"Father, Forgive Them ... "

Sermon on Luke 23:34

Saint Mark's, Watertown

Pastor Karl Walther

March 7, 2001

He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Amen.

God's Word for our consideration this evening is Jesus' first set of words from the cross-- recorded in Luke chapter twenty-three, verse thirty-four: Jesus said: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." This is God's Spirit-inspired Word from Jesus Christ himself.

Introduction: This Year's Lenten Sermon Series

Is on Jesus' Words from the Cross

Dear fellow Christians-- whose forgiveness is found in Christ's crucifixion:

Every year the Lenten Season throws a special focus on Jesus' suffering and death on our behalf. His suffering, of course, reached its pinnacle on the cross. Scripture records for us only seven utterances of Jesus Christ while he was on the cross. And it's natural that we consider each one of these words especially precious.

Theme: Father, Forgive Them, For They Do Not Know What They Are Doing

During these next five weeks, we'll be looking carefully at Jesus' seven words from the cross. Tonight we'll consider the first of these: FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. We'll see with these words: JESUS FORGIVES US, and with them: JESUS DIRECTS US TO FORGIVE OTHERS, as well.

Part One: With These Words Jesus Forgives People

It was rather early on a Friday morning -- nine o'clock -- some nineteen hundred seventy years ago or so. It wasn't all that long after daybreak that Pontius Pilate had sentenced Jesus. Since then, the Roman soldiers had scoffed at Jesus, spit on him, stricken him, and stripped him. Jesus had made his way a few short blocks, down the narrow city streets, amid the growing crowds. And now he had gotten to Skull Place -- Golgotha -- a little bit of a hill, near the road, just outside the city gate of Jerusalem.

There the detachment of four Roman soldiers crucified him. What we know of things in those days suggests that the soldiers may have taken a sturdy post, ten or twelve feet high, which they kept near that place-- and they may have lain it on the ground. Then they would have taken the heavy cross beam, which Jesus had carried, and attached it to the post-- maybe with a series of notches and ropes.

Then they lay Jesus on it, malleting some heavy seven- or eight-inch iron spikes through his hands or wrists-- and through his feet or ankles. It's not unlikely that they also tied his limbs to the cross, and probably it had just a little bit of a stand for his feet. Then they hoisted him up, finessed the cross into a hole in the ground, and set him up for everyone to see what happened to criminals against the Roman Empire.

And that's when: Jesus said: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." "God, my Father, send their sins away. After all, they don't know what they're accomplishing."

And obviously, Jesus spoke those words, first of all, with these Roman soldiers in mind. He wanted them forgiven. They really didn't know they were crucifying the Lord of glory. Perhaps they could later come to see that sin of theirs had actually resulted in the forgiveness of those sins of theirs.

Application One: With These Words Jesus Forgives Us

Just as obviously, though, Jesus spoke these words here to you and me. That's why they're recorded in Scripture. Jesus said to us: "Father, forgive them," although all too often we may even know very well we are sinning against him. What I'm saying is this: You and I don't really understand this section of Scripture unless we realize that we were sledge-hammering those spikes into Jesus....

When they held that spike to Jesus' right hand, and he felt its cold metal against his weakened skin -- when they took that sledge hammer, and with one swing drove the spike through skin and muscle and bone -- when they pound-, pound-, pounded it and with every blow Jesus must have shrieked: that was for the sins of our right hands! That's for every time we curled our fist in anger against God and against man. It was for every time we hoped to hurt another person, and every time we really did.

My friend, Christ's right hand here forgave you for that.

Then they went to Christ's left hand. Pound, pound, pound-- and our Savior was in agony. That was for the sins of our left hands! That's for every time we snuck behind our backs what was not ours to have-- even for every time we wanted to do so. That's for every time we reached out and touched what was not ours to touch-- and even every time we wanted to do so. It's also for every time we failed to fold our hands in prayer.

My friend, Christ's left hand here forgave you for that.

Then they pounded a spike or spikes right through both feet. Ouch!-- went the muscles, scrape!-- went the bones, spurt! went the blood. Yes, I know it's gory.... But this was the cost for the sins of your feet: every time they hurried to get you in trouble, every time they failed to hurry you out of trouble, and yes-- even every time your feet were up in an easy chair when they should have been at work or at worship.

My friend, the suffering of Christ's feet here forgave you for all of that.

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." My friend, Christ spoke those words to you!

Part Two: With These Words Jesus Directs People to Forgive Others

And-- and: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Christ also spoke those words for you to share with others.

That's clear when Peter, maybe some months later, says to those who had crucified Christ: "Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance.... Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ ...for you."

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Christ meant for those words to be shared with others.

That's clear when Stephen, maybe some years later, says of those who are about to stone him for his faith in Christ: "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

It's clear, too, when John -- several decades after that, says: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Application Two: With These Words Jesus Directs Us to Forgive Others

So: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Christ spoke those words for you to share with others!

That brother, whose right hand hit you when you were young -- and that sister, whose right hand pestered you when you were a bit older -- and that relative of yours whose right hand made off with more than his share of the inheritance: forgive them! Christ's painful right hand has forgiven them, as much as he has forgiven you. Let go of your personal anger!

That husband, whose left hand embraces you not nearly enough, nor pats you on the back -- or that wife, whose left hand fails to cover her mouth as often as she might -- or that spouse who has now entirely withdrawn left and right hands from your household: forgive him! forgive her! Christ's sliced and slivered left hand has forgiven them, as much as he has forgiven you. Let go of your personal anger!

And that classmate, whose feet carry him swiftly where his voice might mock you -- and that co-worker, whose feet carry her swiftly where she can gossip about you -- and that neighbor whose feet are never there to help or even to visit you: forgive them! Christ's bloody feet have hurried to forgive those people, as much as Christ has hurried to forgive you. Let go!

Conclusion: Forgiveness Is What Christianity Is All About

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." My friend, that forgiveness is what Christianity is all about! It's what life-that-is-truly-life is all about! Trust it! Live it! Rejoice in it! Amen.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Amen.