“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Sunday, we celebrated the most important day in human history. Easter is the cornerstone of the Christian faith and without it we would be eternally lost. Every year, sermons are preached about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, focusing on the horrific physical abuse and humiliation He endured.
But this verse is often overlooked even though Jesus made the statement while being crucified, and it carries an enormous amount of theology. This one little sentence sheds light on perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of the crucifixion… and that is that Jesus deeply loved the people who were executing Him.
Jesus was interceding for those who were driving the nails into His hands and feet… He loved them as they abused Him. It is one thing to die for someone, it is quite another to pray for them as they kill you. And here’s the hardest part of this verse… He was praying for you and me. We were the ones driving the nails. Our sin put Him on the Cross, and His love for us held Him there. We seldom contemplate this because we don’t understand that level of love and forgiveness.
Instead, we view our granting forgiveness to others as if it were an unheard-of act of spiritual heroism… expecting applause for our compassion. Allowing offenders to earn surface level forgiveness but never forgetting their crime. That’s not how Jesus forgives. He doesn’t see those crucifying Him as enemies– He loves them, and prays for them… The dilemma we face is that we are instructed to forgive in the same way.
This is a command I struggle with, and It is impossible to justify my double standard when Jesus purchased my redemption while I was sinning. … I can never take credit for my salvation because I was still holding the hammer and nails when He Saved me.
Easter isn’t about God ignoring my sin… it is about Him acknowledging it, taking it on Himself, and paying for it. I didn’t earn His love… I was actively doing the opposite. Yet God’s stubborn love forgave me, did the work of restoration for me, and instructed me to do the same for others.
“It's a good thing God chose me before I was born, because he surely would not have afterwards. - Charles Spurgeon
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