Today we are finishing our study of this great saying of Jesus from the cross.
The basis of Jesus’ prayer for those who are the cause of Him being on the cross is ignorance… “they know not what they do.” Of course, they knew they were putting Him to death, but they did not come to understand that He was truly the Son of God. Now, Jesus is giving no justification for their sin. They absolutely should have known. After all, no one ever did the things Jesus did. No one ever taught the way Jesus taught. No one ever lived the way Jesus lived. And no one ever fulfilled dozens and dozens and even hundreds of OT prophecies about the coming of the Messiah. They should have believed, but yet Jesus appeals to their ignorance as the basis of His request to the Father. The wonderful love of Jesus!
This prayer of Jesus was answered. It was answered in the form of one of the thieves being forgiven of his sins. This prayer was also answered on the Day of Pentecost some forty days after the ascension of Jesus to heaven. Notice Acts 2:36-41 which says, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus ‘whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”
Many of those who had a part in the crucifixion of Jesus came to a knowledge of Jesus being the Christ and they turned away from their sins and were washed in the blood of Jesus! Jesus prayed that they would be forgiven, and they were!
If you are a Christian, in a sense the prayer of Jesus has been answered in your conversion as well! If you are not a Christian, Jesus’ prayer for you has yet to be answered. You have sinned against Him. Your sin separates you from Him (see Is. 59:1-2). But His blood can wash away every stain. That’s what He desires. That’s why He died on the cross. That’s what He prayed for.
May our desire and prayer for others be the same as Jesus’; that they come to understand and obey the truth of our Lord so that they can be saved according to His gracious plan.
Daren Schroeder
