WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.000 The Cross of Christ. 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:11.000 Last time we looked at the cross as a mystery of mysteries, that the death of Christ was natural. 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:15.000 That is to say that Christ took on flesh. 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:17.000 He humbled himself. 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:24.000 He became obedient even to the point of death, the death on the cross. 00:00:24.000 --> 00:00:27.000 He physically died. 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:33.000 But we also said that it was a unique death. 00:00:33.000 --> 00:00:45.000 It was unique because from the garden and even in the epistles we know that in the day that you sin, you shall surely die. 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:51.000 But Jesus is that spotless lamb. 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:54.000 He had no blemish. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:58.000 There was no guilt or sin found in him. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:08.000 Or as Paul said, he knew no sin. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:21.000 Jesus had a unique death because he had not worked for the payment of death. 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:30.000 Every other man that dies, every other woman that dies, dies because of original sin and actual sin. 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:33.000 But that wasn't the case for our blessed Savior. 00:01:33.000 --> 00:01:36.000 But it was also a miraculous death. 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:50.000 It was a miraculous death because before the foundation of the world, he was the lamb slain for his people. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:52.000 It was already foretold. 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:55.000 It was already written down in God's book. 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:59.000 It was, yes, miraculous. 00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:02.000 But it was also supernatural. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:13.000 It was supernatural because he had control over every aspect of what was about to happen, what was happening, and what would happen. 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:25.000 Jesus said in John chapter 10, in that marvelous passage about the Good Shepherd, he says that he lays down his life. 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:28.000 He does this so that he would take it up again. 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:36.000 No one, no one takes it from Jesus, but rather he lays it down according to his own will. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:42.000 He has authority to do that, to lay it down and then to take it up again. 00:02:42.000 --> 00:02:43.000 No one else can do that. 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:46.000 This is supernatural. 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:51.000 That's what we discovered last time as we considered the cross. 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:58.000 This morning I would like for us to open up our Bibles to Luke chapter 23. 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:05.000 And we will read verses 32 through 43. 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:13.000 Luke chapter 23, we will see the word of forgiveness from the cross. 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:29.000 Verse 32, we read,"Two others who were criminals were led a way to be put to death with him. 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:36.000 And when they came to the place that is called the skull, they crucified him. 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:42.000 And the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:48.000 And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:58.000 And they cast lots to divide his garments.' And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, 'He saved others. 00:03:58.000 --> 00:04:00.000 Let him save himself. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:42.000 If he is the Christ of God, his chosen one.' The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, saying,'If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.' There was also an inscription over him,'This is the king of the Jews.' One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, 'Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us.' But the other rebuked him, saying,'Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 00:04:42.000 --> 00:05:17.000 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.' And he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' And he said to him, 'Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.'" In this marvelous text, we'll see the word of forgiveness coming from the Savior. 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:27.000 But before that occurs, I would like to draw our attention to the merciless insults, the merciless insults. 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:31.000 And these insults are coming from four groups of people. 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:36.000 Notice those that are standing around the cross. 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:45.000 Cast your gaze back to verse 34. 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:52.000 And there we see that he had people that were standing around him. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:55.000 They crucified him. 00:05:55.000 --> 00:06:09.000 And he obviously says, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' But then we have in verse 35 that there were the people, there were the crowds, there were the bystanders that were watching. 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:11.000 They were there. 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:20.000 Also, we see in verse 35, we see the rulers, the religious leaders, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, those that were in the temple. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:26.000 And they were also hurling insults at Christ. 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:46.000 And then in verse 36, it wasn't just the crowds that were there, nor the rulers, the religious leaders, but it was also the soldiers, the centurions, those that were crucifying him. