Father, forgive them for they know not X

Generally speaking, I am not looking for forgiveness. More often than not, when someone tells me that they have “forgiven me” my natural disposition falls somewhere between annoyance and bemused indifference. “Oh, well that's very gracious of you to have become unnecessarily offended with me, held on to that grudge for years, then benevolently pronounced me 'forgiven.' How very big of you.” Bestowing forgiveness is something we often use to level the playing field. Someone does something I don't like. Then I get to hold it against them until I deem them worthy of my forgiveness.

Jesus asked the Father to forgive Israel for crucifying Him. It is interesting to consider, however, that Jesus does not tell Israel that He, personally, forgives them. Why not? It is not that Jesus did not forgive them Himself, but rather He did not seem to view forgiveness with the same sense of self-aggrandizing empowerment as the rest of us might have. Even though He is the One being killed, He seems to see it no more His place to offer forgiveness than it is to have taken offense.

I understand that God, in His justice, has grounds to be “offended” by mankind. And I understand that through the mercy of the Father and the humility of the Son, these offenses are not always held against us.

But regarding ourselves: rather than graciously offering forgiveness to each other, perhaps we should be humble enough to not take offense in the first place.

Daniel

Father, forgive them for they know not IX

It’s been taking me a long time to learn, but I’ve figured out that I can figure myself out.  I know when I’m about to do something that will later require me to seek forgiveness.

The Lord Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” But those who crucified Him should have known what they were doing. They did not need to get caught up with the whim of the mob. They did not need to forget about the miraculous evidence that Jesus gave which demonstrated His deity. And as human beings, they could have had compassion.

God was so gracious. All those who were demanding that the Lord Jesus be crucified, but who at Pentecost realized their guilt, God forgave.

The Apostle Paul himself claimed ignorance as a reason for his pre-conversion behavior. (I Tim 1:13)

As Believers, let us do everything we can to not behave ignorantly. As Paul writes in Romans 6:1 & 2 “Shall we continue to sin that grace (forgiveness) may abound? God forbid!” 

Father, forgive them for they know not VIII

I was a lousy father to my oldest son. The fact that I was, I believe, a very good father to my other three children does not lessen my guilt. If anything, it compounds it.

Not surprisingly, my son became wayward. Though there were other factors involved in his waywardness, my poor fathering caused my son to be bitter and skeptical of authority. He could not tolerate the slightest whiff of hypocrisy.

But one day my son was thinking about how contemptuous several of his friends were of their fathers. And he decided this was not how he was going to be, and he forgave me.

What that meant was that he took the initiative to form a relationship with me. Like an odd twist of the prodigal son, he came back to me with a respect and an appreciation far beyond what I deserve.

I don't know what my problem was as a dad. More than anything, I did want to be a good father to my son. Regardless, nowadays, every time I think of my son, I am so very thankful. Always when we talk, I feel so happy. Here is the son I had lost who now is found.

Some people say, "I'll forgive, but I can never forget." But if you ever talk to my son, I guarantee he will tell you he holds nothing against me. I think he may even tell you what a great dad he has.

Even better than my son is our Heavenly Father, who forgives, and removes our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west. And then shows us "the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness to us through Christ Jesus."

Father, forgive them for they know not VII

Forgive Them

Israel's national sin is unforgiveable

They rejected the Kingdom

 (Mat 12:32)

And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, or in the world to come.

 and crucified the King

(Mat 27:25)

Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

This sin is not to be forgiven in the world (this world) ( age, or dimension ) within which the crime was committed

nor in the age or dimension to come

but God's unending mercy endures through all dimensions

(Psa 100:5)

For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

and in reply to the Son's plea and as predicted in prophecy there is an age when Israel will stand pardoned for the unpardonable

(Lev 26:40)If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; ..................

(Lev 26:42)Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

This confessed sin is expressed as a singular crime although it was twofold in both rejecting King and Kingdom.

We read of the singular committed and confessed and forgiven crime again in Isaiah 40:2

(Isa 40:2)Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

And again in Jeremiah

(Jer 3:13)Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

And again in Hosea

(Hos 5:15)

I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

In Hosea their confession is prompted by great tribulation and results in the return of the Lord.

Israel commits an unspeakable and unpardonable crime and only after suffering tribulation becomes willing to admit to the transgression, and the merciful rejected King forgives and receives them

How much tribulation must one endure before the old sin nature gives up and confesses unpardonable crimes?

And will the pardoned criminal find the forgiving face of mercy at his confession?

Mitch Triestman

Father, forgive them for they know not VI

The things The Lord would accept as unintentional sins by the people of Israel that are listed in Leviticus were pretty amazing: robbery, extortion, refusing to publicly testify as to what really happened, utters an oath to do evil.

A common reaction we humans have when we wake up in the morning after having behaved badly. "What have I done?" we ask ourselves in shock and dismay. We can't imagine how it ever seemed to be the thing we chose to do.

The writer of Leviticus states, "when he realizes his guilt or when the sin that he has committed is made known to him, then he shall bring a...lamb, or goat, or two turtle doves...or if he can't afford that, an ephah of fine flour."

I have a very good friend who is not a Believer. He has looked at all the world religions but has turned away from them all, for he said,  "I need forgiveness ."

Me too.

In my morning after dispair, I've found hope in all the sin offerings that the righteous Jehovah accepted of the Israelites-- even an offering of just a few cups of flour.

How much more will the offering of the Precious Lamb of God be accepted by our Heavenly Father, guilty as I may be.

Father, forgive them for they know not V

The Scriptures are filled with examples of “sins of ignorance.” With 613 commandments in the Torah, as well as several thousand years of humankind before the Torah was recorded, it is understandable to imagine that many well-meaning people could violate God's law without knowing it.

In Leviticus 4, God gives a provision for individuals who commit sin in ignorance. He even goes so far as to provide a route to forgiveness should the entire community “sin unintentionally.” However, in order for the indicated sacrifices of Leviticus 4 to result in atonement a criteria must be met: The sin must have been committed in ignorance, the individual must realize their guilt, and a sacrifice must be made.

On the cross, Jesus prayed “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Was this prayer answered? Is Israel forgiven for crucifying Jesus? We already heard of many repenting at Pentecost, but what of the rest?

According to Leviticus 4 a criteria must be met in order for atonement to be made: The sin must have been committed in ignorance, the individual must realize their guilt, and a sacrifice must be made. For Israel, the sin was certainly committed in ignorance. The sacrifice was made at the cross. We just await the day when Zechariah 9:10 is fulfilled and all Israel will “look on Me, the One they have pierced, and they will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child.”

Father, forgive them for they know not IV

As far as we know, it had never occurred to any of the OT saints that God had a Son. Should the Jewish people have understood these passages referred to the Lord Jesus, especially as our Lord spoke so often of His Father? Despite His overwhelming miracles and despite (or perhaps because of) the godlike words He spoke, He was condemned to an unconscionable execution.

At his Pentecost sermon, Peter concluded with, "Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

The Jewish people who heard this message responded by saying, "What shall we do?"

What could they mean by that? They had already done it. They had done the worse thing that had ever been done. They had crucified the Beloved Son, the One so well pleasing to the Heavenly Father.

"What shall we do?" It was an outrageous question.

But filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter responded to them, "Repent...for the forgiveness of your sins."

We then read, "and there were added (to those who loved the Lord and who were loved by Him) about 3000 souls.

Amazing love. Amazing forgiveness. The Father forgave them. Until that Pentecost moment, they had no idea what they had done.