Father, Forgive Them
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Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”
(pause)
There’s a powerful moment from the life of Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who, along with her family, helped Jews escape the Nazi Holocaust during World War II. Eventually, they were caught and sent to concentration camps. Corrie survived, but [her father and] her sister Betsie did not. The cruelty she endured at the hands of the Nazis left deep scars.
Years later, Corrie was speaking at a church in Germany—sharing her testimony of God’s forgiveness and the freedom that comes from forgiving others. At the end of the service, something unimaginable happened.
A man began walking toward her. She recognized him immediately. He had been one of the cruelest guards at Ravensbrück, the concentration camp where her sister died. He didn’t recognize her—but she knew his face.
He reached out his hand and said, “Fraulein, how good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea! I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein, will you forgive me?”
Corrie froze.
(Source: The Gospel Coalition)
(pause)
We will come back to Corrie a little later, but let us pause here to consider the challenge of forgiveness.
(pause)
While some people may be more forgiving than others, the act of forgiving others, especially those who have truly wronged you, seems to be a universally difficult thing for humanity to do.
(pause)
Let’s be real with ourselves and one another.
(pause)
Take a moment and think about that one time (or maybe more than one time) that you were truly, deeply wounded by others.
(PAUSE)
As a little boy in grade school I had two best friends, Greg and Phil. One day, my friends turned on me. Outside the ACE school we attended, the parking lot was covered with little strips of material like shinges - maybe half an inch wide and three inches long.
My friends picked up some of those pieces, as well as rocks, and began throwing them at me. I remember ducking in the side door and hearing a rock hit one of the dividers on the desks.
(pause)
I never learned why my friends turned on me.
(pause)
But, quite frankly, I have had experiences as an adult where I have been hurt much worse.
I may not have been hit with rocks, but the words and actions of others have wounded me deeply.
(pause)
It is not true that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Words can wound much deeper.
(pause)
But I give these personal examples only to spark your own memories of how you have been hurt and wronged.
We all have wounds from enemies, and even those we may have once counted as friends.
(pause)
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” …
(pause)
We know Jesus is our example for living, but can we truly follow his example of forgiveness?
(pause)
When Jesus began his public ministry, the people’s attention and imagination were arrested. Jesus taught them that the Kingdom of God had come.
Jesus performed mighty miracles, demonstrating the power of God. Jesus preached truth that the people recognized was not run-of-the-mill philosophy, but the words of God.
(pause)
In Matthew 5-7 Jesus taught his disciples and the crowds that were listening in what we call today “The Sermon on the Mount.” This sermon was Jesus’ manifesto, explaining what it truly meant to be his disciple, one of his followers.
(pause)
The Sermon on the Mount was and is radical.
It is fascinating because there have been some who have argued that we Christians should not necessarily be expected to obey the principles in this Sermon in full.
Rather, it has been suggested that this Sermon describes how we should live during the millenial reign of Chrstin on earth.
(pause)
I do not say this because I agree with such an idea.
No, Matthew 5-7 is God’s Word to us and teaches us how Jesus expects us to live NOW, TODAY, not just how we are to act in the future.
But I do mention this to recognize how many struggle with the implications of the teachings in this sermon.
(pause)
Jesus began his sermon with Beatitudes, proclamations of blessings. What did Jesus say? “Blessed are the peacemakers”.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
(pause)
When others are in the wrong, why should we be expected to seek peace with them?
(pause)
But then Jesus upped the ante.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
(pause)
How can we be happy when others mistreat us?!
(pause)
A few verses later, Jesus returned to this theme. In Matthew 5:38-42, he taught the disciples that we must not retaliate again those who do evil.
But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
(pause)
Think about this: if we do not retaliate, if we do not “stick up for our rights”, doesn’t that leave us open to people who will willfully, continually, unashamedly trample on our rights?
(pause)
It is one thing not to strike back at those who have harmed us, but Jesus’ teaching was even more radical. He went on to say in the next several verses:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. …
(pause)
How can we truly love our enemy?
(pause)
Maybe we can put up with our enemy. Maybe we can tolerate their presence. Maybe we can avoid dealing with them so that we are not fighting them.
(pause)
But Jesus was not done. A few verses later as Jesus taught his disciples the type of prayers we should pray he included this:
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Then, in case anyone missed his point … or felt tempted to leave out that part of the prayer, Jesus followed up his prayer immediately with these words:
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
(pause)
We understand this concept, don’t we?
