ‘Father Forgive them for they know not what they do’.

Though Jesus was beaten, mocked and crucified He could only think about how the people could escape God’s righteous judgement.

What a Saviour! What a loving Saviour!

Think how would they be forgiven? Only by Jesus Himself bearing their sin for them. Jesus words seeking their forgiveness were not empty well wishes but He loved them by making it possible for them to be forgiven!

It is this love that we as God’s people are meant to display in our speech and lives – 1 Peter 2:20-24

People all around us are ignorant of who God is.

People all around us are ignorant of how great their sin is against God

People all around us are ignorant of how Jesus died to save them from their sins.

God wants to use us to tell them, to show them. Many will mock us but some will believe