IF WE GET STILL AND CLOSE OUR EYES...WE CAN HEAR JESUS FROM THE CROSS ..."FATHER FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO." LUKE 23:24

INTRODUCTION:

This VERSE IN LUKE -is considered ONE OF THE MOST powerful expressions of Jesus’ compassion and forgiveness.

while there in the midst of his suffering —JESUS IS heard asking God for mercy…NOT FOR HIMSELF, BUT FOR ALL HIS ACCUSERS AS WELL AS FOR US!

FORGIVE THEM,

And do not DESTROY THEM.

THE CONTEXT OF THIS MORNING’S OLD TESTAMENT READING IN NUMBERS 21: 4-9 SPEAKS OF THE ANCIENT STORY AND DISCONTENTMENT OF THE ISRAELITE'S-

I PINPOINTED A FEW AREAS THAT MAY HELP US TO UNDERSTAND WHY JESUS SAID, FATHER FORGIVE THEM…FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO:

FIRST-KNOWING THE HISTORY AND THE CONDITIONS THE ISRAELITES LIVED IN BACK THEN MAY HELP US TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THEIR DISCONTENTMENT.

AS YOU READ THE BOOK OF EXODUS FROM THE FIRST THROUGH THE LAST CHAPTER, JUST AS I DID, YOU WILL GET THE SENSE THAT THESE PEOPLE WENT THROUGH A LOT.

THE HISTORY OF THIS TEXT ALLOWS US TO SEE THAT THEY LIVED IN A VERY DENSE CLIMATE…THEY LIVED AMONG SOME HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND SKILLED CRAFTSMEN. A PEOPLE WELL VERSED IN MEDICINE, SCIENCE AND AGRICULTURE. THE ANCIENT NAME OF EGYPT IN HEBREW IS MIZRAIM WHO WAS THE SON OF HAM, WHO WAS THE SON OF NOAH.

THE HISTORIANS SAY THAT THE PEOPLE KNOWN AS THE ISRAELITES DWELLED IN THE LAND WITH THE EGYPTIANS SOME FOUR HUNDRED PLUS YEARS…AND UPON JOSEPH’S DEATH, THE NEW PHARAOH PLACED HEAVY CENSURES ON THE PEOPLE AND TREATED THEM AS SLAVES.

THIS NEW PHARAOH WAS AFRAID THAT THIS MASSIVE NUMBER OF PEOPLE MIGHT RISE UP AND REBEL AGAINST THEM SO WHAT DOES HE DO...HE DEVISED EVIL WAYS TO KEEP THESE PEOPLE DOWN —AND IN FEAR SO WHEN MOSES IS BORN, RAISED IN THE HOUSE OF THE PHARAOH, THE ISRAELITE'S HAD NO DESIRE TO TRUST HIM OR WORSE FOLLOW HIM.

IN SOME WAYS, I SEE THE POSITION THAT THE ISRAELITE'S MAY HAVE BEEN IN…AND IN SOME WAYS ITS NOT HARD TO SYMPATHIZE WITH THEM.

MOSES AND HIS PEOPLE WERE ON TWO DIFFERENT SIDES OF THE RED SEA…HE WANTED TO FOLLOW GOD’S COMMANDS-- HE WANTED TO SPARE HIS PEOPLE FURTHER GRIEF, BUT HOW YOU SEE WHEN THERE IS NO COMMON GROUND...

WHEN THESE PEOPLE CANNOT OR WILL NOT SEE YOU AS GOD’S AMBASSADOR…WHEN THEY WOULD RATHER LIVE IN THE STATE OF FEAR UNDER THE EGYPTIAN RULER THAN TO GO TO A place set asside as an inheritance and not put their trust in God, even after God shut up the heavens so that there is no rain or commanded locusts to devour the land and sent plagues among his people without bringing them any harm…as found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “14 if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

YET HOW DO YOU TALK ABOUT GOD TO SOMEONE WHO HAS ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA OF WHO GOD IS —its like me talking to a neurosurgeon or an astronaut…oh I can nod my head as though I know what they are talking about, but soon they will figure you -she’s just being polite.

ITS THE SAME WITH CHRISTIANS WHO KNOW THEIR BIBLE TO THOSE WHO DON’T...YOU MAY MAKE REFERENCE TO JOB IN THE BIBLE AND HAVE TO HOLD BACK YOUR SMILE WHEN THEY WITH GOOD INTENTIONS CORRECT YOU…SAYING OH DON’T YOU MEAN THE BOOK OF JOB?

IN THIS TEXT THE LORD SENT VENOMOUS SNAKES THAT BIT THOSE WHO BLASPHEMED AND MANY OF THEM DIED.

