If you would turn back to Luke
chapter 23 where Paul read, I want to basically look at two
verses here, beginning in verse 33. Luke 23 verse 33. When they were come to the place
which is called Calvary, There they crucified Him, and the male
factors, one on the right hand and the other on the left. And
then said Jesus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do. Now we know the scriptures very
clear about the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the
world to save sinners. And if you're a sinner, that's
the best news you ever heard. But no longer his hands compassionately
minister to the deaf, to the dumb, to the blind and to the
lame. They're now nailed to the cross. No longer will his feet carry
him on a mission of mercy, because they too are nailed, fastened
to the cruel tree. No longer will he engage in instructing
his disciples in the things of truth, for they've all fled and
forsaken him. How then does our Lord occupy
his mind and his heart while in this excruciating pain he
prays to his Father for the forgiveness of sinners? And it's here upon
Golgotha's hill that the darkness of man's corruption, the wickedness
of man's sin and depravity is seen in its brightest light.
So offensive is sin. Let me say that again. Sin is
so offensive to God that when it was found on His Son, God
poured out His wrath, His vengeance, and His judgment and justice
on Him with the fullest force. And it's here on Calvary we see
that there's only one way iniquity can be pardoned and the sinner
can be accepted. Now we've talked about that so
much lately, about the Lord being the one mediator between God
and man. The holy law of God must be perfectly
fulfilled. That's the first thing we need
to understand. God gave his law and God requires
perfection. It must be perfect to be accepted. The divine justice of God must
be fully satisfied. And the sinner must be made perfectly
righteous to stand before God. In order for there to be reconciliation
with God Almighty, there's just one way. Just one. For what the
law could not do, and that it was weak through the flesh, and
that's talking about our flesh. God sending His own Son in the
likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the
flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us. That's the only way that we can
stand before God, holy, righteous, and just. That's the only way
that the holy law of God can be perfectly fulfilled and God's
justice be satisfied in Christ and in Christ alone. The righteousness
of the law cannot be fulfilled by us. It had to be fulfilled
in us and for us. And Christ is the only one, the
God man, is the only one that could do that. And there's nothing
too hard to understand about that, yet it's absolutely impossible
to believe apart from a divine revelation and intervention from
God. God has to show that to you. And those of you that know
Christ know that to be so. It has to be revealed to you.
Oh, I wish that God might reveal right now to some of you this
blessed truth. You've yet to trust in Christ
alone to provide for you what God requires of you. I'm telling
you, I would make it my business this day not to leave this place
without trusting in Christ and Him alone. There are several
things for us to see in these two short verses. In His last
hours, He thinks not of Himself. He thinks only of them. He says,
Father, forgive them. All the days of his life on earth
have been spent in their service. In his health and in his strength,
he had searched them out. Now he's about to die, yet his
chief passion is still for them. For them. Though he can no longer
preach to them, he can pray for them. Though He cannot in mercy
and grace run to them, He continues to show which way His heart runs. And though He can no longer face-to-face
preach to them, He can speak of His Father for them, and He
does so by saying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do. No greater love than this, that
a man lay his life down for his friends. Remember where He is
when He prays this. He's hanging on the cross in
agony and in pain. And when most would have been
only concerned with themselves, Christ seeks the welfare of them
that are His own. I never grow tired of thinking
about that. Never grow tired of it. One thing
and one thing only is on his mind. He seeks his people's good
and he seeks the glory of his Father in heaven. They'd spit
in his face, but he set his face like a flint to do them good. They pulled out his beard as
others pulled on his heart. They stripped him naked and they
cast lots for his raiment, yet he desires to clothe them with
the perfect righteousness of God. They pierce his hands and
his feet, but his heart is pierced most with compassion for his
people. They hang him on a piece of wood
suspended between heaven and earth, but there are some that
hang on his mind and on his heart as he intercedes for their forgiveness.
