The Good Forgiveness of our Savior

Luke 23:26-46

Today on this Good Friday we read about the Passion of our Christ.  It’s something most of us have read many times, but it seems like I always come away with something new.  Today I find I am amazed by Jesus’ attitude of forgiveness all the way till the end.  We see that distinctly with His famous words in verse 34, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  In saying those words Jesus fulfills His own teachings about loving one’s enemies.  So who do you suppose Jesus is referring to when He says “forgive them?”  I think the question might be better put who is He not referring to?  There’s the obvious people involved with the crucifixion itself; the ones who flogged Him and nailed His body to the cross, but it goes way beyond that.  There were both Jews and Romans involved in His hour of suffering, and I think He’s referring to all of them. 

Jesus was right in acknowledging that they did not fully understand what they were doing.  They didn’t understand that He was indeed the Christ, the Son of the Living God.  I suppose many of them didn’t really want to understand.  Their hearts were too hard towards Jesus.  And yet Jesus is still practicing what He preaches in asking the Father to forgive.  Jesus forgives one other person in our account today as well.  It was the criminal hanging next to Him who asked “remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  And Jesus responds with those wonderful words “today you will be with me in Paradise.”  I think there’s one very important thing that criminal did before Jesus responded with those words though.  He first had to acknowledge his own sin.  He did so in chastising the other criminal who was mocking Jesus.  He knew he was guilty and said so when he said “we are receiving the due reward for our deeds.”  That criminal may have died that day alongside Jesus, but he’s living forever with Him in heaven.  We too will die someday, but if we’ve repented of our sins and given our life to Jesus we will be with Him in paradise too.  That’s why they call it GOOD Friday.

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus I thank you today for Your forgiveness.  I thank you that I can look at the terrible suffering you had to go through as You were beaten, flogged, and nailed to a cross, and as hard as it is to think of such suffering, you did so and died in my place for my sins, and I call that good.  Amen.