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.

THE LAST SEVEN SAYINGS OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS

PROCLAMATION

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Luke 23:34

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”  Luke 23:43

“Woman, here is your son … Here is your mother.”  John 19:26-27

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  Matthew 27:46

“I thirst.”  John 19:28

“It is finished.”  John 19:30

“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”  Luke 23:46

EXPLANATION

After He had been beaten, scourged, and mocked, Jesus, The Christ, was nailed to a cross in a place called Golgotha.  While on the cross, He prayed to His Heavenly Father and asked Him to “forgive them.”  Then He briefly ignored His suffering to offer salvation to one of the criminals who was being crucified on a cross beside Him.  He also took the time to provide for the care of His earthly mother.  He suffered physically and mentally and cried out in a loud voice while He was on the cross.  When He had finished all that He had to do, He gave up His spirit and died.

APPLICATION

Jesus, The Christ, was chastised, beaten, bruised, scourged, wiped, wounded, and crucified for our sins, transgressions, and iniquities. (Isaiah 53:5)  We are all included in the people that He prayed for His Heavenly Father to forgive them while He was on the cross.  We all made it necessary for Him to pay the price for our sins, and to take our place and suffer the punishment which we deserved.  He was considerate and concerned for others even while He was suffering.  He who was without sin, took on the sins of the world, and paid the price for our sins, past, present and future. (John 1:29)  He was not killed.  He suffered and willingly gave up His life for us.  We should remember that, and how He suffered, especially when we take communion.  The good news is that this is not how the story ends.  Three days later He conquered death and rose from the dead.

THE LAST SEVEN SAYINGS OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS

Proclamation:

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  Luke 23:34

“Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in paradise.”  Luke 23:43

“Woman, here is your son … Here is your mother.”  John 19:26-27

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  Matthew 27:46

“I thirst.”  John 19:28

“It is finished.”  John 19:30

“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”  Luke 23:46

Explanation:

After He had been beaten, scourged, and mocked, Jesus, The Christ, was nailed to a cross in a place called Golgotha.  While on the cross, He prayed to His Heavenly Father and asked Him to “forgive them.”  Then He briefly ignored His suffering to offer salvation to one of the criminals who was being crucified on a cross beside Him.  He also took the time to provide for the care of His earthly mother.  He suffered physically and mentally and cried out in a loud voice while He was on the cross.  When He had finished all that He had to do, He gave up His spirit and died.

Application:

Jesus, The Christ, was chastised, beaten, bruised, scourged, wiped, wounded, and crucified for our sins, transgressions, and iniquities. (Isaiah 53:5)  We are all included in the people that He prayed for His Heavenly Father to forgive while He was on the cross.  We made it necessary for Him to pay the price for our sins, and to take our place and suffer the punishment which we deserved.  He was considerate and concerned for others even while He was suffering.  He who was without sin, took on the sins of the world, and paid the price for our sins, past, present and future. (John 1:29)  He suffered and gave up His life for us.  We should remember that, and how He suffered, especially when we take communion.  The good news is, that is not how the story ends.  Three days later He conquered death and rose from the dead.

WHILE HE WAS ON THE CROSS JESUS PRAYED FOR US

Proclamation:

“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’”  Luke 23:34 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of Jesus, The Christ, as recorded by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After He was arrested, Jesus was taken to Pilate to be judged, then to Herod, and then back to Pilate. (Luke 23:1-12)  Finding no fault in Him, Pilate wanted to release Jesus but the crowd, which included the chief priests, the teachers of the law, the elders, the rulers, and the Jewish people, shouted “Release Barabbas … Crucify Him!” (Luke 23:13-25)  After He had been beaten (Matthew 27:26-31 and Mark 15:15-20) and made to carry His cross across town, they nailed Him to the cross and set Him between two criminals.  While He was on the cross He said, “Father, forgive them …”

Application:

These words were some of the last seven things which Jesus, The Christ, spoke while He was on the cross.  In the midst of His suffering from their mistreatment of Him, He still showed love and compassion for His enemies.  Most Bible scholars believe that when Jesus asked His Heavenly Father to “forgive them,” He was referring not only to the soldiers who crucified Him, but to the crowd and all those who “put Him on the cross with their sins.”  That includes all of us that are alive today, and all who lived and died in the past.  “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)  We had to be forgiven and the price for our sins had to be paid, “For the wages of sin is death ...” (Romans 6:23)  Because of this, we should all thank Him daily for what He went through to pay the price for our sins.