Father Forgive Them: Withstanding the Cross Gracefully

Scripture

Luke 23:34 ESV

34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Intro

The book of Luke is one of my favorite accounts of the Gospel because Luke writes in such detail about things that are particularly special to him because of his profession. Luke was a doctor and I found it special that the doctor’s purpose for writing was to portray Jesus as a perfectly caring and compassionate human being as well as the perfect savior. I believe that one of the ways he does this is includes this line in his account.

The Line

I have decided that this passage of text is largely narrative in style but if we zoom in a bit we find that it is both fulfillment of prophesy and allusion. Now we know what fulfillment of prophesy is… Something that was written or said is coming to pass. The fulfilled prophesy is Isa. 53:12.

Isaiah 53:12 ESV

12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

However, this allusion thing was new to me. Allusion is when a new testament text doesn’t exactly quote a OT text but simply alludes to it. This particular verse alludes to Psalm 22:18.

Psalm 22:18 ESV

18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.

Now of all the OT prophesy to fulfill why this one? Of all of the psalms of David to allude to why this one? I mean really Jesus? You were there in the beginning when God told the serpent that his head would be bruised in Genesis 3:15. I don’t know about you but I’d be trying to bruise some heads! rather than alluding to them casting lots I’d be trying to allude to Psalm 35 .

Psalm 35:1–4 KJV 1900

1 Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me: Fight against them that fight against me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for mine help. 3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. 4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: Let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

Oh but we have a cause to be thankful today because once again he proves to us that

Isaiah 55:8–9 KJV 1900

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.

Margaret Duroux wrote in one of her most popular songs: “If He had come down from the cross, my soul would still be lost.”

So in our text today Jesus asks the Father to forgive the soldiers who were carrying out the crucifixion. The Greek word for forgive means to look away… or as we say, to turn a blind eye. In other words, father leave the room I don’t want you to get too upset. Have mercy upon them by leaving this matter alone for a moment.

Anyone ever have a heated conversation with a loved on or a spouse and you just have to let things cool off for a while before the two of you talk again? It’s that kind of thing… Dad I’m taking care of this business don’t look right now. In this act of prayer Jesus gives us a perfect model of how to suffer gracefully. in withstanding Jesus lifted up a prayer and I hear Barry White saying Here I am baby, practice what you preach. Jesus commanded to love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.

Pondering questions:

When you are being persecuted do we assume that it is a personal attack and God needs to get them or do we assume that it’s our to to suffer. The bible says that those who suffer with him reign with Him. Therefore to reign with him in Glory is to suffer with him in agony, in shame, in humiliation, in being misunderstood, in being misjudged, in being treated unjustly because of the color of your skin.

From where will you suffer? Will you suffer from a place of bitterness, anger and vengeance or will you follow the example of Jesus and withstand the cross gracefully. Yea our model withstood the mocking, the shame, the beating, the jankie/ shady trial so that he could save us. Don’t we owe it to him to follow his example.

So the next time your lied on withstand gracefully, when they go low you bow before your high God LOWER, when your name is scandalized you ought to withstand, when your mother and father forsake you, with you sister and your brother turn their backs on you, even when sons and your daughter decide that they want nothing to do with you withstand the suffering of the cross. Must Jesus bear this cross alone and all the world go free? No! There’s a cross for every and there’s for even me.

I get it from my Daddy so it runs in my veins, Withstanding the cross, that’s my new thing.