And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
– Luke 23:34
What a picture of Jesus on the cross. Amongst the many things he prays for, says to the Father, He specifically asks the father, to forgive those who are crucifying him, those who are cursing him, yelling at him, those who thrust a crown of thorns into his head and called for his death.
Luke 23:34 Portrays Jesus Interceding for His Oppressors
He prays, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” And there’s so many applications of this. I want to make two. One, just to remind you today, that if you have put your faith in Jesus, you are forgiven by God. He has wiped away the stain of sin in your life. Don’t let the adversary beat you up, accuse you, make you feel ashamed, even guilty or condemned, because of sin in your past.
God has wiped that slate clean, and when he sees you, he sees the righteousness of Jesus. For all who trust in Jesus, you are forgiven of all your sins. Isaiah 43:25, the imagery there in the Old Testament, he remembers your sins no more. He doesn’t think about your sins. When he sees you, you are forgiven. And so, this is the second application, forgive others as you have been forgiven. I would just ask, is there any bitterness or unforgiveness that you are holding onto in your heart right now toward anyone? And if so, would you just confess that to God and then make that right with that person? Jesus clearly teaches that God forgives those who forgive others, but if you do not forgive others, then what does that say about your understanding of the forgiveness of God?
Luke 23:34 Stimulates Us to Forgive as We Have Been Forgiven
So, God, we praise you for your forgiveness. Jesus, we praise you for paying the price for our sins. We praise you that the slate has been wiped clean, that all my sin against you, all our sin against you, none of it, is counted against us. That we who have put our faith in Jesus by your grace, not by our works, by His work on the cross for us, and in His resurrection, we are counted righteous before you right now, welcomed in your throne to ask for all kinds of things, including the power to forgive.
God, we pray that you would help us to forgive as we have been forgiven. Lord, we pray that you would uncover, expose any bitterness or unforgiveness in any of our hearts right now. God, we pray for this. We pray that you would help us to immediately go to the people we need to go to in order to forgive, to do everything, not in our power but in your power, to forgive even those who have hurt us deeply.
God, we pray that you would help us to forgive freely out of the overflow of your forgiveness of us. And God, we pray for the spread of your forgiveness in the world through us for your forgiveness of sins as we share the gospel. God, we pray for boldness to share the gospel today, we pray for openness in people around us, and God, we pray for openness around the world.
Praying for the Brahmin People
We pray for the Brahmin people of Bhutan, this priestly Hindu class. God, we pray specifically for Brahmin in Bhutan as well as India and other countries nearby. God, we pray that they would hear the good news of forgiveness in Jesus. I think about the Brahmin man I’d shared the gospel with last week, who didn’t see his need for Jesus as the only one who could save him from his sins. Forgive him for his sins. God, we pray, open Brahmin eyes and hearts to the forgiveness that’s found in Jesus alone. We pray, oh God, we praise you for your forgiveness in Jesus’ name. We pray that you would help us to forgive in Jesus’ name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
