Final Words of the Lamb of God - #7 - Forgiveness

It requires little convincing to demonstrate the importance of the final words of a dying man. When we consider the import of the words Jesus spoke during three years of ministry it takes on even greater significance to hear His final words spoken from the cross.

 I want to look at the final seven words of Christ from the cross. I will count them down in the typical “top 10” fashion. We begin with number 7.

7. The Word of Forgiveness for His Enemies

Luke 23^34 

“Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

Forgiveness. It would be hard to imagine a world so hard and brutal that there would be no forgiveness. Can you picture harboring every wrong committed, unable to let pass even a single mistake? Surely it would be a burden far too heavy to bear, yet aren’t we so adept at picking and choosing how and who we will forgive.

Yet who does Jesus forgive? He forgives those who have placed Him upon a cross. He prays to the Father that these, His enemies, these, who revile Him, these, who spit upon Him, these, who brutalized Him, these, who hate Him, that these, will be forgiven.

Up until this point Jesus had simply forgiven sins, but now He prays to the Father for their forgiveness, for the Son of God now hangs on a cross. He is the sacrificial Lamb of God. He is the blood atonement offered for the forgiveness of sins, for as the Bible teaches, without the shedding of blood there is no remission.

Thus prays Jesus, Father, forgive them. Does this mean that all men for all time are forgiven? No, for not all will accept the forgiveness so graciously offered, but it does mean there is sufficient forgiveness for all who will receive. There is no height, nor depth, nor breadth of the sins of man that exceeds the grace of God pouring forth from the fountain of His love on the cross.

Oh how desperately we want forgiveness. Oh how desperately we need forgiveness. And though none of us can fully fathom the depth of our own sin, for we know not what we do, the precious Lamb of God knows fully the depth of all sin, for all persons, for all time, and He has prayed, Father forgive.

For what do you need forgiveness? Will you be forgiven today? Will you receive the forgiveness already prayed for by Jesus who prayed the prayer of forgiveness that He alone could pray? 

Are you willing in turn to forgive some wrong committed against you? Would you pray with Jesus, Father, forgive them?

Seek forgiveness today. It is gracious available for you in full. Jesus prayed for it, and His prayers are always answered positively.

Give forgiveness today. Be gracious in kind. As God has forgiven you, so you forgive another.

Pray with Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.