(pause)
But we are often tempted to think that our sin is not so grievous in God’s sight, while the sin of our brother, that other person, is beyond the pale.
(pause)
Sometime later, as recorded in Matthew 18, the disciples came to Jesus with a question burning on their hearts and minds, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
Jesus taught them they must adopt the humility of a small child even to be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. He warned them about the overriding priority of God’s kingdom, versus other temptations, and talked about God’s love for the least of these.
Then, in Matthew 18:15-20, Jesus told them that if their brother wronged them, they must take the initiative to restore the relationship. Indeed, they should continue seeking reconcilation until there was no possibility remaining.
(pause)
In other words, when wrongs have been done, we are to be proactive in extending forgiveness and seeking the forgiveness of others.
Peter then approached Jesus with a hypothetical.
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
In Jewish thought of that time, one only needed to forgive a person three times for the same offense.
Peter seems to have thought his offer of forgiving his brother seven times - two times as much as required… plus one! - was magnanimous.
Jesus said, no, we must forgive and forgive and forgive and forgive.
There is some question whether the original manuscripts read “seven times seventy” or “seventy-seven times.” But the point is clear: we should keep on forgiving. We should not bother keeping track of the offenses. Just forgive!
In the early 1500s, Louis XII of France rose to the throne under tense circumstances. Many of the nobles had opposed him while he was the Duke of Orléans. Some had even tried to have him killed. And now, those very people were under his authority.
Everyone expected revenge. In fact, some of his advisors urged him to execute or imprison his former enemies. And Louis did something interesting—he had a list made. A long list of the names of those who had betrayed or conspired against him.
That list began to circulate throughout the court. His enemies were terrified. They knew their names were there. The message was clear: the king knew who had wronged him.
But then—everything changed. Louis XII took the list and, one by one, he drew a red cross next to each name. His advisors were confused. “Sire, what does this mean? These are your enemies!”
And Louis said something unforgettable:"Yes, I know. But the cross means they are forgiven. Do you think I keep a record of injuries after I have pardoned them?"
(Source: Sermon Central)
There is a similar story to Matthew 18, but different, recorded in Luke 17:1-5. Jesus taught them:
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
Can you imagine that?
(pause)
It is one thing to forgive someone who wrongs you one day, and then a couple weeks later, and then a few days after that. But it is quite another when someone wrongs you seven times in one day!
(pause)
Surely, such repeated misdeeds indicates that the person is not repentant, doesn’t it? Surely, this person is being willful in harming you. It is not an accident!
(pause)
But Jesus said to forgive them each time they turned and asked.
Can you hear the astonishment in the disciples’ reaction?
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
How can we forgive someone who repeatedly does what they know to be wrong? How can God expect this of us? God, give us more faith, more strength, more spirituality!
(pause)
But Jesus said Luke 17:6
And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
“Even small faith, placed in God, enables obedience.” (ChatGPT)
(pause)
One of the most beautiful pictures of God’s forgiveness comes from a couple chapters previous to this. In Luke 15, Jesus told a parable, made up of three stories - the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son.
You know the story well. The youngest son spurned his father’s love and care. He asked for his inheritance and then went to a faroff country where he wasted it in riotous living.
A famine came and the son found himself without friends and without any resources. He started working for a pig farmer, one of the lowest occupations a Jewish person could imagine. But he was in such need that he longed to eat the pig’s food.
Finally, he came to himself and went home, planning to ask his father if he could simply be one of his hired servants.
And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
Think about it. While the son had broken his heart and had gone far from home, the father faithfully watched to see if he would come back. And, when the boy was still a long ways off, the father recognized him… and started running to him.
It was considered undignified for a Jewish nobleman to run. But this father did not care about propriety. He loved his son. So he ran to him. He did not listen to his son’s attempted apology. He forgave him. He restored his place in the family. He celebrated his return.
(pause)
This is a picture of God’s forgiving love that Jesus came to teach us about, to extend to the world, and to invite us to embrace.
(pause)
In Jesus’ ministry, there are different examples of how he extended God’s forgiveness to those in need. In Luke 5, Jesus greeted the paralytic who was lowered by his friends through the roof into the crowded house with these words:
… “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
In Luke 7 Jesus was eating at a Pharisee’s house when a sinful woman came up behind him and began washing his feet with her tears, and anointing them with ointment.