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:07:00.000 And if it wasn't worse than that, we also see in verse 39 that even those that were hung on the cross, on his right and on his left, were also railing on him. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:06.000 Yes, they were scoffing, they were mocking, they were ridiculing him. 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.000 They were railing him. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:11.000 And it was merciless. 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:20.000 Can you just imagine in all of your suffering that this would be happening to you? 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:23.000 Well, this is what was happening to Christ. 00:07:23.000 --> 00:07:25.000 And notice what they say. 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:27.000 Look at verse 35 one more time. 00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:34.000 Verse 35, they're saying, 'He saved others.' They're doing this in a mocking, jeering way. 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:37.000 'He saved others. 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:43.000 Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the chosen one. 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:52.000 If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself,' is what the soldiers were saying. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:56.000 And the criminals, they said, 'Are you not the Christ? 00:07:56.000 --> 00:08:01.000 Save yourself and us.' It is kind of interesting when you look at it. 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:11.000 They gave titles to Christ, the chosen one, the king, and Christ. 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:27.000 And in all three of those ways, they were also saying that he had power to save, or at least they thought that he claimed that he had power to save, and then they were hurling now their insults towards him. 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:30.000 But what did Christ do in verse 34? 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:32.000 There we see how merciful he was. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:48.000 He just says, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' Now, since we have our Bibles open, let's take a look at Acts 2. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:54.000 Let's just see how merciful the Savior really is when we consider these four groups of people. 00:08:54.000 --> 00:09:14.000 In Acts 2 and verse 41, we read, 'So those who received this word were baptized, and they were added that day about three thousand souls.' These are the people that were in Jerusalem. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:22.000 These are the people that had heard the preaching at Pentecost, and the church was added too. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:42.000 And if we look at chapter 4 and verse 4, we find, 'And many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of men came to about five thousand.' These are the people. 00:09:42.000 --> 00:09:54.000 These are the crowds that could have been there, that Jesus said, 'Lord God, would you forgive them?' And it was answered. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:10:00.000 Do you see your face among the crowd, among the bystanders? 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:07.000 Maybe you're outside of Christ, and you have mocked His work. 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:09.000 There is hope for you. 00:10:09.000 --> 00:10:14.000 There is a word of forgiveness for all of us. 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:15.000 But it wasn't just the crowd. 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:26.000 We also see in Acts chapter 3 verse 17 that even the rulers were redeemed. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:30.000 Verse 17 of chapter 3 of Acts. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:38.000 'Now, brothers, you know that you acted ignorantly, as did your rulers.' The rulers acted ignorantly. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:56.000 And in chapter 6 verse 7 of Acts, as we see the church growing and expanding, we have one of these summary statements about how Christ's church cannot be defeated, because the word of God continued to increase. 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:59.000 You see that in chapter 6 verse 7? 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:16.000 God's word is unleashed through the apostles, through the preaching and the teaching, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:18.000 Isn't that wonderful? 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:26.000 Now, no doubt, you have had friends that were very religious, and people that are religious are the hardest to evangelize. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:38.000 You may think that I can't break through them, because they have been programmed to think in these false teachings and doctrines that it is impossible to bring them to Christ. 00:11:38.000 --> 00:11:40.000 But I have news for you. 00:11:40.000 --> 00:11:49.000 The apostles just proclaimed the good news, and the prayer of Christ from the cross was answered. 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:51.000 Hallelujah. 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:56.000 But it was also the soldiers, even in our own text. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:12.000 Going back to Luke chapter 23, we see that the centurion, the Roman soldier, saw all that had happened, and he said, "Certainly, this was an innocent man. 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:31.000 Certainly, this was the Messiah, and he believed." We can also see that in Matthew 28 verse 54, where it was more than just one soldier, one centurion, but it was several of them. 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:41.000 When men were doing their worst, Christ was giving a merciful word, and the Lord God was answering that. 00:12:41.000 --> 00:12:46.000 Even at the foot of the cross, there were some that were converted. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:55.000 And of course, the criminal, as we read in our text today,"Today, you will be with me in paradise," he believed. 00:12:55.000 --> 00:12:57.000 Isn't that wonderful? 