Luke Ch23v26-34 - Sayings On The Cross

So we're going to read from Luke chapter 23 starting at verse 26 down to verse 34.

Luke 23 · chapter mention

Luke 23 starting at verse 26.

As the soldiers led Jesus away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country,

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 childless 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.

For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?

Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there along with the criminals,

one on his right, the other on his left.

Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

I'm going to ask Martin to come up.

Martin is a good friend, personal friend, and a friend to many of us here.

So we welcome you. It's good to have Alwyn as well today.

So, over to you, Mr. Kingman.

You might like to keep that passage open in front of you this morning as we look at this together.

It's good to be back with you again and a joy to be with you.

But more than that, a privilege to open up God's Word and to share it with you this morning.

People have long been fascinated with the last words of the rich and famous.

Apparently, Elvis Presley's last words to the audience at his very final concert were,

I hope I haven't bored you.

Reflecting on his life's work, Leonardo da Vinci said,

I have offended both God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have.

It's hard to believe, isn't it, that those whose abilities were recognised by so many

could be left at the end of their lives feeling as though they had achieved so little.

Well, the Gospels contain some of the last words of the Lord Jesus.

But rather than being filled with remorse and regret and uncertainty,

we find many of the last words of Jesus are filled with confidence, with purpose and with certainty.

Now, there are seven of these moments on the cross and the passage that we read this morning contains the first of these.

It's a prayer and you'll find it in verse 34.

Jesus says,

Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.

A plot to kill Jesus has been forming for some time.

The Jewish religious leaders can't get rid of Jesus quickly enough.

Jesus has been put on trial, falsely accused and condemned to death,

even though he is not guilty of any crime.

But here is Jesus, and rather than longing for his own vindication,

he is praying for the people responsible for his death.

Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.

What we witness here is, first of all, the fulfilment of prophecy.

Much of the life of the Lord Jesus had been foretold and foreshadowed in the Old Testament.

The prophets had spoken of the place and manner of his birth,

but even more so, the Old Testament had spoken graphically about the nature of his death.

We sang earlier that song, Man of Sorrows, pointing us to Isaiah 53,

where we read of one who was despised and rejected by man.

One who took up our pain and bore our suffering.

One who was pierced for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities.

One who, we're told, was cut off from the land of the living.

And at the very end of that chapter, Isaiah writes,

he poured out his life unto death

and was numbered with the transgressors.

Now maybe at some point in your life,

you have been numbered with the transgressors.

A couple of your classmates have got up to mischief in the classroom.

The teacher arrives back and wants to know what has gone on.

Of course your friends don't un-up.

And what happens?

Well, the whole class get into trouble.

You're treated as though you have done something wrong,

even though you have done nothing wrong.

That's what Isaiah is saying here about Jesus.

He is numbered with the transgressors.

Even though he has done nothing wrong,

he's treated as though he were a criminal.

He's completely innocent.

And he's treated as though he were guilty.

Here's how Luke recorded in the passage that we read.

Two other men, both criminals,

were also led out with him to be executed.

And when they came to the place called the skull,

they crucified him there along with the criminals.

One on his right and one on his left.

You see, Jesus was numbered with the transgressors.

Now, as the Gospels recount the trials of Jesus,

it's pointed out over and over and over again

that Jesus was innocent of any crimes.

You ever Pilate's wife pleading with him?

Don't have anything to do with that innocent man.

Pilate tells Jesus' accusers,

you brought this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion.

I have examined him in your presence

and have found no basis for the charges against him

and neither has Herod's.

Pilate finally washes his hands in front of the crowd

who continue to call for his crucifixion

and declares, I am innocent of this man's blood.

Pilate.

Yet here Jesus is,

numbered with the transgressors.

Now, anyone should be able to see

that this is the greatest injustice.

And yet it is the very reason

that Jesus had come into the world.

to die in the place of sinners,

to take the judgment that we deserved upon himself,

to die in our place,

to be numbered

with the transgressors.

But if all that we can see

is the injustice of the crucifixion,

we have yet to understand

the good news of the Christian message.

Because the good news is

this very injustice.

Jesus was numbered with the transgressors.

Jesus took the place of sinners

so that you and I

could be forgiven

for our sins.

But Jesus is not only numbered with the transgressors.

We see him interceding

for the transgressors.

The prophet Isaiah continues,

for he bore the sin of many

and made intercession

for the transgressors.

