Westside Church of Christ

The Son of God hung suspended between earth and heaven. To His left was a criminal. Ditto to His right. It’s hard to imagine the pain. He had been beaten. A crown of thorns had been shoved onto His head. The nails had been driven. He labored to breathe. Searing agony from head to toe. The sins of the world weighing on His shoulders. He endured the worst of suffering, and offered shocking words for His torturers, "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).” Forgive them?

It is a statement of profound depth. Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), and the cost of that mission was extraordinarily high. The Lamb of God was going to take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Forgive them? Exactly. That’s what He was all about, and still is. The disgusting bunch that we try to avoid is included. They leave a trail of misery wherever they go, and Jesus did not shun them. He sought them with an offer of forgiveness. The offer still stands.

They aren’t wielding hammers and driving nails, but they are marching to the beat of the same drummer. The world into which the Son of God was born was no different than the one we see. Technology has changed. People haven’t. They are busy with their own interests. There was no internet then, but word of mouth spread the latest gossip. It can be done much more efficiently now. With few exceptions, they rejected the Savior. He continues to extend nail-scarred hands, and most sinners ignore them. Darkness dominated the first century world. It still does.

The Lord is not caught off guard by this. His environment did not shock Him. It may have saddened Him, but He knew what to expect. He selected a dozen men to be with Him. One betrayed Him. One denied Him. Ten ran away when the heat was on. He knew it would happen. He told them so. It changed neither Him nor them. It did not turn Him away from His mission of forgiveness. He bled and died for them. The blood still cleanses. Forgive them? Yes, and not just them. Us, too.

The love of God stands behind such a remarkable statement. He sent His Son for this very purpose. The weak and wayward desperately needed what they could not provide for themselves. Justification was way beyond their resources. Dead people cannot raise themselves. Jesus walked down death row and took the sentence for them all. For us too, and most say, “No thanks.” That is nothing new.

He gives us the option. We can refuse or accept. He chose to pay our debt, and now we get to choose whether we want it or not. His words echo through the centuries, “Father, forgive them…”

Call to Praise: Acts 19:1-7

His word on it: Acts 19:4

Sermon: “Confusion and Conflict”