"Father, Forgive Them.”

“Father, forgive them.”

Luke 23: 27-28

You can only know my inner thoughts as they are expressed by my words. The Saviour reminds us in Matthew 12: 34, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

I want us to look at some of the last words Jesus ever uttered on earth from the cross before he died.

These are the final words that Jesus Christ spoke while hanging on an old rugged cross. On that cross we see our Lord’s greatest work, and on that cross we hear our Lord’s greatest words.

Some words live on! I read about a lady who died

in Kansas and on her tombstone were these words: "I told you I was sick." Some words live on!

I read about a man who owned a restaurant for years, and he was about to die. He had always been known for being stingy! As he laid on his bed, he began mumbling something. So the family leaned in to hear his final words. Very faintly he said, "Slice the ham thin," and then he died. Some words live on!

I read about a wealthy man who died and the family gathered together to hear the reading of his

last will and testament. The family all sat in a circle trying to look sad as the attorney read the will. They were all anxious to learn what their portion of the pot would be.

The attorney began reading, "I, Sam Jones, having made a large fortune, being of a sound mind and proper judgment, want to reveal to my family that I spent it all." Some words live on!

However, if there were ever words that lived on, it would have to be the final words of Jesus Christ.

Now, lets endeavor to unpack this amazing and wonderful first saying!

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

I. THE BLINDING POWER OF SATAN

“they know not what they do."

Jesus could clearly see that sin and Satan had a powerfully blinding effect on sinners.

They were not ignorant of the fact they were crucifying innocence. Pilate had said. "I find in Him no fault at all." Herod had said, "Lo, nothing worthy of is done of Him." Judas had said, "For I have betrayed ."

They ought to have known waht they were doing. Their blindness was inexcusable. The Old Testament prophecies which had received their fulfillment in him were sufficiently plain to identify him as the One sent from God. His teaching was unique, for his very critics were forced to admit, "Never man spake like this man" (John 7:46). Jesus had lived before them a life which had never been lived on earth before. His life was ever lived to the glory of God. His life was one on which was stamped heaven’s approval, for the Father’s voice testified audibly, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am wellpleased." No, there was no excuse for their ignorance; it only demonstrated the blinding power of Satan.

Of what then were they ignorant? They knew not that they were crucifying the Lord of glory.

A. They were ignorant of the PERSON of the Cross

Because Christ was so different from what they hoped the Messiah would be they were not aware of the awful criminality of their conduct.

As the Lord Jesus hung on the cross He recognized the blinding power of Satan and sin.

B. They were ignorant of the PURPOSE for the Cross

It is through the of the Son of God on the cross that forgiveness is available. “In whom we have redemption throgh His , even the forgiveness of sins.” It is because of Christ atoning sacrifice on the cross, that it can be said ”without the shedding of is no remission.”

Satan still blinds men today. 2 Cor. 4: 4 says "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believed not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them."

The devil blinds men to the guilt of their soul. Dr. Ironside was speaking to man one day and ask if him if he was sure that he would go to heaven if he died. The man replied, "No, I can’t say that I would, but I would like to."

"Do you realize that you are a sinner?" Dr. Ironside continued the conversation.

"Yes," replied the man, "but I am not what you would call a bad sinner. In fact, I ’d have to say I’m a rather good one."

Think of it -- a good sinner..... a good law breaker... that is a contradiction of terms. Oh, how the devil blinds men to the guilt of their soul. He tells them that they aren’t that bad. He blinds men to the gift of the Saviour. In Chicago years ago there was a nightclub called, "The Gates of Hell." This club was only a few blocks down the street from Calvary Church. One night a drunk man stopped a young fellow on the street and asked him where was the "the Gates of Hell." The young man pointed to sin on the corner which read "Calvary Church" and said to the drunk, "Just go right by Calvary, and you will come to ’The Gates of Hell.’” How true was that statement. The cross of Calvary stands between every man and hell. If you travel pass Jesus you will land in hell.