The Pharisee was offended that Jesus, the supposed Messiah - a holy man, would allow such a wicked person near him. Jesus responded…
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Then in John 8 we read of Jesus teaching in the Temple one day when the scribes and Pharisees burst into the midst of the people, throwing a woman at Jesus’ feet. They had caught her in the very act of adultery. Would Jesus give the command to stone her to death?
Jesus ignored them at first. Finally, he told them to proceed with the death sentence, beginning with the person who was without sin to be the first to throw a stone.
In the uncomfortable silence that followed, all the angry, self-righteous religious leaders melted away.
Jesus then asked the woman where he accusers were. She said they were gone.
Jesus extended God’s forgiveness to her, saying…
… “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
(pause)
But in our minds, maybe it is one thing to proclaim God’s forgiveness over someone but quite another to forgive someone who has actually wronged us.
(pause)
Of course… Jesus, as the Son of God, has been wronged by each and every one of our sins!
(pause)
Still, maybe it seems easier for Jesus to forgive sins that don’t seem directly aimed at him.
(pause)
But now… as we gather at the Cross, we find Jesus bloodied and battered from the cruel beatings in his mock trial. Blood runs down his face from the crown of thorns that was smashed on his brown.
The bars of the cross are laid on the ground. He is stripped of his clothing and stretched out on the wooden beams.
Ugly nails are pounded in his hands and feet. The cross, bearing the Savior, is picked up and dropped with a sickening thud into the hole in the ground.
(pause)
Throughout this process, we hear Jesus scream in agony and pain as he is nailed to the cross and suspended in the air.
(pause)
But then, after he catches his breath, what do we hear?
(PAUSE)
… “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” …
(PAUSE)
If we could argue with the Lord, we might say…
But they DID know what they were doing! The Jews knew Jesus was innocent of the charges they brought against him!
Indeed, it was fairly obvious to anyone who would objectively consider Jesus’ words and actions that he was the Messiah!
They were only blinded to the the truth because of their fear of how Jesus’ teachings would affect their political status.
The Romans also knew what they were doing. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent. He only gave permission for Jesus to be crucified because of his fear of what the Jews might do and how Rome would respond.
Judas Iscariot knew what he was doing when he betrayed Jesus. Oh, yes, he might have thought he was aiding Jesus by forcing him to take action against his enemies.
OR, maybe Judas thought if Jesus didn’t protect himself Judas would be outing Jesus as an imposter messiah.
But Judas Iscariot knew it was wrong, as he revealed when he went back, too late, to return the blood money.
The people of the city and countryside knew what they were doing. Some of them had welcomed Jesus as King into the city gates just a few days before.
Others had most likely seen Jesus teaching and healing over the past few years. It was just easier to mock this failed messiah… or simply stand by as he was crucified.
(pause)
We might like to argue that they knew what they were doing, yet Jesus said they did not. They did not truly recognize they were killing the Son of God. They did not truly grasp their sin against God.
But we recognize it was not just the actions, or inaction, of Judas Iscariot, the Sanhedrin, Herod, Pilate, the soldiers and the crowd that nailed Jesus to the cross.
Rather, Jesus looked throughout time to each and every human being.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
… yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
(pause)
… “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” …
(pause)
On the Cross, Jesus prayed to the Father for the forgiveness of all humanity who have sinned against God and deserve eternal death in hell. He prayed for you and for me.
(pause)
We must understand… through Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross, forgiveness of sin is extended to everyone. But only those who accept his gift of love by acknowleding their sin and turning to him in faith receive his forgiveness.
(pause)
But here is the thing… despite how greatly we have sinned against God, if we confess our sin, he WILL forgive us!
(pause)
And… because Jesus is our example of how we are to live and because Jesus taught us repeatedly to forgive…
Big Idea: The forgiving love of God compels us to forgive others.
Big Idea: The forgiving love of God compels us to forgive others.
(pause)
It was not too long after Jesus’ death, resurrection and then ascension into Heaven that there was another angry mob gathered before the Sanhedrin.
Stephen, one of seven men who had been appointed to oversee the food ministry to widows, was a powerful preacher.
He had engaged in debate with the Jews about Jesus. The religious leaders were enraged and ground their teeth at him. They stopped their ears, rushed at him, cast him out of the city, and began to stone him.
And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Stephen, the first Christian martyr, followed Christ’s example. Filled with the forgiving love of God, he forgave others, even those who stoned him to death.