And his sole request is this, Father forgive them for they
know not what they do. Now who are they for whom he
prays? I want to know. Who are these
to whom he refers to as them? Is it the soldiers that have
nailed him there and cast lots for his raiment? Is it those
soldiers who offered Him vinegar when He thirsted and said, If
Thou be the King of the Jews, save Thyself? Was it the crowd
that pulled up seats to watch Him die? Was it those who cried
together in unison, Crucify Him, away with this man, and release
unto us Barabbas? Was it them? Was it the rulers
that ridiculed and scoffed, saying, well, he saved others, let him
save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God? Verse 35. Was it Pallet? Was he praying
for Pallet, who found no fault in him, but gave the sentence
of death that the chief priest required? Verse 24. Was it one
of the malefactors, the one who railed on him, saying, if thou
be the Christ, save thyself and us? Or was it for his elect,
his chosen people, who are represented so beautifully by the other criminal
that hung on the cross, who said, Jesus, Lord, remember me when
thou comest into thy kingdom. Now, there's no doubt that you
and I truly, by nature, very well represent and picture all
of those who dealt so treacherously with the Lord. And I suppose
there would be many who would say, in response to the question
of who are this them that he's speaking of, would say, well,
he's speaking of the whole world. He loves everybody and he died
for everybody. He must be speaking of the whole
world. But that can't be so. That doesn't
agree with the rest of Scripture. Let me show you that again. Turn
over to John 17.9. Our Lord said here in John 17,
verse nine, He said, I pray for them. And there's that word again.
I pray not for the world, but for them. And then He clarifies
who they are. He says, which thou has given
me, for they are thine. Now, who does this them refer
to? I want to show you who they are. They are them which God
the Father gave to Christ, as we see here in verse nine. They
are them whom He gave eternal life in verse 2. They are them
who know the only true God in Jesus Christ whom God sent, verse
3. They are them to whom Christ
has manifested God's name, those whom God gave to Christ out of
the world that have kept His word, verse 6. In verse 8, they
are them who have received His Word, them who have known that
Christ came from God, and them that believe that God sent the
Lord Jesus Christ. That's who the them is. Verse 10, they are them that
belong to Christ, they are them that belong to God, and they
are them in whom Christ is glorified. In verse 11, they are them who
are in the world. They are them whom God keeps,
and they are them whom God makes one with Him and His Son, verse
11. And in verse 13, they are them
who have the joy of Christ fulfilled in themselves. They are them,
verse 14, whom the world hates. They are them who are no longer
of the world. Verse 15, they are them whom
the Lord keeps from evil. Verse 17, they are them whom
God sanctifies through His truth. And verse 20, they are them,
all the others who shall believe on Christ through their word.
Father, not only these do I ask You to forgive, but all that
shall repent and believe the Gospel. That's the them, this
speaks of. are all that the Father gave
Christ, all that shall come to Him, all that He will in no wise
cast out, John 6, 37. That is who the Lord Jesus is
praying for. I pray for them, not the world,
but for them. Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do. Turn with me to Romans chapter
8. Romans chapter 8 and verse 1. There is therefore now no condemnation. Who is there no condemnation
against? To them, which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
No condemnation to them, which are in Christ. Look down at verse
28. You can quote this verse. And
we know that all things work together for good to who? Them
that love God. To them who are the called according
to His purpose. Who's our Lord on the cross praying
for? Verse 29, He's praying for whom
He did foreknow. He's praying for them. Those
that He chose and called before the foundation of the world.
Those that He gave to Christ before the world ever was. He's
praying for them. He also did predestinate them
to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be
the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate
them He also called. And whom He called them, He also
justified. And whom He justified them, He
also glorified. That's who He's speaking of.
Make no mistake about it. What shall we say then to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us? Paul says,
I'm one of them. He that spared not His own Son,
but lived Him up for us. For us all. All them. How shall
He not with Him also freely give us all things? And who shall
lay anything to the charge of them God's elect? It's God that
justifieth. And who is He that condemneth?
It's Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who's even
at the right hand of God, Paul said, who also maketh intercession
for us. Oh, this is talking about God's
people. God's people. The Lord through
Isaiah said, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made
manifest unto them that asked not after me. Our Lord said,
I pray for them. Not the world. Our Lord prayed,
Father, forgive them. Not everyone. God said, for this
is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins.
Do you have any interest in being among that number? But the Scripture
hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of
Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Do you believe? Christ is asking forgiveness
for them that have obtained like precious faith through the righteousness
of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Now it only seems right to me,
back in our text, if you want to turn back, It only seems right
to me that the first words of our Savior's lips would be a
request to His Father for what His people needed most. What
do I need most from God? Forgiveness. I must have forgiveness. We all need forgiveness because
we've all sinned and come short of the glory of God. And one
would think that maybe he should have prayed, Father, consume
them, or Father, condemn them. But his thoughts are not our
thoughts, and his ways are not our ways. That's what we would
have prayed. That's what I would have prayed. Because out of the
abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Our mouth very well reveals
our hearts. But so did the Lord's. And out
of the abundance of His heart poured out the merciful request
of forgiveness for those that hated Him without a cause. Father,
forgive them. They know not what they do. It's
here on the cross that He was acting as our substitute. I love
the gospel of substitution. Why? Because God's doing for
me what I cannot do for myself. You've missed that. You've missed
the boat completely. Here on the cross, the just is
about to die for the unjust to bring them to God. Who? Them. Do you see Him hanging
there as His people's representative? He takes His position as the
one mediator between them and God. He assumes His role as the
mighty, effectual advocate of His people. And He prays, Father,
forgive them. They know not what they do. Now
let me ask you, was our Lord's prayer effectual? Was it effective? It always is. It always is. Did His Father hear and answer
His prayer? You better believe He did. And
if his prayer had been meant for everyone that had a hand
in his death, I'm telling you, every single one of them would
have been saved. I have no doubt that some present
that day were saved, and it was for them that he prayed for his
father to forgive. How do I know that? By comparing
scripture with scripture. Martha, you remember Martha?
