News > HQ

(Luke 23:26-56)

“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’” (34a).

            Today we learned that Jesus Christ is God’s King full of grace and truth. Jesus’ crucifixion, death and burial is the climax of his earthly life and ministry. With a historian’s eye, Luke records facts without explanations. Especially, he records three sayings of Jesus on the cross. We want to think about what these mean in light of the Scriptures. May God shine his light into our souls.

First, “Weep for yourselves…” (26-31)

            During the Passover supper, Jesus took the cup and said to his disciples, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (22:20). After this he was arrested, tried and condemned to death. A convicted criminal was to carry his own cross along the longest possible route to the place of execution for public humiliation. Drained by the overnight trials, mocking, beating, and flogging, Jesus soon fell to the ground under the heavy weight of the cross. The soldiers seized Simon from Cyrene, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. Jesus turned and said to them, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’" (27-30) These words from the Prophets predicted the dreadfulness of God’s final judgment which is called the Day of the Lord (Hos 10:8; Isa 2:19).

            The women mourned because of the abominable injustice inflicted upon good Jesus. But they did not know what God was doing. They did not know what was coming. God had lavished his love upon Israel in a hope of making her a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Mt 1:17). But she rebelled against God and rejected his Son. Jesus lamented over the judgment to come. The women of Jerusalem did not need to weep for Jesus. After his death in obedience to the Father, Jesus would rise again. Then he would ascend into heaven to receive power to judge all men. They should weep for themselves and for their children. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are symbols of God’s blessing. But at the time of God’s judgment, misery would be so severe that God’s blessings would turn into great sorrow. People would wish to be buried under a landslide. This prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Jerusalem fell by the Roman army and one million Jews were massacred.

            The fall of Jerusalem was one of the most horrific catastrophes in history. It shows what happens to men who betray God’s love and reject his sovereignty to the end. Sinful men show contempt for the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that his kindness leads them toward repentance. They are like the people in Noah’s time who were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all (Lk 17:27). Every man must know that he is God’s wonderful creation, and that God cares for him, and that there is God’s righteous judgment.

Look at verse 31; “For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?"  Here the green tree refers to Jesus himself, and the dry tree to the lifeless Jewish nation, and in a broad sense, to all mankind under the power of sin. Jesus became a symbol of curse and punishment in order to warn all men of the eternal judgment to come. When we look at the cross of Jesus we must realize the seriousness of sin, weep for our sins, and pray for our children.   

Second, Jesus prays, “Father, forgive them…” (32-34)

“Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals--one on his right, the other on his left.” (32-33) Luke did not describe the physical pain of crucifixion. Instead, he explained how Jesus was humiliated. The word “excruciating” comes from crucifixion. Crucifixion was known as the cruelest punishment due not only to the great and lingering pain but also to the shame the victims had to bear. Jesus was crucified in the middle of the criminals as if he were the worst criminal and the representative of the condemned. His torn and bruised body was exposed naked; not only his hands and feet, but also his head pierced by the thorns were dripping blood.

Why did the Son of God have to suffer and be humiliated in this way? Isaiah 53:4-5 says: “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But 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.” Weakened in sin, we have wounds and sorrows in life that nothing can heal. Jesus became a man of sorrows in order to take up our infirmities and sorrows. Many people pretend to have no problem after committing sin. But it is not so. Every sin causes deep wounds in man’s soul, making him suffer in guilt and shame for his lifetime. Sin makes man like Cain, who wandered in fear and restlessness though he lived in a civilized city. What can heal our wounds and free us from guilt and shame? Jesus was pierced and crushed in order to take up the guilt and shame of our sins.

After Apostle Peter denied Jesus three times, he broke down and wept (Mk 14:72). It was a bitter cry of his soul in shame and guilt. How could he forgive himself and stand before God and men? He said in 1 Peter 2:24, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” Isaiah 53:10 says, “Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.”

Read verse 34a, “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’”  These are the first words of Jesus on the cross. Jesus was now in unbearable pain and agony. It was a time in which he could not think of others. In the darkest hours in his life, however, Jesus did not think of himself. He thought of those who crucified him. He prayed, “Father, forgive them…”  Who are they? In the account of Jesus’ crucifixion, Luke uses a general pronoun “they,” not specifying either the Jewish religious leaders or the Roman soldiers. “They” refers to all who crucified him. Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them…”

There is a famous painting called “The Three Crosses” by the Dutch Baroque artist Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669). The viewers have their attention first drawn to the center cross on which Jesus hangs. Then they look at the crowd gathered around the foot of that cross, impressed by the various facial expressions and actions of the people involved in the awful crime of crucifying the Son of God. At the edge of the painting there is another figure, almost hidden in the shadows. Art critics say this is a representation of Rembrandt himself, for he recognized that by his sins he helped nail Jesus to the cross. Do you realize that your sins helped nail Jesus to the cross? The hymn entitled “Were You There” asks, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” Jesus prayed for all sinners. Jesus prayed for you and me.

Jesus’ prayer reveals that he is the Son of God. His prayer also reveals why he died on the cross. He died to ask the Father’s forgiveness for sinners. Jesus did not pray for other things; he prayed for forgiveness. Man needs many things; what all men need most urgently is forgiveness of sin. In his prayer, there is no word of accusation. Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  Jesus understood why people sin. Adam and Eve would have never sinned if they knew the nature of their sin and its consequences. They did not know that disregarding God’s word would destroy the creation order. They did not know that their love of their selfish desires was hostility toward God. They did not know that their pride to be like God was rebellion against God, their Creator and source of life. If the Jewish religious leaders knew that they were crucifying the Son of God due to their love of the world, they would have never committed the terrible crime. If Pilate knew that he was handing the Son of God over to the murderers because of his love for his position, he would have never done it. Sin is deceptive; sinful desires blind men. So we sin, not knowing what we are doing.

