WHAT MOVED THE HEART OF JESUS?
Part 1: The cry of forgiveness
- Luke 23:33-38
For some time now, we have been hearing about Mel Gibson’s new movie, The Passion of the Christ, the biblical account of the last hours of Christ’s earthly life. Some in our church have even seen it already. The reviews of the movie had been mixed. Some claim it is too violent and graphic, though I believe it accurately depicts what occurred in the last hours of Jesus’ life. Some claim it is anti-Semitic, though the producer filmed his own hand nailing Jesus to the cross because he said that he and all living are equally guilty in Jesus’ death. Others claim they believe it really happened, but that they share no responsibility in Jesus’ crucifixion.
This past Friday, there was a letter to the editor in the News-Journal from a woman in Port Orange named Madeleine Evans. After viewing the movie she wrote, “Personally, I have no problem believing what Jesus did, but I want no responsibility for it. I will pay for my own sins (I usually do), thank you very much. I would never want anyone to go through so much suffering for me.” [Daytona Beach News-Journal, 02/27/04, page 4a].
I truthfully believe that Jesus’ response to her claim would be very much like His response to the crowd when they told Pilate in Matthew 27:25 His blood be on us, and on our children. I believe Jesus would respond with His first cry from the cross, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.
There are those who believe that Jesus spoke only 7 times while He was on the cross, and there are others who believe that He recited entire chapters from the Old Testament. I am not sure which is correct, but in either case, God saw fit to record for us, 7 times that Jesus spoke in the midst of that pain. The Bible records 7 cries that moved the heart of Jesus, each of them important in our lives today. This morning I would like us to see together Jesus’ first word from the cross and see how it applies to us today.
> Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
In this prayer of Jesus, which came from those parched and innocent lips, we find three lessons which we must apply today.
I. GOD CAN BE TRUSTED
> Isaiah 53:12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
Centuries before the crucifixion of Jesus, God knew how Jesus would die. He knew Jesus would be hung “with transgressors”, between 2 thieves. God knew Jesus would pray for the transgressors, those who killed Him. None of this came as a surprise to God. So even in the midst of that pain and suffering Jesus never doubted that God loved Him as a Father. Hours before, Jesus had prayed that God would allow Him to avoid this if possible, but above all, He wanted God’s will to be completed.
Now, Jesus realized that God was still with Him. He still saw God’s hand at work, even in the midst of His suffering, so He called God “Father”.
Have you ever noticed how quickly people can turn on God? Have you ever noticed how quickly some people can begin to doubt, or question whether He exists, or give up on Him altogether, when a little trouble comes their way?
Part of the problem is the “name it and claim it” preaching going on out there, preachers who teach that if you are a Christian, God will keep the tears from your eyes and He will materially bless you. That would have been a surprise to David. Remember? He said, “Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil.” My friends, if you walk with Jesus, if He is your Lord and if God is your Father, there are going to be valleys in your life. There is going to be pain. There are going to be heartaches. God doesn’t promise to take them away. He promises to go through them with you and to use them for your good.
He doesn’t promise to keep you wealthy. Look at the apostles. Does it look like they died in the lap of luxury, or that they lived pain free lives? Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, imprisoned, snake bitten, and falsely accused; but he didn’t doubt the presence and goodness of God.
My friend, I don’t know what’s going on in your life. I don’t know what pain you’re enduring. I do know this however. Nothing surprises God. There are no emergency sessions in heaven, and you can trust Him in the midst of your trial.
God can be trusted.
II. ENEMIES CAN BE FORGIVEN
Notice secondly that enemies can be forgiven. Think for a moment of what has just happened. The disciples who claimed to love Him have abandoned Jesus. One of them betrayed Him. Jesus has been mocked. He’s been spit on. He’s been beaten. He has carried His cross through the city, until in weakness He collapsed. He has been nailed to a cross and lifted up for all to see. Over His head where there would ordinarily be a sign listing the crime He is being executed for, there is instead a sign, written in 3 languages, mockingly calling Him the King of the Jews. As He hangs there those on either side and those at His feet mock Him.
It was usual for those being crucified, in their terrible pain to shriek, to beg, to curse and spit at the spectators. What did Jesus do? He prayed, and what a prayer. He prayed for forgiveness.
The people there knew far too little about forgiveness. The Romans worshipped “Revenge” as a god. Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, blood for blood” was a part of Hebrew ethics. But Jesus forgave. You see, earlier, in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus had said, “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” Just as a flower perfumes the foot that crushes it, so Jesus forgave those that attacked Him.
Forgiveness isn’t too hip in our society today either. Often our cry is also, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” Some of you are harboring bitterness and unforgiveness right now. You’re saying, “You don’t know what He said to me or about me. You don’t know what she’s done to me. I can never forgive.” Hogwash.
Jesus commanded you and I to love and pray and then demonstrated it after being treated worse then we ever will be. You can forgive if you let Jesus do it through you.
The wife of a Zulu chief attended a Salvation Army meeting and was saved. When her husband heard about it, he forbade her to go again. However, eager to hear more about Jesus, she went again. When her husband heard about it, he met her on her return trip and beat her savagely that he left her for dead. Overcome by curiosity, he later went back. She was not where he left her, but noticing broken twigs he found her lying under a bush. Covering her with cruel eyes he leered, “And what can your Jesus Christ do for you now?” She opened her eyes, and looking at him, said gently, “He helps me to forgive you!” [From, In the Land of His Love, by Mrs. M. L. Carpenter. Quoted in Knight’s Master Book of New Illustrations.]
Quit holding that bitterness. Quit harboring that unforgiveness. Love them and forgive them. That stuff about loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you, Jesus means it.
God can be trusted, people can be forgiven, and sin can be costly.
III. SIN CAN BE COSTLY
- Luke 23:34
At the end of the verse, Jesus says, “They don’t know what they’re doing.” Now, what did He mean by that? Certainly Pilate knew it was an innocent man crucifying and tried vainly to clean the blood from his hands. Judas knew it was an innocent man he had betrayed, that’s why he returned the 30 pieces of silver & then killed himself. The priests knew they condemned an innocent man. The people in the mob knew Jesus had committed no crime and yet they cried, “Crucify Him.” No, the guilty there that day knew they were wrong, but they did not know the enormity of their crime. They didn’t know how wrong they were. They didn’t know how costly sin can be.
My friend, sin is much more terrible than you can imagine. When you believe it is little, when you believe it is small, it can be costly. When you believe you have gotten away with something or that no one but you will suffer, you are mistaken. Who knows, what blessing you have missed because of disobedience. Who knows, what price innocent people have paid because your sin shut your mouth or ruined your testimony? Who knows how the “small sin” you wink at in your life has been multiplied in the lives of others?
In Exodus 20:5 . . . for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; Oh my friend, the people there did not realize the enormity of their sin. They did not understand that sin can be costly. The same is true to you and me.
God has called you to be a witness to that person at work. Have you? He’s called you to teach your children about Him, to talk about Him when you are rising up, and when you are sitting down, when you are coming in and when you are going out. He’s commanded you to seek Him. He’s told you to love your neighbor and to forgive him. When you disobey, there is a price to pay, and sin can be costly.
