Worship Initiative | Last Words of JesusSample

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

“Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments.” (Luke 23:32-34)

These were the first of Christ’s final words, uttered as he hung dying on the cross.

Who among us, when harmed by another, would think first to say, “Lord, please forgive them”? The natural response is almost always to defend oneself, to seek retribution, or simply to remove oneself completely from the harm and its perpetrator. It is not until much later, if ever, that our human hearts might catch up to the desire to see our wrongdoer forgiven.

This is the depth of the tender heart of Christ.

Jesus was more than human. Yes, he was fully man; but surely we see in this display that he was also, without question, fully God. His compassion for the sinner – even those who would torture, mock, and ultimately kill him – is limitless in its expression. Only a perfect God whose very essence is love could be capable of such mercy.

But Jesus went one step further. He did not merely advocate for the forgiveness of his persecutors; he demonstrated understanding toward them. This is Christ’s humanity at work – a great high priest who is able to sympathize with our weakness (Heb 4:15). His grounds for seeking God’s mercy on their behalf was, “they know not what they do.”

Here, Jesus is essentially saying, “Father, hold back your wrath from them – they have become too blind to see their own sin and too numb to feel its weight.” Can you imagine? The very Son of God, beaten within an inch of death and hung up to suffocate on full display, with the wherewithal to think charitably and sympathetically toward his murderers.

Consider this: have you, when deeply wounded, ever had the presence of mind not only to forgive, but to advocate for the person across from you? Not later – not when you’d had a moment to process or calm down or consider things from another perspective. In the exact same moment that they were actively hurting you, emotionally or physically, were you this charitable?

Furthermore, consider this: have you, when deep in the throes of sin – whether habitual or otherwise – ever stopped to think that Christ might be interceding in this same way on your behalf? That even as you choose an idol or a fleeting desire over the glory of God, Jesus would say, “Father, forgive them”?

Certainly we are not meant to view this as a free pass to sin, nor are we meant to plead perpetual ignorance; Paul makes this all perfectly clear to us in his letter to the Romans. But just as certainly, we are meant to freely receive the same abundant compassion and understanding that Christ showed His persecutors when we find ourselves in moments of failure.

To the believer who is struggling today or will struggle tomorrow, take comfort in this assurance: Christ’s heart toward you is sympathetic and merciful, and his plea to the Father for you is for forgiveness. His righteousness and lovingkindness extend beyond your mistakes – to whatever lengths necessary. Christ endured the cross for the joy set before him; surely he can bear your wrongs.

For now, we look with anticipation to Easter and the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, where we are reminded that a day is coming when we will no longer struggle nor sin, but be free in the presence of God forever.

Until that day, we cling to his boundless mercy and rejoice in his death-defying love.