A REMARKABLE REQUEST.
Luke 23: 34a
A Good Friday Sermon by:
Rev. G.R. Procee
PUBLISHED BY THE
PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
OF THE
FREE REFORMED CHURCHES OF NORTH AMERICA.
(February 2008)
LITURGY:
Votum
Psalter 109
Art. 20, 21 of the Belgic Confession
Psalter 92: 4
Scripture Reading: Luke 23: 26 – 49
Text: Luke 23: 34a
“Then said Jesus, Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”
Congregational Prayer.
Offerings
Psalter 186
Sermon
Psalter 272: 2, 4
Thanksgiving Prayer
Psalter 91: 1, 2, 3
Doxology: Psalter 440: 5
Congregation,
The Lord Jesus has been condemned to death. He must be crucified. Soldiers lead Him to the execution place, Calvary, a hill that has the form of a skull. Many Jews are present. They all can observe and hear what is all going to happen. Now shall commence 6 hours of the most intense suffering that ever happened on the face of this earth. During these 6 hours the Lord Jesus utters 7 priceless sayings, His seven words on the cross. The Lord had to be put to death by crucifixion also for this reason that He would be able to speak during these sufferings so that He would still be able to glorify His Father and edify those around Him and instruct His church.
Here in His sufferings we can still observe how the Lord Jesus fulfills His office of Prophet, Priest and King. His prophetical office He has just demonstrated by a remarkable prediction about the children and inhabitants of Jerusalem. In a few moments He would demonstrate His Kingly office in that He would open the door of Paradise to a penitent thief. Here in our text the Lord Jesus gives an example of His priestly office in that He prays for those who are nailing Him to the cross.
We listen today on this Good Friday to the first saying of Christ on the cross. Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. We listen to:
A Remarkable Request: We see 1. The Contents of this Request 2. The Basis for this Request 3. The Answer to this Request 4. The Example in this Request.
1. The Contents of this Request.Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. It is a most remarkable request: Imagine what is happening. The rough soldiers place Jesus on the wooden beam of the cross, spread out His holy hands and crucify Him. The sharpest possible pain cut Him through his Hands and Feet. In those moments when the Lord Jesus opens His lips to pray, we would think, for sure the prayer would be: Father, consume them. Father look upon this and requite them. I have done them no injustice. I have done them no wrong and look from heaven how they treat Me. That is what we would have expected.
The sin they were now committing could easily have been considered unpardonable. Justly might they have been excluded from any forgiveness whatsoever. But the Lord Jesus prays on purpose for their forgiveness. Not only does the Lord Jesus abstain from revenge, but He pleads with God the Father for the forgiveness of those by whom He is most cruelly being tormented.
It would have been a great matter and most adorable in Christ not to have desired revenge or not to have rendered evil for evil, as 1 Peter 3:9 says, Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing. Peter says more in 1 Peter 2: 23 that the Lord Jesus did not avenge himself but who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.
The Lord Jesus surrendered all matters to His Father, knowing that God is a just Avenger. That already would have been something to be worshipped, but the Lord Jesus did something far greater: He displayed a far greater virtue. He prayed that God would forgive His enemies. He not only forbears revenge but He also prays for their forgiveness. He prays in a commanding sense: Forgive them. A strong short prayer. Just really two words: Forgive them.
For whom is the Lord Jesus praying? Well, in the first place for the soldiers who were inflicting this horrible deed to this innocent One. They committed this crime of piercing His Hands and Feet. They knew He was innocent. In 6 hours the Roman centurion will confess that this was a righteous Man. The Lord is now praying for these soldiers, that His Father would forgive this crime.
But the Lord Jesus is also praying for the Jewish leaders, the priests and the people who were assembled there. They were actually the instigators of this crucifixion. They were the cause, humanly speaking that He now has to suffer. The Lord is praying for forgiveness also for them. So He is praying for Jews and Romans who together arranged His crucifixion.
