JESUS THE CHRIST PRAYED FOR US

PROCLAMATION

“When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals … Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they not what they do.’ ”  Luke 23:33-34 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to Luke, the physician.  After Jesus was arrested, the guards began to mock Him, and beat Him, and insult Him. (Luke 22:63-64)  The next day they took Him before the council of elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law.  They questioned Him and decided that He was guilty of blasphemy. (Luke 22:66-71)  Then they took Him before Pilate who questioned Him but could find no fault in Him. (Luke 23:1-4)  Hearing that He was a Galilean, Pilate had Him taken to Herod. (Luke 23:5-7)  After questioning Him and mocking Him, Herod sent Him back to Pilate. (Luke 23:8-15)  Again finding no fault in Jesus, Pilate was going to release Him, but he gave in to the requests of the crowd and ordered that He be crucified. (Luke 23:13-25)  After the soldiers scourged Him, (Matthew 27:26; Mark 15:15; and John 19:1) they took Him to Calvary, nailed Him to a cross, and placed Him between two criminals. (Luke 23:26-33)  Before He died on the cross, Jesus prayed for all of us.

 

APPLICATION

The seven last sayings of Christ on the cross are documented in the four gospels, although no one gospel has all seven sayings.  The gospel of Luke only records this one saying of Christ on the cross.  “Father, forgive them, for they not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)  Here Christ was clearly praying for the soldiers who crucified Him, but He was also praying for His enemies.  He prayed for those who wanted Him to be crucified, and for those who made His crucifixion necessary.  That last group includes all sinners, including those of us today. (Romans 3:23)  While He was dying on the cross, He prayed for our forgiveness.  He who had no sin, took on all of the sins of the world so that we might be saved. (John 1:29 and 1 John 2:2)  He paid to price for our sins to offer us salvation. (Romans 6:23)  The truth of the matter is that we made it necessary for Jesus to die on the cross because of our sins.  We ought to be thankful that He prayed for us, that He died for us, and that He rose from the dead for us.