The Power of Forgiveness

Text: Luke 23:34 (KJV) "Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots."

What is the Gospel?

The Gospel isn’t just a churchy word. It’s real life. It’s good news in a bad world. It’s God stepping into history to rescue us when we couldn’t rescue ourselves.

In one sentence, the Gospel is this: "Jesus Christ lived the life we couldn’t live, died the death we deserved to die, and rose again so we could have eternal life and real purpose."

and

Tonight, we arrive at a crucial moment in the Gospel story—Gethsemane.

All of us have had moments in our lives where we did not want to walk in what God was calling us to. There have been times when we’ve looked at the assignment in front of us and thought: "Do I really have to do this? Why do I have to go through this?"

Maybe it was a tough decision you had to make,

a relationship you had to walk away from,

or a sacrifice you didn’t want to make.

Jesus, in His humanity, had that moment too. And in that moment, in the Garden of Gethsemane, He wrestled with His calling just like we do.

Jesus has spent years doing the work of the Kingdom. He has healed the sick, raised the dead, made the lame walk, the mute talk, and the blind see. But what He has not yet done is suffer for the sins of the world.

Jesus was interrogated, beaten, spit on, mocked, scolded, and mistreated for several hours.

It’s crazy that he even made it to the cross, as bad as he was beaten.

He was blindfolded, punched, then told to prophesy about who hit him.-

He gets moved to face the Sanhedrian

Then gets handed over to Pontious Pilate

PONTIOUS PILATE ORDERS JESUS TO GET BEATEN.

so, THEY TAKE Cat’ o nine tails- the whips, with broken pieces of sharp bone and rock and beat him with it.

So that every time he was hit, flesh and bone came from his body.- It was a rough night church.

Then He has to face Herod-who sentences him to crusifixition.

They let a criminal go in His place by the name of Barabus.

They made Jesus take the place of this criminal .

They place a cross on Jesus’ back and he has to carry it up a hill-Church this was a gruesome scene and a long night and Jesus said not a word.

I’m sure Jesus was tired.

They beat him and they beat him

He was done badly.

A crown of thorns was placed on his head causing excruciating pain.

His lips were busted

His eyes were blackened

His hands were nailed

His feet were ribboned

He is now hung on a cross, placed between two theives- church this was a gruesome scene.

There was a sign on the cross that said “This is the King of the Jews”

He’s now hanging on the cross

Hands hurting from the nails drilled in them

Feet hurting from being ribbed

Back hurting from the lacerations

Head hurting from the crown

Body hurting from the beatings

He can barely see

He can barely speak

but he lifts himself up, takes a deep breath and the first thing that came out of his mouth was “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do”

Now before I get into the forgiveness part. I want you to understand that after everything He had gone through, he still had enough sense to call on the Father.

That After everything that he was struggling with

The pain

The grief

The hurt

The breathing.

He still had enough fortitude to say Father.

And if you want to make it through some rough seasons of your life, you have to have sense enough to call on the Father. But that’s not where I want to go.

He said Father Forgive them.

I want to give three points of reference.

Introduction: What Is the Power of Forgiveness?

What is the power of forgiveness?

How can we forgive when the pain is fresh, the wounds are deep, and the betrayal is real?

Is forgiveness a sign of weakness, or is it actually the strongest thing we can do?

Today, I want to walk through the power of forgiveness by looking at Jesus—who, in the midst of His greatest suffering, chose to forgive.

I. The Power of Forgiveness Is in WHEN It Happens – The Place in Which He Said It

Most of us believe that forgiveness comes after the pain subsides, after we’ve had time to process, after we’ve had time to heal. But Jesus flipped that mindset upside down.

Where did Jesus say, "Father, forgive them"?

Not after He had resurrected.

Not after He had ascended.

Not after time had healed the wounds.

He said it while He was still bleeding.

He said it while He was still hurting.

He said it while He was still suffering.

What does this teach us?

Most people think that healing leads to forgiveness.

But Jesus shows us that forgiveness leads to healing.

Forgiveness is not a feeling—it’s a decision.

If you wait until you "feel like it," you might be waiting forever.

Reflection Question:

Are you waiting for the pain to stop before you forgive?

What if your healing is waiting on you to forgive?

II. The Power of Forgiveness Is in WHO It Covers – The Persons for Whom He Said It

"Father, forgive them…"

Who is “them”?

Them were the soldiers who nailed Him to the cross.

Them were the ones who spat in His face.

Them were the ones who beat Him beyond recognition.

Them were the ones who mocked Him.

Them were the ones who lied on Him.

Them were the ones who chose a murderer (Barabbas) over a Savior (Jesus).

And yet… He said, “Father, forgive THEM.”

What About Your "Them"?

Who is the “them” in your life?

The ones who lied on you?

The ones who betrayed you?

The ones who left you?

The ones who used you?

The ones who talked about you?

The ones who wounded you?

But what if I told you “them” helped you get to where you are?

Them pushed you into your purpose.

Them forced you to pray more.

Them helped you grow.

If Jesus could forgive His "them" while hanging on a cross, then we can forgive our "them" too.

Reflection Question:

Who is the "them" you need to release?

Are you still holding onto the pain from people God has already forgiven?

III. The Power of Forgiveness Is in WHY It’s Given – The Purpose for Which He Said It

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Why did Jesus forgive them?

Because they didn’t know what they were doing.

They thought they were crucifying a man, but they were fulfilling a prophecy.

They thought they were silencing Jesus, but they were amplifying salvation.

They thought they were destroying Him, but they were setting the stage for victory.

What About Your Pain?

What if what hurt you is actually helping you?

What if the very thing you thought was your downfall was actually your setup for a comeback?

What if God is using your pain to push you into purpose?

Jesus understood something we often miss:

Unforgiveness doesn’t hold them captive—it holds YOU captive.

Unforgiveness is a prison where you’re the one locked up.

Forgiveness doesn’t excuse them—it frees you.

Reflection Question:

Are you holding onto bitterness for something God has already turned for your good?

What if you forgave today—not for them, but for you?

Conclusion: The Real Power of Forgiveness

So, what is the power of forgiveness?

It unlocks healing – because healing begins where forgiveness starts.

It releases you from the past – because you can’t walk in purpose while dragging old pain.

It fulfills God’s plan – because even your worst pain can be part of your greatest purpose.

Final Challenge:

Who do you need to forgive today?

Are you willing to release "them" so God can release you?

Will you choose to forgive, even if you don’t feel like it?

If Jesus could forgive while on the cross, then we can forgive in our situation.

Closing Prayer:

"Father, help us to forgive like Jesus. Teach us to release the pain, to let go of bitterness, and to trust that You are working all things for our good. In Jesus’ name, Amen."