Now, to intercede is to

go between,

to plead on another's behalf

as a lawyer would argue

his client's case before a judge.

And isn't that exactly

what Jesus is doing on the cross

as he prays,

Father,

forgive them

for they do not know

what they are doing.

He is interceding

for the transgressors.

In fact, Jesus' death

is the very foundation

on which this request

can even be made.

Jesus can make this request

because he is dying

in the place of sinners.

He's not asking God

to ignore their sin.

He's not asking God

to turn his back

on this injustice.

He's not asking God

to pretend

that this never happened.

No, Jesus is interceding

for the transgressors.

He is pleading

for the forgiveness

of sinners.

sinners.

And he can make

such a request

because he is

taking their place.

He's taking the judgment

that they deserve.

He's taking the judgment

that you

and I

deserve.

Now it's only

when we grasp that

that we understand

the Christian message.

The apostle Paul

would describe Jesus

as the son of God

who loved me

and gave himself

for me.

The apostle Paul

had come to understand

that the death

of Jesus

on the cross

is the very death

that he deserved.

He was the one

who should be

abandoned

by God

and rejected.

Not Jesus.

But the son of God

loved him

and gave himself

for him.

Jesus is numbered

with the transgressors

and he makes

intercession

for the transgressors.

You see

these words

of Jesus

on the cross

hold out

the possibility

of forgiveness.

Now perhaps

you have messed up

so badly

that you've

asked yourself

this question

how could

God

possibly

forgive

this?

Maybe it's

because of

the gravity

of the sin

that you've

committed.

It is too

big

for God

to forgive.

Perhaps

it's because

of the frequency

of your sins

that you have

committed.

There are

simply

too many

for God

to forgive.

But these

gracious words

of Jesus

on the cross

surely

point to

the possibility

of forgiveness.

No matter

how big

no matter

how

many

after all

what sin

could be

greater

than putting

to death

the eternal

son

of God

who had

come

in human

form.

John MacArthur

writes

the sin

they were

guilty of

was so

unbelievably

horrific

that if

these people

had not

actually

heard him

pray for

their forgiveness

they might

have assumed

that their

sin

was

unforgivable.

they might

have assumed

that their

sin

was

unforgivable.

After all

what sin

could be

greater

than this?

What the

apostle Paul

describes

elsewhere

as crucifying

the Lord

of glory.

if there's

a possibility

that this

sin

can be

forgiven

then there

is no

sin

too big

there is

no sin

too many

that the

death of

Jesus

cannot

pay for

it

and the

forgiveness

of God

cannot

cover it.

Now of course

they do not

know what

they are

doing.

Jesus puts

this sin

of the

crucifixion

in the

category

of sins

of ignorance.

He prays

Father forgive

them for

they do

not know

what they

are doing.

Now

exactly who

Jesus is

referring to

isn't very

clear.

Does he

mean the

soldiers

who have

nailed him

to the

cross?

Is he

referring to

the crowd

who have

called for

his crucifixion?

Is he

talking about

the Roman

authorities

who have

sanctioned

his death?

Could he

even mean

the Jewish

religious leaders

who have

plotted to

kill him

for some

time?

But the

Apostle Paul

seems to

take the

broadest

and the

most generous

of those

interpretations

when he

writes in

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 2:8

2 verse

8

none of

the rulers

of this

age

understood

it.

For

if they

had

they

would

not

have

crucified

the

Lord

of

glory.

If

they

had

really

understood

who

Jesus

was

none

of the

rulers

would have

sanctioned

his death.

Not the

Jewish

religious

leaders

not the

Roman

authorities

Pilate

would not

have

handed him

over to

the crowd

and the

soldiers

would not

have

nailed him

to the

cross

none

of them

they

would

not

have

dared

to

plot

the

death

of the

creator

of the

world

to

seek to

destroy

the one

who is

immortal

and

eternal

to

pass

judgment

on the

one

who

alone

would

pass

judgment

on

every

human

being

who

ever

lived.

If only

they had

understood

who

Jesus

was

they

would

not

have

dared

to

lay

a

finger

on

him.

But

they

did not

understand

this

was a

sin

of

ignorance.

But

sins

of

ignorance

still

make

us

guilty.

That's

clear from

the fact

that

Jesus

prays

for

their

forgiveness.

Forgiveness

isn't

needed

when

someone

hasn't

done

wrong.

It's

their

guilt

that

requires

forgiveness.

But

you know

that too

if you've

tried to

plead your

case with

a guard

who has

pulled you

over for

speeding.