00:12:57.000 --> 00:13:20.000 This is wonderful, that when all else is going wrong, when you have the crowds, the rulers, the soldiers, the criminals, all hurling their insults at Christ, he kept entrusting himself to the one who judges righteously and gave a word of forgiveness, and God the Father answered that. 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:24.000 That is the first word we need to hear from the cross. 00:13:24.000 --> 00:13:31.000 Whatever you think about the cross, you should think,"There is forgiveness for me, and there's forgiveness for my family. 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:45.000 There's forgiveness for the world." Whatever classification you find yourself in, there is no one who is so far out that has sinned so much that can't be forgiven by Christ. 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:51.000 Isn't this great? This is good news. 00:13:51.000 --> 00:14:08.000 Sinclair Ferguson helps us by reflecting on the cross, and he says the following,"When Paul preached the cross, he preached a message which explained that this instrument of rejection had been used by God as an instrument of reconciliation. 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:17.000 Man's means of bringing death to Jesus was God's means to bring life to the world. 00:14:17.000 --> 00:14:31.000 Man's symbol of rejecting Christ was God's symbol of forgiveness for man." This is why Paul boasted about cross. 00:14:31.000 --> 00:14:39.000 Well, let's look at seven ways to look at this word of forgiveness. 00:14:39.000 --> 00:14:44.000 What do we see here first but what Scripture says in Isaiah 53? 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:59.000 If you turn there in Isaiah 53, we see that this word of forgiveness was in fulfillment of the prophetic word found in Isaiah 53, one of the servant psalms of that great prophet. 00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:09.000 In Isaiah 53, we can see ten declarations that were prophesied about Jesus on the cross. What are they? 00:15:09.000 --> 00:15:16.000 Well, one is that he was despised and rejected of men. 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:21.000 Two, that he was a man of sorrow. He was acquainted with grief. 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:29.000 Three, that he was wounded, that he was bruised, that he was chastised on our behalf. 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:34.000 Furthermore, four, he was led to the slaughter. 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:42.000 He did this as a silent lamb five before his shears. 00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:47.000 Yes, all of this is recorded in Isaiah 53, but it goes on. 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:57.000 Six, not only did Jesus suffer at the hands of man, but he was also bruised by the Almighty God. 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:02.000 Seventh, Jesus poured out his soul even to death. 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:07.000 Eight, he was buried in a rich man's tomb. 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:16.000 Nine, he was numbered with the transgressors, even as we read on his right and on his left. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:20.000 But will you look at Isaiah 53 verse 12 since we're there? 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:22.000 This is what I want you guys to see. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:28.000 Ten, that he makes intercession for the transgressors. 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:42.000 We just saw that there was forgiveness, not just for the transgressors on his right and on his left, but for all of the crowds, for all of the religious leaders, for all of the soldiers, there is a forgiveness. 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:47.000 But it wasn't that it just happened on the cross at that particular moment. 00:16:47.000 --> 00:17:09.000 As great as this is that he makes intercessions for the transgressors on the cross, I want you guys to know in Hebrews chapter seven verse 25 we read,"Consequently, he," that is Jesus, "is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him." Why? 00:17:09.000 --> 00:17:16.000 Since he is always, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:23.000 Jesus in his active ministry even right now is praying for his own. 00:17:23.000 --> 00:17:26.000 Isn't that wonderful? 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:28.000 This is a word of forgiveness. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:37.000 "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Another thing that we see is that this is where Jesus identifies with the people. 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:39.000 Let me try to build this up for us. 00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:46.000 During his earthly ministry, you remember when the paralytic came to him or the woman that anointed his feet. 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:59.000 Jesus said, "Your sins are forgiven." As the God-man, he has the divine prerogative to forgive sins. 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:01.000 He did that on his ministry. 00:18:01.000 --> 00:18:08.000 In fact, the scribes, the Pharisees, they were overwhelmed by that and said,"You are claiming to be God. 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:20.000 This is blasphemy. Who can forgive sins but God?" They were right. Only God can forgive sins. 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:49.000 Later on when he healed that paralytic, Jesus said,"But that you might know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive." He said to that infebul person, "Pick up. Rise. Take your bed and walk." Let me give you something physical that you can see so that you can know spiritually I have the prerogative to forgive sins. 00:18:49.000 --> 00:18:54.000 Jesus is the God-man. He can forgive sins. 00:18:54.000 --> 00:19:00.000 But on the cross, he is a representative of us. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:04.000 He is a representative of mankind. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:13.000 And so he doesn't grant forgiveness to the thief or to the soldiers or to the crowds or the religious leaders. 00:19:13.000 --> 00:19:19.000 Rather, he asks the Father to forgive them. 00:19:19.000 --> 00:19:35.000 And of course we see in John 12, verse 32, he says,"And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself." And that's exactly what he did. He drew men to himself. 