Love Like Jesus: 7 Day Easter DevotionalНамуна

As He hung dying on the cross, Jesus forgave His executioners. We would expect nothing less of Him—He is, after all, the Son of God. But when we look at the prevailing cultural norms of His day, we begin to understand just how unexpected His prayer of forgiveness would have been for first-century listeners—both those standing at the foot of His cross and those hearing the account of His death.

Through Israel’s history, family members were entreated to avenge an innocent person’s death. God Himself instructed the Israelites to show no pity toward murderers but to expunge them through capital punishment. A life for a life. That seemed just. 

In those cases where revenge was beyond human means, faithful worshipers pleaded with God to exact judgment and vindication when they couldn’t. In fact, there are over thirty imprecatory psalms—calling for divine judgment and vindication. It was normal to want revenge. It was biblical to ask God to enact justice. And if an innocent Jewish man were hanging from a Roman cross, you could be sure that he would be calling down God’s wrath on his executioners. 

But not Jesus. 

After being crucified between two criminals, Jesus’ first recorded words in Luke are this prayer of forgiveness. Typically, a person being executed was expected to confess his sins, usually posted on a charge sheet at the head of the cross. Jesus’ charge sheet read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (John 19:19), the inscription bearing more truth than Pilate could even realize.

Yet Jesus demonstrates His love for the very men who nailed Him to the cross, not just freely granting His own forgiveness but also praying to His heavenly Father for their absolution. 

These words spoken from the cross would have been shocking indeed. If anyone deserved to hold a grudge, it was Jesus. If anyone was justified in calling down divine judgment on His executioners, it was Jesus. Consider the prophet Zechariah’s stoning in the Old Testament, killed for delivering God’s warning to King Joash. As he lay dying, he prayed, “May the Lord see this and call you to account” (2 Chronicles  24:22). On Zechariah’s mind was not forgiveness, but justice and revenge, perhaps clinging to God’s promise: “It is mine to avenge. I will repay” (Deuteronomy 32:35). 

In contrast, Jesus shows that love forgives, not because it hasn’t been wronged, but because it trusts in the One who can make all things right. Jesus didn’t want His executioners condemned as Zechariah had been—He wanted them redeemed. And from the cross, hanging by the nails these men had pounded into His hands and feet, Jesus looks upon them with compassion and prays for their forgiveness.

Challenge: Who in your life do you need to forgive? Pray for them today, using Jesus’ prayer as a model, and ask God to uncover His love in your heart toward them.