Do you

know what

speed you

were doing?

The guard

asks.

No,

I thought

I was

doing the

right speed.

Didn't

you see

the 50

kilometre

sign as

you entered

into the

village?

Sorry

officer,

I didn't

see the

sign.

The guard

starts to

take down

your

details.

Your

ignorance

is not

going to

free you

from your

guilt.

Your

ignorance

will not

protect you

from those

three

penalty

points

and that

now,

believe it

or not,

160

euro

fine.

But it's

the same

in all

kinds of

areas of

life.

Whether

it's paying

your income

tax or

not putting

money in

the parking

meter,

your

ignorance

does not

free you

from your

guilt.

A fine

still has

to be

paid,

whether

you knew

you were

breaking

the law

or not.

You see,

there's an

expectation

that you

should know

the law

and obey

it.

If you're

driving on

the roads,

there's an

expectation

that you

know the

rules of

the road

and that

you obey

them.

It's your

responsibility

to know

them.

You should

know better

and ignorance

is no

excuse.

Now,

the same

is true

here.

Jesus

has spent

three years

in public

life,

teaching to

vast crowds,

healing the

sick,

demonstrating

his power

over nature.

He has

clearly identified

himself as

the promised

Messiah.

For anyone

who wants

to know

the truth

about Jesus,

there has

been more

than enough

evidence.

I didn't

know

just won't

cut it.

Ignorance

is no

excuse.

Now,

perhaps there

are some

people here

this morning

who've had a

very casual

approach

to Jesus.

Jesus'

identity is

not something

that you've

really given

that much

thought to.

And to be

honest,

you're quite

content

in your

ignorance.

And your

hope is

that perhaps

your ignorance

will save

you.

Sorry,

officer,

has perhaps

worked for you

before.

But it

does not

work,

and it

will not

work with

God.

Sins of

ignorance

still make

us guilty.

now,

perhaps this

prayer of

Jesus

still leaves

you with

some puzzling

questions.

How,

after all,

was Jesus'

prayer answered?

And what

exactly is

Jesus praying

for?

After all,

if Jesus

is God,

doesn't he

have the

authority to

forgive sins?

Hasn't he

declared other

people to be

forgiven?

Like the

lame man

whose friends

brought him

to Jesus,

or the

woman who

was caught

in adultery?

If Jesus

has the

authority to

forgive sins,

why is he

praying to

his heavenly

father to

forgive them?

Now,

the answer

to Jesus'

prayer is

not by an

indiscriminate

pardon.

That's not

what's happening

at the cross.

We might think

it sounds like

that.

As though

Jesus is

granting a

pardon to

anyone who

is involved

in any way

with his

crucifixion.

It might

appear that

Jesus is

throwing out

pardons as

freely as

Donald Trump

in the last

week of his

presidency.

But that's

not the case

at all.

In fact,

Jesus has

just warned

of a

coming

judgment.

Jesus has

told the

mourning women

that instead

of weeping

for him,

they should

weep for

themselves and

for their

children.

Indeed,

the coming

judgment will

be so

severe that

mothers will

wish that

they had

never had

children.

And grown

men in

fear will

long that the

mountains would

fall on them

and cover

them.

this is no

indiscriminate

pardon where

everyone escapes

judgment.

Instead,

Jesus is

doing the

very thing

that he

had taught

his followers

to do.

Remember the

words of

Jesus in

Matthew 5

and verse

44.

Love your

enemies and

pray for

those who

persecute you.

you.

Jesus isn't

like that

long line

of disgraced

politicians

who set

standards for

the average

member of

the public

and then

disregards those

standards

themselves.

No,

Jesus lives

out what

he has

taught.

Love your

enemies and

pray for

those who

persecute you.

Now,

it is a

difficult

thing to

pray for

those who

have hurt

you.

It is not

easy to

wish good

for someone

who has

caused you

harm.

And left

to ourselves,

we want

just the

opposite.

we wish

for bad

things to

happen to

the person

who has

hurt us.

And rather

than praying

for them,

we would

call down

curses from

heaven if

we could.

God,

but the

Christian is

to leave

judgment with

God.

No matter

how much

someone has

sinned against

you, their

sin is

primarily

against God.

However

much someone

has hurt

you, first

and foremost,

they have

disregarded the

commands of

God.

However

much someone

has harmed

you, they

have rebelled

against their

loving creator.