00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:51.000 But when he is identifying with his people, it was that hanging there as our representative that he was no longer in a place of authority where he might exercise his own divine prerogatives. 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:56.000 Therefore, Jesus takes the position of a supplicant before the Father. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:20:07.000 Thus we say that when the blessed Lord Jesus cried,"Father, forgive them," we see him absolutely identified with his people. 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:15.000 No longer was he in the position on earth where he had the power or the right to forgive sins. 00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:25.000 But rather, he's interceding for sinners just like we must also intercede for sinners. 00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:31.000 There's no thing that we see from the cross as a word of forgiveness. 00:20:31.000 --> 00:20:37.000 We see God's estimation of sin and the consequences of sin. 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:55.000 You remember in Leviticus 5 and also Numbers 15, where if a person committed sins that were unintentional, then there would still need to be a sacrifice for those sins. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:59.000 David talks about his secret faults. 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:13.000 "Lord, forgive me of them." Sin, whether you know that you've done it or not, still needs forgiveness. 00:21:13.000 --> 00:21:20.000 Sin is always sin in the sight of God, whether we are conscious of it or not. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:28.000 Sins of ignorance need atonement just as truly as do conscious sins. 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:32.000 So here we see at the cross something that we can learn. 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:38.000 We can learn how high is God's standard and how great our need really is. 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:51.000 So therefore, we should praise God Almighty for an atonement that he gave to us, which is of infinite sufficiency to cleanse us from every single one of our sins. 00:21:51.000 --> 00:21:55.000 Isn't that wonderful? Yes. 00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:59.000 Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:08.000 We also see a fourth thing from the cross, and that is that the human heart is full of blindness. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.000 They're spiritually darkened to what they do. 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:13.000 They know not what they do. 00:22:13.000 --> 00:22:18.000 Of course, they knew that they were crucifying Jesus. 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:24.000 Yes, they knew that, but they didn't know what it meant. 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:31.000 When Jesus said they know not what they do, he meant that they were ignorant of the enormity of their crime. 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:36.000 They knew not that it was the Lord of glory that they were crucifying. 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:45.000 The emphasis is not on that they know not, but on that they know not what they do. 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:49.000 Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:58.000 A fifth thing that we see from the cross, and that is the lovingly exemplification of his own teaching. 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:06.000 You remember on the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, 44, where Jesus says, "Love your enemies. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:14.000 Pray for those who persecute you." Is he not doing that from the cross? 00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:18.000 Yes, he is. 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:22.000 He is praying for them, and that is showing love for them. 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:28.000 But also in Jesus' teaching in Luke 7, verses 3 and 4, Jesus says, "Pay attention to yourselves. 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:52.000 If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him; and if he sins against you seven times in a day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." But a question that comes is, what if they don't repent? 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:58.000 Could Jesus forgive from the cross if they weren't repenting to him? 00:23:58.000 --> 00:24:00.000 Well, that is a great question. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:08.000 And you also ought to pay attention to how he phrased it, because once again, he didn't grant forgiveness to them. 00:24:08.000 --> 00:24:11.000 He prayed that they would have it. 00:24:11.000 --> 00:24:17.000 But on a practical application, suppose the offender does not repent. 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:21.000 Am I not to forgive him? 00:24:21.000 --> 00:24:23.000 No, you're not to forgive him. 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:27.000 But let there be no misunderstanding of our meaning here. 00:24:27.000 --> 00:24:37.000 Even though one who has wronged me or you does not repent, nevertheless I must not harbor ill feelings against him. 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:43.000 There must be no hatred or malice or cherish in our heart. 00:24:43.000 --> 00:24:52.000 Yet, on the other hand, I must not treat the offender as if he had done no wrong. 00:24:52.000 --> 00:24:54.000 That would be to condone his offense. 00:24:54.000 --> 00:25:04.000 And therefore I would fail to uphold the requirements of righteousness, and this, as believers, we must never do. 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:11.000 God never forgives where there is no repentance. 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:24.000 So no, for the Scripture declares that if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:29.000 There must be a confession of sin. 00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:32.000 One more thing on this matter. 00:25:32.000 --> 00:25:54.000 If one has injured me and repents not, while I cannot forgive him and treat him as though he has not offended, nevertheless not only must I hold no malice in my heart against him, but I must also pray for him. 00:25:54.000 --> 00:26:01.000 Here is the value of Christ's perfect example. 