Here we see the Lord Jesus as intercessor. He is praying for His enemies. We see here the fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12 He was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
We can compare this to His intercessory prayer as we find in John 17. In John 17 He prayed for the saints, His people. Here He prays for sinners, that they would be forgiven of this terrible sin.
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. The meaning of these words is deeper than even the immediate setting. That is what we find with the other sayings on the cross. All these words are deep words. Also this word: Father, forgive them. The Lord Jesus speaks this as Mediator. He pleads here for sinners. These words are so deep and so broad, they show us the purpose of His crucifixion: He would lay down His life so that sins of others could be forgiven. He would now be enabled as Mediator to pray: Father, forgive them.
This shows the great aim of the cross: The forgiveness of sins. The Lord Jesus brought a full payment for sin. Therefore He could now ask: Father, forgive them. The great thing why Christ died is to earn forgiveness of sins. His Blood speaks better things than the blood of Abel. The blood of Abel cried out for revenge. But the Blood of Christ cries out: Father, forgive them.
The Lord still prays that prayer, and that is for poor sinners who confess their sin and fall down before Him., who repent and turn to Him, pleading His Blood. He still prays for such to give them forgiveness of their sins. The greatest sinners may find mercy and forgiveness. Here you see Jesus asking for forgiveness for His own persecutors. You may confess your sins how great they are before Him. His Blood cleanses from all sin. He is now in Heaven the high Priest who prays now for all those who come unto God by Him. He prays Father, forgive them. In this petition on the cross you hear the willingness of Christ to forgive so that Isaiah 1:18 can say: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. That is all based on this first petition. Father forgive them.
There is so much to learn from this. For we see meekness in the Lord Jesus in praying: Father forgive them. But at the same time Scripture also points us to the sober mindedness of Christ that He also could surrender all these sufferings to the Lord knowing that God would avenge Him. We read in 1 Peter 2:23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. The Lord Jesus knew of God's judgment against those who were committing such a terrible crime and yet there is still at the same time this meekness desiring their forgiveness.
Calvin comments that this attitude should also be in God's children. God's people should restrain their feelings when they endure distress, so that they would desire the salvation of their persecutors and yet rest assured that their life is under the protection of God and that the wickedness of men will not remain unpunished, so that God's people would not faint under their cross.
2. The Basis for this Request. What was the basis, the underlying reason for this request? How could Jesus pray this? Why did Jesus pray this? Various reasons can be given.
In the first place: the great sinners love of Christ. The Lord Jesus offers His love and displays His love to sinners and shows His willingness to save them. The great sinners love of Christ is most moving and real. The Lord Jesus is most pitiful, most compassionate, most gracious. None are too wicked for Him to care for. None are too gone in their sins for His almighty heart to take interest about their souls. He wept over unbelieving Jerusalem.
He heard the prayer of the dying thief. He stopped under the tree to call Zaccheus a publican. He came down from heaven to turn the heart of the persecutor Saul of Tarsus. He found strength and time to pray for His tormentors even on the cross. The most horrible circumstances and the Lord showed His care for them. He opened a forgiving heart for them. This is love that passes all knowledge. The vilest of sinners should have no cause to be afraid of applying for mercy to a Saviour like this. Is there a love like His love? Is there compassion like His compassion?
Another reason for this request: Father forgive them, is found right in the text itself: We see here in the first place clearly the reason given by God's Word itself. The Lord Jesus supplies the basis: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. The reason for His request is that they do not know what they are doing. These Jews and Romans were committing a terrible crime for they had no idea what they were actually doing. They were casting out the Son of God. They were casting out their own King and Messiah. They were committing the greatest injustice ever possible. But they were blind to it.
The word “for” gives the reason, the ground. For they know not what they do. That ignorance forms not the basis for forgiveness, but it forms the basis for this prayer.
But didn’t the Roman soldiers know what they were doing? They knew they were crucifying someone, and they probably knew that this Person as innocent, but they didn’t know that He was the Messiah, the Son of God.