WE SEE THE PEOPLE OUT OF FEAR AND AWE…RUNNING TO MOSES FOR SAFETY...THEY CONFESSED AND ASKED FOR FORGIVENESS-BEGGING HIM TO PRAY THAT THE LORD WOULD TAKE AWAY THE SNAKES--

MOSES PRAYED

GOD HEARD HIS PRAYER

GOD OFFERED A WAY TO REPENT

GAVE MOSES INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE A SNAKE,

HANG IT ON A POLE AND ANYONE WHO WAS BITTEN CAN LOOK AT IT AND LIVE.

WITH THE TIME THAT REMAINS -I’D LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOU ON THE SUBJECT FROM GRUMBLING TO GRATITUDE.someone once commented that:

“SELF PITY WHISPERS THAT WE DESERVE BETTER. IT CLOUDS OUR THINKING UNTIL GRUMBLING SEEMS INEVITABLE… BUT THANKING GOD LIFTS OUR GAZE”!

Numbers 21: takes us back to a weary time in Scripture for the Israelites.

THEIR JOURNEY FROM EGYPT THROUGH THE WILDERNESS was indeed phenomenal to say the least...

Clearly their grumbling and groaning....showed such lack of gratitude.

WE HEAR THEIR constant dissatisfaction…so much so that God rebuked them in the most painful way by sending venomous snakes that killed many and left so many more seriously injured.

Moses understood to some degree why they had no hope in him, but he couldn’t understand their anger towards God.

Knowing that they lived in bondage. Knowing that the Egyptian Pharoah kept them in poverty and fear of further harm…here they are asking to return to Egypt.

There is an old saying, you can lead a horse to water…but you cannot make him drink.

THEY GRUMBLE AND GROAN FOR YESTERDAY…YESTERDAY…AS IF YESTERDAY WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT THEY HAVE TODAY AND THEN WITH NO GRATITUDE FOR GOD STEPPING IN AND RESCUING THEM FROM THE HORRIBLE LIFE-STYLE UNDER THE EGYPTIAN PHARAOH —THEY MOANED TO RETURN TO AT LEAST THE PITIFUL LIFE THEY ONCE HAD RATHER THAN GO ON TO FIND A NEW AND BETTER LIFE JUST WAITING FOR THEM A FEW MILES AWAY.

JESUS’ SINLESS VICTORY OVER A SIMILAR SITUATION, AND GOD’S INVITATION INTO GRATITUDE AND JOY AWAITS THOSE WHO LOOK UNTO HIM FOR THEIR SOUL SALVATION.

THE SONG WRITER WROTE…LESS WE FORGET MT CALVARY…LESS WE FORGET THINE AGONY, LESS WE FORGET THY LOVE FOR THEE…

IN THE OLD TESTAMENT—THE PEOPLE FORGOT ALL THE YEARS OF PEACE THEY ONCE HAD WHEN JOSEPH LIVED AND FOUND FAVOR WITH THE PAST PHARAOH…THE PEOPLE LIVED THROUGH TURBULENT AND HARSH TIMES -YET THEY GREW. THEY GREW TO BECOME A NATION SO STRONG THAT IT CAUSED THE NEXT PHARAOH TO FEAR THEM.

INSTEAD OF THIS NEW PHARAOH FINDING WAYS TO LIVE IN HARMONY AND PEACE, HE SOUGHT WAYS TO KEEP THE ISRAELITE'S DESTITUTE AND BROKEN.

ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT A SERMON ON CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP YET ITS NO SECRET THAT WHEN THE LEADERSHIP IS OPERATING IN FEAR AND INDECISION, THE PEOPLE GRUMBLE, REBEL OUT OF A LACK OF HOPE. JESUS CAME INTO A WORLD OF LOST SOULS IN SEARCH OF HOPE.

FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF HIS MINISTRY -HE PRESENTED HIMSELF AS A MAN OF GOD…WHOSE FIRST AND ONLY DESIRE WAS TO ERADICATE HOPELESSNESS.

HIS TEACHING, HIS PREACHING CLEARLY SHOWED THAT HE POSSESSED SUPERNATURAL POWERS…JUST TO BE CHOSEN TO FOLLOW HIM…THEY HAD TO KNOW THAT HE WAS NO ORDINARY MAN.

HE WAS PERSISTENT—PATIENT-- AS HE WENT ABOUT SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS OF A KINGDOM TO COME!

WE HAVE EVIDENCE—RIGHT HERE IN THIS BOOK AND IN OUR HEARTS…THAT THIS IS NO FAIRY TALE OR LULLABY.

DESPITE WHAT THE UGLY WORLD TRIED TO DO…HE LIVES.

THE INCARNATE JESUS LIVES...

COMPOSERS AND SONG WRITERS ARE INSPIRED BY HIS LIFE AND CONTINUE TO OFFER HYMNS AND LYRICS TO HONOR HIS LIFE AND HIS WORD.