Lazarus' sister, Mary's sister. Martha knew something about the
Lord's effectual praying. She said, Lord, if thou hast
been here, my brother would not have died. She said, but I know
that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give
it to you. And the Lord Jesus, he confirmed
it to her. He said, thy brother shall rise
again. Oh, God always hears him. When they took away the stone
from the place where the dead Lazarus lay, Jesus lifted up
His eyes and He said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard
Me, and I knew that Thou hearest Me always. But because of the
people which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that
Thou hast sent Me. Did the Lord hear Him? Did the
Lord grant His request? And when he had thus spoken,
he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead
came forth. You better believe he heard him.
He always hears him. Child of God, he says, Father,
forgive them. Forgive them. They know not what
they do. In Gethsemane's garden, when
the soldiers came to take our Lord, Peter drew his sword, and
he cut off the ear of the high priest's servant. And the Lord
said, Peter, put your sword up. Put your sword up. Do you think
that I need your help? Christ doesn't need our help.
I wish folks would figure that out, learn that, don't you? God
don't need our help. God helps those that help themselves,
brother. No, He does not. He helps those
who cannot help themselves. The Lord told Peter, he said,
I can right now pray to my father in heaven, and he'll immediately
give me more than 12 legions of angels. I don't need you,
Peter, and your little sword. And no doubt that our Lord came
to save them, who, them that he saves to the uttermost, that
come to God by him, seeing that he ever liveth to make intercession
for them. The fact that Christ is praying
for you is a good, good thing. Who does Christ make intercession
for? For them. Who does Christ ask the Father
to forgive? Them. And I mean to be repetitious.
I want you to see the necessity of being one of them. Father,
forgive them. And then he makes this statement.
For they know not what they do. Now the law of God requires atonement
for sin. God will by no means clear the
guilty. The justice of God requires death
for sin's wages. Sin's gotta be dealt with. Can't
be swept under a rug. Gotta be dealt with. The Apostle
Paul in 1 Timothy 1, verse 13, he told Timothy, he said, I was
a blasphemer. He said, and a persecutor, and
I was injurious, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly
in unbelief. And I suppose if any sins could
be excused, it would be sins of ignorance. But the law of
God demands atonement for sin, even sins of ignorance. David said this, he said, who
can understand his errors? He said, cleanse thou me from
secret faults. Lord, forgive me of the sins
that I don't even know that I commit. Sin is always sin in the sight
of God, whether we're conscious of it or not. Sins of ignorance,
and they need atonement just as those that we're conscious
of. You see, God is holy, God is just, God is true. He's not
going to lower His standard of righteousness to the level of
our ignorance. Ignorance is not innocence. The
fact is we have no excuse for our ignorance. Our Lord is revealing
to us something here of the depth of our depravity and ignorance. Here we see the blindness of
our hearts by nature. They don't know what they do.
The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,
their foolishness unto him, neither can he know them. He's ignorant
to them. He's blind, he's ignorant, he
can't see. They're spiritually discerned.
And that word discerned there means spiritually determined.
You think about what that means. The things of God are spiritually
determined by God. God's got to determine whether
or not to show them to you. God's got to determine whether
or not to reveal the things of His Spirit to you. God determines
whether He reveals them to us or not. And then John chapter
12, verse 38, we read that the saying of Isaiah, the prophet,
might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed
our report? To whom is the arm the strength
of the Lord revealed? And then it goes on to say, therefore
they could not believe. Why couldn't they? Because that
Isaiah said again, God hath blinded their eyes. God hath hardened
their heart. That they should not see with
their eyes nor understand with their heart and be converted
and I should heal them. We're ignorant because we're
blind. We're ignorant because our hearts are hardened. Sin
has blinded us and sin has hardened us. We know not what we do. God's got to give us eyes to
see. He's got to give you a heart to believe. How is that accomplished? One way and one way only. We've
got to be born again. That's what the Lord told Nicodemus.
