Introduction

Have you ever had one of those days when you were stretched by the days events and physically exhausted?

Health matters

Work matters

Relationship matters

When you woke up the next morning and wondered where you were.

You had to pinch yourself to see if you were alive!

The season of Lent is like that.

It is a time to see if we are alive!

It is a time to shed the bonds of death....which continue to hold us in their grip.

To shed the bonds of death....means to take a fearless look at our own hearts and actions.

It means to examine our passions, to see what they are!

Are we passionate about Jesus?
Are we passionate about pursuing holiness?
Are we passionate about getting up and gathering with our fellow believers on Sunday morning to worship, to bring glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, together?

The world around tells us that what our passions should be....

Passionate about money!
Win the lottery.
Get a huge bonus, worth millions!
Get stock options, worth millions!
Get what you can get, and a whole lot more if you can!
Passionate about power!
Make sure you are in the drivers seat.
Make sure you get that promotion.
Passionate about appearance...

Don't get your name in the paper for the wrong reasons...
Make sure no one knows if you are having trouble with a son or daughter.

Here's my problem

I haven't won the lottery.
I haven't been a CEO and so I haven't had any bonuses worth millions.
I haven't sought power as a Pastor, but rather have tried to find ways to serve.
So, I'm a church member. I really don't need to concern myself with my passions do I?

You are a church member too. We're the good guys! Right?

Reflecting on the good guys mentality the apostle Paul, an irratating kind of guy, put together some OT verses that challenge us!

9. So what’s the score? Are we church members ahead? Nope, not at all. For I previously pointed out that both church members and non-members alike are all classified under sin, just as the Scripture says,
There isn’t a pure man anywhere,
Nor one who is fully sensitive.
Nor one who really sets his heart on God.
All kicked over the traces and became worthless.
There isn’t a one worth his salt,
Not a single solitary one.
Their throat is a waiting grave,
Their tongues are lie factories.
Behind their lips is the poison of a rattlesnake.
With their mouths they cuss a blue streak.
Their feet are spiked to draw blood;
They leave a trail of broken bones and busted heads,
And they don’t know what peace is.
Reverence for God is foreign to them.
19. Now we are aware that all the Bible says is directed to those who are committed to it, so as to put a stop to arguing and provide people all over with a standard for obedience to God. And yet no one is put right with God by his relation to the Bible, since the Bible brings only an awareness of sin. (Ro 3:9-19) Cotton Patch

This makes it clear, doesn’t it, that whatever is written in these Scriptures is not what God says about others but to us to whom these Scriptures were addressed in the first place! And it’s clear enough, isn’t it, that we’re sinners, every one of us, in the same sinking boat with everybody else? (Ro 3:19) The Message

Uncomfortable as it may be, we need to examine our passions!

There is only one person who deserves our highest passion, Jesus!
The words of Jesus help us to examine what is first and foremost in our lives, and then give us the opportunity to put Jesus and our relationship with him as our highest passion.

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

Death by crucifixtion!

The Cross was an evil instrument of torture!
Used by the Romans in their work with people they had conquered, it was often times a slow and horrible, painful death. It was the most degrading way to die, naked, nailed to a cross beam. It could take 2 or 3 days for one to die.
For that reason the words that came from a cross were filled with profainity..these people turned the air purple with their venge filled, hellish, shreaks, and their painfilled squeals for relief.

Wishing the soul of those who nailed them to that cross beam to rot forever in eternal torment.

Into that violence, and degradation, between those words of hatred and cursing there is a prayer!

"Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they do!"

What did this prayer mean?

Some false views of what this means...

Blanket forgiveness...
Excusing ignorance...
Rewarding those who are killing him...because it was His heavenly Father's will.

What does "forgive" really mean?

One word means "to forget, to wipe out completely." God wipes away our sins & forgets them, never to remember them again. But that is not the word that is used here.

The word used here is the same as is used in...Matt. 19.14

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” NIV

That same word is used again in Matthew 27 when the soldiers reached up with a sponge filled with vinegar to wet the lips of Jesus. It says,

"Immediately one of them ran & got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, & offered it to Jesus to drink. But the rest said, `Leave Him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save Him’" [27:48,49].

There’s that word again, & it is translated, "Leave Him alone."

The word is used the same way in both places. "Don’t interfere. Don’t stop the children from coming. Don’t wet his lips with a sponge."

He is asking of his Father to give these people a opportunity to see the bigger picture!

Presently they are caughtup in the hysteria of the moment..at Passover time in Jerusalem, when the Romans were on edge because of the Jewish people's desire to get rid of them.

The Passover reminded them of God's act of deliverance in Egypt, and they wanted desperately to be free from the slavery of the Romans, just like Pharoah and all his hosts drowned in the Red Sea.

It is very likely that those who were crucified along side of him were part of the insurgents who wanted Rome out.

Jesus prays that these people may have the opportunity to see the bigger picture. Don't judge them now Father, let them see the completed picture!

He desires the people who mocked him, and killed him would have an opportunity.....

To see how his Heavenly Father would turn defeat into victory, three days later!
To see how this death was The Father & Jesus way of dealing with the age-old problem of "it's all about us!" He was offering the perfect sacrifice, he was surrenduring his life for their sinful hearts and yours.
to understand how all this was foretold in Isaiah and the other prophets.
to let other generations be able to see how my death will be the salvation of many throughout the earth!

Conclusion: "Then they will become passionate about me!"

His prayer was answered!

Listen to Peter's plea on Pentecost Sunday.

17 “Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. 19
Repent, then, and turn to God,
so that
your sins may be wiped out,
that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,
and that he may send the Christ,
who has been appointed for you
—even Jesus. (Ac 3:17-20)

Did these people become passionate?

Peter, the first example.
Followed by 3000 on the day when Jesus and His Father poured out Holy Spirit!

And a few days later...the number had grown to 5,000.

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47

The question arises again?

“Father, forgive them........"