THE BIBLE IS STILL THE NUMBER ONE BEST SELLER IN THE BOOK STORES AND NO MATTER WHAT VERSION YOU READ, THE OPENING AND THE CLOSING ARE THE SAME…GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND HE EARTH -AND IN THE SECOND COMING -HIS SON WILL RETURN -IN ALL HIS SPLENDOR -FOR THOSE WHO REMAIN FAITHFUL.

AND UNTIL THEN WE MUST PREACH THE TRUTH AND LIVE IT…UNTIL THE DEVIL IS DEFEATED...

ONE OF THE HALLMARK’S OF JESUS’ MINISTRY IS THE ASCENSION-JOHN 3:13-NO ONE HAS ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN BUT HE WHO DESCENDED FROM HEAVEN, THE SON OF MAN,

JESUS WAS NOT ONLY GLORIFIED AT THAT MOMENT, BUT MOSES AND ELIJAH APPEARED -MEN WHO HAD DIED AND NO GRAVES WERE EVER FOUND AS EVIDENCE OF THEIR DEAD BODIES…

DESPITE WHAT OTHERS WERE AFRAID TO SAY... PETER FELL TO HIS KNEES...IN REVERENCE--WHILE AT A LOSS FOR WORDS…HE MANAGED TO SAY…LORD LET US BUILD THREE ALTARS-. ONE FOR MOSES, ELIJAH AND JESUS.

EVEN WITH SUCH A GLORIOUS AND HOLY EVENT…THE THREE WERE SPEECHLESS AND CLUELESS.

AND SADLY TODAY, TOO MANY STILL DON’T KNOW JESUS AS LORD, THEY DON’T KNOW HIM AS THEIR SAVIOR AND THEY ARE AT A LOSS FOR HOW THEY VOICE —WHO IS GOD.

PETER WAS AWE=STRUCK---YET HE KNEW—JESUS HAD A REASON FOR TAKING HIM UP ON THE TOP OF THAT MOUNTAIN THAT MORNING...

I MUST LEAVE YOU HE SAID; JOHN 16:7 “BUT I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, IT IS FOR YOUR BENEFIT…FOR IF I DO NOT GO AWAY, THE HELPER SHALL NOT COME. OR NIV…BUT VERY TRULY I TELL YOU, IT IS FOR YOUR GOOD THAT I AM GOING AWAY. UNLESS I GO AWAY, THE ADVOCATE WILL NOT COME TO YOU; BUT IF I GO, I WILL SEND HIM TO YOU.”

WHO IS THIS MAN ----

IT MAY NOT SINK IN JUST YET…GIVE IT A LITTLE MORE TIME,

FORSAKING ALL OTHERS-----------HE NEVER SAID A MUMBLING WORD.

FATHER FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO?

I THANK YOU LORD THAT YOU ---REMAINED FAITHFUL TO THE END.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU LORD THAT YOU ---NEVER FORSAKE US —BUT GAVE US ANOTHER CHANCE.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU LORD.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR STEADFAST LOVE...

THANK YOU THAT YOU DID NOT CAST US ALL INTO THE PITS OF HELL AND SLAM THE DOOR AND WALK AWAY,

I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU LORD GOD THAT YOU OFFERED FORGIVENESS TO THOSE OF US--- WHO DIDN’T DESERVE IT…

BECAUSE IN DOING THAT —I TOO CAN RECEIVE YOUR FORGIVENESS.

I KEEP HEARING FOLK SAY WITH ALL THE DAMMING THINGS GOING ON TODAY…THIS MUST BE THE END.

I DON’T HAVE ANY PROOF—NOR AM I A FORTUNE TELLER.

BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT—WHEN ----THIS OLD TENT CAN NO LONGER OPERATE ON ITS OWN…AND ALL SIGNS OF LIFE IS DIM...I WILL LOOK UP TO THE HILLS FROM WHERE MY HELP COMES PRAYING…OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN…

UNTIL THEN I WILL REMEMBER GOD’S FAITHFULNESS AND STAY UNDER THE BLOOD…FOR ON THAT SAME NIGHT I WILL PASS THROUGH EGYPT AND STRIKE DOWN EVERY FIRSTBORN…BOTH MEN AND ANIMALS, AND I WILL BRING JUDGMENT ON ALL THE GODS OF EGYPT. I AM THE LORD, THE BLOOD WILL BE A SIGN FOR YOU ON THE HOUSES WHERE YOU ARE; AND WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL PASS OVER YOU. NO DESTRUCTIVE PLAGUE WILL TOUCH YOU WHEN I STRIKE EGYPT.

OH MY FRIENDS, THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD, THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB…AMEN