00:26:01.000 --> 00:26:11.000 If we can't forgive because they haven't confessed sin, they haven't repented, we can pray that God would forgive. 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:16.000 A sixth thing that we see from the cross, and that is man's greatest need. 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:20.000 The question that you might ask is what is the most important matter? 00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:23.000 What is the most important matter when you're on your deathbed? 00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:26.000 Well, the answer is quite simple. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:28.000 What's your relationship to Christ? 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:32.000 Have your sins been put away by the blood of the Lamb? 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:36.000 Is there repentance and forgiveness for you? 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:45.000 Well, it was proclaimed that there is repentance and forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:47.000 This is our great need. 00:26:47.000 --> 00:27:09.000 Our great need is for us to hear the gospel, that there is a word of forgiveness, and for everyone who believes in Christ, every one of their sins, past, present, and future, have been laid to rest, and we no longer are under the law, but we are freely justified in Christ. 00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:23.000 In praying for forgiveness of His enemies, Christ struck right down to the root of their needs, to my needs, to your needs, and their need was the need of every child of Adam. 00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:25.000 Let me ask you some questions. 00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:28.000 Have you been forgiven? 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:29.000 Have you? 00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:31.000 Have your sins been remitted? 00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:36.000 Have your sins been sent away? 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:54.000 Are you by grace one of those to whom it is said, in Colossians 1.14,"In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins?" Roy Lessing helps us with our greatest need by saying this. 00:27:54.000 --> 00:28:00.000 If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:06.000 If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:13.000 If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. 00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:21.000 If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. 00:28:21.000 --> 00:28:26.000 But our greatest need was forgiveness. 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:31.000 So God sent us a Savior. 00:28:31.000 --> 00:28:44.000 Seventh and finally, from the cross we see a word of forgiveness of the triumphant redeeming love of God. 00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:51.000 When they had come to the place called Calvary, they crucified Him. 00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:55.000 And the criminals, one on His right, one on His left. 00:28:55.000 --> 00:29:29.000 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know now what they do." Then Jesus said, "It was then that Jesus said,'Then when man had done his worse, then when the vilest of the human heart was displayed in its climactic devilry, then when with wicked hands the creature had dared to crucify the Lord of glory.'" What do we see? 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:40.000 We see Him uttering that of forgiveness, that He might have utterly have-- He could have called down a malediction upon them. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:44.000 He might have loosened thunderbolts of righteous wrath to slay them. 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:50.000 He might have caused the earth to be ripped open and to swallow them up alive into the pit. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:52.000 But no, that is not what happened. 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:54.000 No, it wasn't. 00:29:54.000 --> 00:30:21.000 Though subject to unspeakable shame, though suffering, excruciating pain, though He was despised, though He was rejected, though He was hated, nevertheless, Jesus cries out,"Father, forgive them! Father, forgive them!" This was the triumph of redeeming love. 00:30:21.000 --> 00:30:24.000 Aren't you grateful for this? 00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:32.000 Have you experienced this triumph of redeeming love of you being forgiven of all your sins? 00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:35.000 Oswald Chambers helps us in closing. 00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:41.000 Forgiveness is the divine miracle of grace. 00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:49.000 It cost God the cross of Jesus Christ before He could forgive sin and remain a holy God. 00:30:49.000 --> 00:31:02.000 Once you realize all that it cost God to forgive you, you will be held in a vice constrained by the loves of God. 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:14.000 Ode to be constrained by that love, Ode to have that word of forgiveness pronounced upon us. 00:31:14.000 --> 00:31:16.000 Let's pray. 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:27.000 Heavenly Father, I do pray for everyone that is hearing my voice, that they would know Your forgiveness. 00:31:27.000 --> 00:31:36.000 Lord, for those of us that are in Christ, that we would be so grateful and thankful for what has happened on the cross. 00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:41.000 Our sin debt has been paid in full. 00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:53.000 We have the hope of eternity, Paradise, living with You forever and ever where You will be our God and we will be Your people. 00:31:53.000 --> 00:32:01.000 Lord, for those that are in this room, that have not bowed the knee, they need forgiveness. 00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:05.000 Would You confront them in their sin? 00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:18.000 That they would despise their life and that they would look upon the glory of Christ, the One who makes intercession and forgiveness for His people. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:21.000 It's in His name we pray. Amen. 00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:26.000 www.mooji.org