And the

offence against

you, no

matter how

great it

may be,

that offence

peels into

insignificance

in comparison

to their

offence

against God.

If anyone

has the

right to

demand

justice,

surely it

is the

man who

is hanging

here upon

the cross.

But here

is Jesus,

God the

Son,

come in

the frailty

of human

flesh.

And he

speaks these

words, if you

like, not as

the eternal

Son of God,

who has the

authority to

forgive,

but as a

human being

like you

and I,

praying for

those who

are persecuting

him,

loving even

his enemies.

Here in the

dying hours of

Jesus' life,

we see the

perfect human

being,

what you

and I

are meant

to be,

praying that

his Father

in heaven

would forgive

those who

have treated

him so

terribly.

Now I'm

sure we've

all heard

it say,

I'm sure

we've

repeated

this,

to err

is human,

to forgive

divine.

And maybe

we say it

thinking that

gets us

off the

hook.

But as

human beings

made in

the image

of God,

to be like

God,

here we

see Jesus

in his

perfect

humanity,

praying for

those who

are persecuting

them and

praying for

their forgiveness

just as he

has taught

us to

do.

You see,

the answer

to Jesus'

prayer doesn't

come by an

indiscriminate

pardon,

but through

the declaration

of the

gospel message.

the answer

to Jesus'

prayer begins,

if you like,

some weeks

later.

On the

day of

Pentecost,

after Jesus

has risen

from the

dead and

returned to

heaven,

Peter stands

up in front

of a large

crowd and

he declares

Jesus to

be both

Lord and

Messiah.

He tells

the many

Jews who

have gathered

for this

festival that

God had

shown Jesus

to be who

he claimed

to be by

miracles,

wonders,

and signs,

but that

they,

with the

help of

wicked men,

put him

to death

by kneeling

him to

the cross.

He tells

them of the

resurrection,

of Jesus'

return to

heaven,

that he

will come

from heaven

again to

silence all

of his

enemies.

And the

crowds are

moved in

their hearts

to ask,

what shall

we do?

What will

we do?

And Peter's

response

couldn't be

any clearer.

Repent

and be

baptized,

every one

of you,

in the

name of

Jesus Christ

for the

forgiveness

of sins.

Here is the

answer to

Jesus'

prayer,

an answer

that comes

through the

gospel message,

that every

person who

turns from

their sins

and trusts

only in

Jesus,

receives

the forgiveness

of sins.

Every sin,

no matter

how big,

no matter

how many.

And why?

Because the

only truly

innocent

person who

ever lived

was numbered

with the

transgressors

and made

intercession

for the

transgressors.

The

sinless

one

took our

place

so that

we who

turn from

our sins

and trust

in Jesus

might know

the forgiveness

of God.

And it was

for this

very reason

that Jesus

had commissioned

his first

disciples

to declare

this good

news,

this message

of forgiveness

that comes

through the

cross of

Jesus.

And it's

for this

very reason

that God

has placed

his people

in this

very

town.

It is

the very

reason

that this

church

exists.

It is

the reason

every

gospel

church

exists.

To

bear witness

to the

forgiveness

of sins

that they

have found

only in

Jesus.

And to

declare that

same

promise of

forgiveness

to everyone

who will

turn from

their sins

no matter

how big,

no matter

how many,

and trust

only in

him.

Let's pray

together.

Father, as

we think of

the one

who hung

on that

cross,

we know

of all

people he

did not

deserve to

be there.

We know

that only

he was

completely

innocent

of all

sins.

and yet

we thank

you that

you have

helped us

to come

to understand

that he

hangs there

not for

the wrongs

that he

has done,

but for

the wrongs

that we

have done.

Father, we

know that it

was we

who deserved

to face

your judgment,

that it was

we who

deserved to

be cut off

from the

land of

the living.

But,

Father, we

thank you that

that judgment

fell on

Jesus

instead of

us.

And we

thank you

that there

is no

sin too

big,

that there

are no

sins too

many,

that cannot

be covered

by the

forgiveness

that is

found in

Jesus,

because he

has paid

it all.

And so,

Father, we

pray that you

might remind

us of the

forgiveness

that we

have received,

and that we

might look to

Jesus, not

only as the

one who

forgives us

of sin,

but shows

us what

it means

to love

and to

forgive those

who have

harmed us.

And we

ask this in

the name of

the Lord

Jesus.

Amen.

We're going

to stand and

sing a song

together before

Johnny comes

to lead us

around the

Lord's table.