I'll never forget the rejection and loss of the wonderful friendship I had with Shawn. At eleven years old we were best friends and did everything together - biking all over town, listening to music, playing games. Nothing could separate us until one day Shawn turned his back on me and began to hate me and he convinced all our friends to reject me as well. To this day I don't know why but from that moment and for the two full years that followed, I had to learn what it was to forgive and love my enemy. Although I haven't forgotten the pain of rejection, I long ago have given up any anger or resentment toward Shawn. Through it all I learned what Jesus said in Matt 18:21-22 "I do not say to you, up to seven times but up to seventy times seven." - unlimited forgiveness.
Forgiveness is an important issue in the Gospels mentioned over 50 times. Jesus is probably most known for his amazing miracles of healing as he gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, raised the dead. But the most important healing miracle was his forgiveness of sinners. In fact at one point a paralytic was brought to Jesus and instead of healing him he said: “Take heart my son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mt. 9:2) And it was only as a footnote that he actually physically healed this man. It is forgiveness that is what we need more than anything from our Lord. And it is also from our Lord that we discover that it is forgiveness that we need to GIVE to others just as he did.
This morning we are looking at only one verse that is taken out of the story of Jesus’ crucifixion. These are the first words of Jesus from the cross and they are the words of a prayer. And this one prayer of Jesus reveals to us how Jesus dealt with offense and forgiveness and as his followers, we ought to do the same.
1. Jesus forgives because of his amazing love
This was not a prayer for his comfort, for his own strength, for his peace. It was a prayer for his enemies. Just think about this for a moment. Jesus is not concerned about himself but for those soldiers below him who had just nailed him to the cross, who had just whipped and mocked him, who were that very moment playing a game to divide up his clothing. He could have prayed that God punish them and take vengeance – that justice would be done. But instead we find compassion! Take that in and be in awe of our Savior.
How quickly we become resentful, angry, and bitter at only one word or one action done against us. We secretly plot vengeance and seek the downfall of our enemy. And then we see Jesus who was not only insulted and cursed but physically beaten and the result was love.
And yet, if Jesus is your Lord and Savior, that same love and compassion can flow through you. We are to follow Jesus and have compassion on even our worst enemies. But it’s only possible through a miracle of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit.
And it’s happened over and over again in history – beginning with Stephen, the first martyr who was stoned to death and listen to his last words: Acts 7:60 “And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Mary Khoury, 17 from Damour, Lebanon and her family were forced to their knees before their home. The leader of the Muslim fanatics who had raided their village waved his pistol carelessly before their faces. His hatred for Christians burned in his eyes. “If you do not become a Muslim, you will be shot.”
Mary knew Jesus had been given a similar choice and he chose the cross. Her choice was similar. “I was baptized as a Christian, and His word came to me: ‘Don’t deny your faith.’ I will obey Him. Go ahead and shoot.” The report of a gun from behind her echoed in the valley and Mary’s body fell limply to the ground.
Two days later, the Red Cross came into her village. Of all her family, Mary was the only one still alive. But the bullet had cut her spinal cord leaving both arms paralyzed. Even though handicapped, she knew God still had a plan for her life: “Everyone has a vocation. I can never marry or do any physical work. So I will offer my life for Muslims, like the one who cut my father’s throat, cursed my mother and stabbed her and then tried to kill me. My life will be a prayer for them.”
That is the amazing love that Jesus revealed on the cross and he gives to us the same amazing love for our enemies.
2. Jesus forgives because he understands the blindness.
“They know not what they do.” They took Jesus for a fool, for an ordinary man who has a big ego and thinks he is a king, for a rebel against the Romans. 1 Cor. 2:8 “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” If they really knew who they were killing, they would not dared to have done it.
Look at the blindness of Paul – he thought he was doing God a service. He was very religious! It appeared he was trying to do a service to God and not against him. He was taught by one of the best Jewish teacher’s in the world. He didn’t persecute the church out of pure joy for doing evil. He had Biblical reasons for everything he did and was seeking to do God’s will the very best he could. But he was totally blind to reality.
At the trial of Jesus, the crowds thought they were condemning a guilty man – “let his blood be on us and on our children.” Do you think that any of them really realized that Jesus was truly the Messiah, the Son of God?