Jesus’ prayer reveals the love of God. Jesus had taught the love of God in the beautiful parable of the prodigal son. The prodigal son rejected the father’s love and went his own way after the sinful pleasures of the world. After he squandered all his share of his father’s estate, he came back to his senses. If he came home, would his father accept him? Luke 15:20b reads, "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”  God is our heavenly Father who welcomes sinners coming home.  

Third, “You will be with me in paradise.” (35-43)

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" (35-39) A written notice was attached to the cross that explained the crucified person’s identity and crime. Pilate found no crime in Jesus and, by God’s providence, he proclaimed to the world that Jesus is the KING OF THE JEWS, the Messiah. Mockery from the Jewish leaders, the Roman soldiers, and even from the criminal who was crucified with him was forwarded to his Messiahship. They said, “If you are the Christ, save yourself.” Their hope was in the world; they had expected a mighty Messiah who would bring them political freedom and prosperity. They could not accept a Messiah who was dying helplessly. They did not know the victory Jesus was achieving through his humble suffering.

Their mockery, “Save yourself,” was the devil’s last temptation for Jesus. From the beginning, the devil tempted Jesus to save himself and to take the world’s glory rather than obeying the will of God. The first Adam brought sin and death because he chose to save himself. The last Adam, Jesus, brought restoration and life because he chose to obey the will of God. For any man, to save oneself or to obey the will of God is the ultimate choice or decision to make. Praise Jesus our Lord who became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him through his obedience unto death (Heb 5:8-9).                   

But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom" (40-42). This criminal was the worst kind of sinner. Now he was condemned and his soul was sinking into the depth of darkness. In Jesus on the cross, however, he saw the light of God’s saving grace. He knew Jesus’ innocence. He believed that Jesus is God’s King. Through Christ’s death, he sensed the sweet fragrance of sacrifice that is able to atone for the sins of the world. Through Jesus’ prayer, “Father, forgive them…,”  he saw the door of heaven open for even a sinner like him. By faith he prayed, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

What did Jesus say? Read verse 43, “Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth today you will be with me in paradise.’"  “Paradise” is a Persian word meaning a garden of a king. When a Persian monarch wished to honor one of his subjects, he ate and drank with him and walked with him in the royal garden. Jesus invited the penitent robber to his heavenly garden. He would walk with Jesus on the golden streets of the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev 21:21). Luke here reveals God’s providence about why there were three crosses on Calvary. The two criminals represent all mankind. Before the cross of Jesus, the two men’s eternal destinies were divided. One died in sin refusing to repent. The other repented, died to sin, and entered paradise.

Fourth, Jesus died. (44-49)

            Jesus was crucified at 9 a.m. (the third hour in Jewish time) and stayed alive on the cross for six hours (Mk 15:25). Luke recorded two supernatural phenomena that took place during that time. Look at verses 44-45; “It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.” 

First, from noon until 3 p.m., darkness came over the whole land. In the Old Testament, darkness is a symbol of God’s wrath and judgment (Isa 8:22; Jer 2:6; Am 5:8). Luke’s explanation, “for the sun stopped shining…,”  reminds us of Zechariah’s song in which he compared Jesus to the rising sun (Lk 1:78). It was the time when God’s wrath was poured out on Jesus for the sin of the world. Jesus, the Son of God, became sin and curse. Jesus’ spiritual agony from the separation from the Father far surpassed his physical agony.

            Second, toward the end of the darkness, the curtain of the temple was torn in two. The elaborately woven linen curtain—30 feet long and 60 feet wide—separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. In the Most Holy Place, God met the high priest once a year above the atonement cover of the ark on which the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled (Ex 25:22). The curtain symbolized the separation between the holy God and men. Jesus, our high priest, entered the Most Holy Place once and for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption (Heb 9:12). Through his sacrifice, the Son of God opened a new and living way to God for all who believe.

            Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." When he had said this, he breathed his last (46). Even in the dark hours of punishment from the Father, Jesus did not doubt the Father’s love. Jesus did not die with a sad face, but with a shout of victory. Jesus died with the assurance that he fulfilled the will of God for world salvation. He committed his spirit to the Father who would exalt him and glorify him after completing his mission on earth.  The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, "Surely this was a righteous man."  This man had seen numerous people crucified. As he watched how Jesus died and what happened, his eyes were open to see God in Jesus. At the cruel scene of execution, his soul praised God.

Fifth, Jesus was buried. (50-56)

            The Romans did not bury crucified criminals but threw their bodies in public graveyards. Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be assigned a grave with the rich (Isa 53:9). Verses 50-51 reads, “Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea and he was waiting for the kingdom of God.”  Joseph was a secret follower of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus' body. Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. Jesus’ death did not intimidate this man. Rather, it shone the beaming hope of the kingdom of God in his soul. In the light of Jesus’ cross, he boldly identified himself as Jesus’ disciple. “The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.” (52-56)  Jesus died and was buried so that we might die to sin with him and rise again with him in a new life.

            The cross of Jesus Christ stands in the middle of history. It stands between the lost paradise and the restored paradise. Before the cross of Jesus, all men must choose their destination. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” May God help us to accept the meaning of Jesus’ prayer on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (34a).