We began this message with the story of a Dutch woman, Corrie ten Boom, in one of the most terrible moments of world history.
Jews were arrested, captured, taken to concentration camps where they were degraded, forced to work as slaves, and slaughtered by various methods.
Corrie, her sister and father sought to aid Jews in escaping. They helped a number to flee. Then they were caught. Her father and sister both died in concentration camps. Corrie barely survived until the Allies rescued her and her comrades.
Corrie began speaking around the world about God’s forgiveness. This day she was in a church in Germany. And she recognized a man - the cruelest of the guards at Ravensbruck.
He approached her and professed his faith in Jesus and testimony of forgiveness. And he asked her, “Fraulein, will you forgive me?”
(pause)
Corrie froze. She later wrote about that moment with raw honesty. She said, “I who had preached so often the need to forgive… kept my hand at my side. Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them… Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more?”
She prayed silently for God’s help. And then—miraculously—she extended her hand. She wrote: “I took his hand. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. I forgive you, brother, I cried. With all my heart!”
(pause)
“Forgiveness is not given because the offender deserves it — it is given because Christ forgave us when we did not deserve it.” (ChatGPT)
Big Idea: The forgiving love of God compels us to forgive others.
Big Idea: The forgiving love of God compels us to forgive others.
(pause)
Some of you have wounds much deeper than anything I’ve described. (ChatGPT)
And… such a message as this raises all sorts of questions. One question is:
Does forgiveness mean reconciliation?
(pause)
The simple answer is: no, not necessarily. While Jesus taught us to be proactive in seeking out the person who wronged us, telling them what they did to hurt us and asking them to own up to it, Jesus also allowed that such reconciliation might never happen.
The scriptural model is to next bring others who will help in seeking reconciliation before bringing it to the church. Of course, sometimes we might be seeking reconciliation with people outside the church.
But the point is, Jesus taught that if such a person refused repeated attempts at reconciliation, there is a time to step back.
In the church, such a person may even be stricken from the membership roll. But if we do this, we are then to put him on our prospect list!
(pause)
So, there is the implication our attempts at reaching the person for God should not stop, even as we recognize our attempts at reconciliation cannot succeed.
A related question is this:
What if the person never asks me for forgiveness? (ChatGPT)
“Scripture teaches us to be ready to forgive and to release bitterness even when repentance never comes. Reconciliation requires two people—but forgiveness begins in one heart.” (ChatGPT)
Another question this message raises is:
Does forgiveness mean saying the wrong was OK? (ChatGPT)
(pause)
The answer simply is “no”. Even Jesus in his prayer for forgiveness did not say what the people had done was okay. Rather, he recognized their ignorance in the ramifications of what they had done and he prayed for the Father to forgive them.
(pause)
Sin is sin. Evil is evil. Wrong is wrong. Our forgiveness of the person who commits wrongdoing does not excuse their actions; rather, we offer forgiveness despite their wrongdoing.
Yet another question is…
What about justice? (ChatGPT)
After all… if we forgive, people get away with evil.
(pause)
Where is justice for victims? (ChatGPT)
(pause)
Is God asking me to ignore justice? (ChatGPT)
(pause)
Didn’t Nazis, such as this guard, deserve punishment? (ChatGPT)
(pause)
Scripture is clear that forgiveness is commanded AND justice still matters. (ChatGPT)
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
God is our final judge. We might think we should be the judge, or that we need an earthly judge to pass sentence, but God is more than capable to pass the proper sentence on those who do evil.
Forgiveness releases us from the burden of seeking personal revenge, but it does not absolve the wrongdoer from moral accountability. (ChatGPT)
We can trust God with justice. In that sense, forgiveness is an expression of faith in God.
Another question we should ask is this:
What if I don’t feel forgiving? (ChatGPT)
Consider Corrie ten Boom’s example again. She did not feel forgiving, either. But she prayed for God’s help. She made a choice - to obey God’s Word and forgive.
Then, having first made the decision to forgive, she then felt the feelings of forgiveness.
Yes, we may not always feel forgiving like Corrie did, especially that quickly, but forgiveness is not a feeling, it is a decision to trust the love of God and to express His love to others.
(pause)
With all of these questions, however, the hardest question we must answer is this:
“If Jesus could forgive those who crucified Him, who are we allowed to refuse to forgive?” (ChatGPT)
(PAUSE)
Our challenge today is then - we must first accept Christ’s love and forgiveness, then… we must extend His forgiveness to others!