The reality is that our flesh, the world, the devil blinds us to the actual reality around us. We have been deceived into following a lie. Isn’t that what gossip is all about? Words are spoken about someone that are stretched and damaging – they are based on assumption and hearsay rather than truth. People believe what is said and an opinion is spread about someone that is totally false. “They know not what they do!”
So in forgiveness, we look at others from this perspective. They don’t know. They don’t understand. If they did know and did understand, they never would have done or said what they have done. We need to follow Jesus’ lead in this way.
3. Jesus forgives through prayer
These are Jesus’ first words on the cross. Instead of condemnation – we find them the ones that Jesus singles out to pray for! Jesus is fulfilling prophesy about him written in Isaiah 53:12 he “makes intercession for the transgressors.”
This strategy comes right out of Jesus’ teachings: Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Luke 6:27 "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
You see, the issue of offense and forgiveness is a spiritual issue. Remember that Jesus knew these people did not know what they were doing. People who do evil have been deceived into believing and acting on a lie. This is a spiritual blindness. The question is this: how do you make the blind see?
The answer for many is simply by taking vengeance, getting back, showing my displeasure in their words and actions. But this will not bring sight to the blind – it will merely entrench them in greater darkness.
Others say that they need to be educated. They need to hear the bare facts and the truth of the matter. But there are many people who will continue to believe a lie even with the plain facts right in their face. There are those for example who believe to this day that there was never a Holocaust – it is just propaganda by the Jews. This week I read about a scholar who believes that there never was such a man as Jesus. He was made up by the church. He rejects all proof shown to him and insists based on his research that there is no solid evidence for a real Jesus.
This is why Jesus didn’t talk to the soldiers. He didn’t try to reason with them. But he prayed for them. This is the way to break the blindness, the bondage of the enemy. We pray for their eyes to be opened that they may see. Those prayers must be backed up with actions of love and mercy. But prayer is the key. Let’s follow after the Savior and pray for our offenders.
4. Jesus forgives without strings attached
We might wonder how Jesus could forgive these men when they never asked for forgiveness. Did they get a free ride without repentance? No one is saved without repentance and faith – that would contradict everything in the Bible. These men are guilty of a heinous crime and are held accountable to it before God.
But there are two things to take note of. First, this is not the end of their lives. Jesus death on the cross paid for both those who repented as well as for those who did not. He reconciled the entire WORLD to God through the cross. And Jesus is saying that the doors are open for these men as well despite their sins. In the coming weeks, it is entirely possible that these men were among the believers in Jerusalem.
Secondly, Jesus personally does not hold anything against them. He doesn’t hold a grudge of any kind. He’s not bitter and angry. Before the sun goes down, the sin done against him by these men is released.
But very often this will not happen when we are offended. We naturally want our enemy to recognize his sin and return to us and confess it. We want him to know how much it hurt and to make it up to us at least with repentance. And then we can let the matter rest. This is called forgiveness with strings attached or really forgiveness with chains attached because we are chaining ourselves to the offender and his actions. What he does or doesn’t do will impact our lives for good or bad.
Pastor John Bevere tells the story of a pastor’s wife who came to him with a great burden. She thought she had forgiven but she couldn’t put it in the past…p. 158 (The Bait of Satan)
Jesus didn’t allow any chains to be made between himself and those men. Mark 11:25 “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” There is no condition here – simply forgive. Don’t wait for them. Jesus would have had to stay on the cross an awfully long time if he had to wait for the Roman soldiers to apologize to him. It simply wouldn’t have happened.
It’s our pride that keeps those chains binding us to others. We want others to pay, to change, to make up for it. It may or may not happen. But by unconditionally forgiving them, you set yourself free. Turn to Jesus who did it first. Be filled with the love of God for your enemies. Understand that they have been fed a lie. Pray for them. And let them go by forgiving them without expecting anything in return.
Jesus forgives because of his love – we forgive because of our love.
Jesus forgives because of he understands blindness – we forgive because we understand blindness.
Jesus forgives through prayer – we too forgive through our prayers.
Jesus forgives without any strings attached – we too forgive unconditionally.