You must be born again to see the kingdom of God. By nature
we're ignorant. We have no understanding. Have
the understanding darkened. Being alienated from the life
of God through the ignorance that is in them. Because of the
blindness of their heart, Ephesians 4. Our Lord says they know not
what they do. Men and women by nature, they're
ignorant of their sin and they're ignorant of their lost condition.
Men and women by nature are ignorant of Christ's righteousness. They
go about to establish their own. That's how I know that's so.
They're ignorant of God's boundless grace and mercy. They're ignorant
of Christ's precious blood. They're ignorant of Christ's
willingness to save. But it's the glory of God's grace
to make Christ known to such ignorant sinners as we are. What
grace that is. I once knew a man who was so
self-righteous that he said on numerous occasions that if he
had lived in the days of our Lord, that he would have prevented
the crucifixion of our Lord. And first of all, I'll say it
right up front, that's an ignorant statement. It's ignorant because
Jesus Christ was delivered and crucified by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. No one could have prevented
it. Men talk about tying God's hands. If you can tie God's hands,
you're God. Nobody can tie His hands. None
can say unto Him, what doest thou? He's God. And He does His
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth. And you just better bow to it, or life's going to be
tough for you. Without the crucifixion of Christ,
there would be no redemption. For it was there on the cross
that Christ was made to be sin for His people. It was there
that the just died for the unjust to bring sinners to God. And it was there that divine
justice exhausted itself on the spotless Lamb of God and the
holy law of God was fulfilled. And the holy justice of God was
satisfied. And the sinner goes free. I have
the righteousness of Christ. God says, enter in, thou good
and faithful servant. Me? Yes, you. It was there that
he who knew no sin was made to be sin for his elect, that they
might be made the righteousness of God in him. But let me say
this. This is the matter that is forever
settled in the mind, heart, and soul of the believing sinner.
The chosen and saved child of God knows beyond all shadow of
doubt that they would have been in that crowd with all the rest
hollering at the top of their lungs, crucifying. I know I would have been. They're
made by God to know full well that their vile and their evil
desires were the same as the others that wanted Christ dead.
And of them, it can be also said that Pilate delivered the Lord
Jesus to their will. Men want to talk about their
will. Oh, I exercise my free will. There's your free will.
There's a perfect picture of it. Your will determined to crucify
the Lord. We knew not that it was the Lord
of glory that we were crucifying. And I would have you notice that
the emphasis here is not on they know not, but on they know not
what they do. We should have known. We have
the Word of God. And in God's Word, we have the
testimony of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms which testify
of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're without excuse. In the
Word of God, we discover that it was the Father's voice that
testified audibly, this is My beloved Son in whom I am well
pleased. Hear ye Him. You better hear
Him. You better hear Him. By nature,
we will not have this man to rule over us. I'm speaking of
the God-man. We won't have Him to rule over
us by nature, but thank God that He overrules our will and makes
us willing to bow to Christ in the day of His power. That's
the only hope that I have, that He overthrows my will and makes
me willing. In spite of all our evil unbelief,
our Lord prays, Father, forgive them. They know not what they
do. In our text we're told how Christ was crucified between
two thieves. And in them were represented
the different effects that the cross of Christ has upon guilty
sinners. It was that way then and it's
that way now. Both of these male factors were convicted criminals.
Both of them were guilty before the law of the land and guilty
before God. But to one, Christ was a saver
of death unto death, and to the other He was a saver of life
unto life. Who made the difference? We know
who makes the difference. God makes the difference. To
the one that perished, the crucifixion of our Lord was foolishness.
But to the one that was saved, Christ was the wisdom and the
power of God. Now let me ask you, which is
He to you? Foolishness or wisdom? Oh, I pray, dear friends, those
of you who are yet without Christ, may God command His light to
shine out of darkness, to shine in your heart, to give you the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
That's where it's seen. And give you a desire to be forgiven. Do you desire to be forgiven?
I got good news for you. He's never turned down one who
truly desired forgiveness. Not one. Are you one of them? One of his own whom Christ having
loved, loved until the end? And in the end, he prayed for
your forgiveness. Friends, in the end, if I'm saved
and kept by the power of God, it's only because Christ prayed
for me that my faith failed me not. That's what he told Peter. He said, Peter, Satan has desired
to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith
fail you not. And right now, he sits on the
right hand of God in all power and in authority, making intercession
for his people. He's still praying for you. That's
my Lord and my Savior. May he reveal himself to you
if he hasn't already.