Didn’t the Jews know what they were doing? The Jews knew certainly that He was innocent. They knew that the motives for nailing Him to the cross were wrong. But they still did not know what they were doing because they did not recognize in Him their Messiah and King. Later Peter will say to them in Acts 3: 17 that he knew that through ignorance they had crucified their own Messiah. They did not see Him as the Son of God. 1 Cor. 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
A veil was upon His glory and a veil was upon their understanding. It was impossible for them to look through these two veils. The true identity of Christ was hidden to them, because of their unbelief and stubbornness of heart. They wished His Blood upon them and their children. Had they realized what they had done, they would have wished to undo this all.
There is a kind of ignorance that does in part excuse sin. Ignorance because one never received proper instruction. Paul refers to Himself in 1 Tim. 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. The crucifiers of Christ were kept ignorant by the Jewish leaders. They had prejudices against Him instilled in them. People have committed great sins
against God’s children not realizing what they were doing. Heathens have killed missionaries, knowing surely that they should not kill, but still not realizing the depths of the evil they were doing. An unconverted person can say most foolish things because he doesn’t understand what he is saying.
Scripture shows us that the sins of ignorance are less blameworthy before God than sins of knowledge. No case is so hopeless as one who sins against light. He knows better and still he sins against it. Clear head knowledge of Christ combined with a willful heart rejection of Him is a terrible sin. To have been enlightened with heavenly knowledge and then to go against it is far worse. That is deliberate sinning.
Yet we must also realize that ignorance in itself is still blameworthy. In no way can we say that ignorant persons deserve to be forgiven. At this rate ignorance would be a desirable thing. It is also part of man’s sin before God that he is ignorant. God made man with a perfect insight and full knowledge. The fact that man is ignorant is part of his guilt. Also we may say that much ignorance can be avoided by listening better and taking time to examine matters in order to find the truth. But many forsake the truth and don’t care about the truth. The fact that man does not know God and His truth is already part of His guilt.
But the fact is also there that people can sin by ignorance. They don’t know what they are doing. Calvin makes the very pastoral comment that when the whole world rises against God’s children and all unite in striving to crush them, that they can overcome the temptation of desiring revenge or of becoming angry by simply realizing their blindness in fighting against God. The people harass because they don’t know any better. They are in blindness. They do not see the beauties of God.
3. The Answer to this request. The Lord Jesus will always be heard. The Father delights in His Son and always will grant Him His request. We read that in John 11: 41, 42 the Lord Jesus says: Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me and I knew that thou hearest me always. The same matter we find in John 17:24. There Christ can even state His desires and He shall receive them. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given
me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. The basis for the Father’s always hearing the Son is because of the love between the Father and the Son. The Father loves the Son. There is also a blessed union between the Father and the Son so that the will of the Father is congruent with the will of the Son.
The Lord Jesus has laid the judicial ground for His receiving His request. He merited this right by laying down His life on the cross. By paying for the sins of His people. That is why God shall hear His Son. Jesus is the High Priest. He has earned life and salvation. He has the right to ask whatever He desires and He will receive His request. Psalm 2:7,8 Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance.
Here Jesus prays: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. God has granted His request. How? How was a this prayer of the Lord Jesus fulfilled?
The fruits of this wonderful prayer will never be fully seen until the day when the books will be opened. We have probably not the least idea how many conversions to God took place at Jerusalem after the crucifixion as a direct result of this marvelous prayer. Perhaps this prayer was the first step towards the repentance of the thief on the cross. Maybe this prayer was one means of affecting the Roman centurion who would declare that Jesus was surely a righteous Man.
Maybe this prayer effected the multitudes of people who returned from Calvary smiting their breasts as a sign of sorrow. What to think of the three thousand converted on the Day of Pentecost and what to think of the other thousands who were converted and how the Lord added daily to the church as to such that would be saved. We read in Acts 6:7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.