Forgiveness from the Cross: Reflecting God's Character
Summary
In our time together today, we explored the profound significance of Jesus' first statement from the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." This plea for forgiveness is not just a moment of grace but a revelation of God's character, echoing the divine nature described in Exodus 34. There, God reveals Himself to Moses as compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love. This same character is embodied in Jesus' words on the cross, demonstrating that God's first impulse is to forgive and reconcile rather than to condemn.
We began by reflecting on the story of Moses and the Israelites in Exodus, where despite their unfaithfulness, God reveals His compassionate nature to Moses. This sets the stage for understanding the depth of Jesus' words on the cross. Jesus, in His agony, chooses to pray, surrender, seek God's glory, and reveal God's character. His prayer for forgiveness is a testament to His alignment with God's will and His commitment to practicing what He preached.
Jesus' actions on the cross challenge us to embody the same spirit of forgiveness and compassion in our lives. We are called to bear God's name and character in our interactions with others, demonstrating grace and mercy even when it is undeserved. This is not an easy task, but it is the mission we are entrusted with as followers of Christ. By forgiving others, we reflect the heart of God and participate in His redemptive work in the world.
Key Takeaways:
- Prayer in Agony: Jesus' first response on the cross was to pray, demonstrating the importance of turning to God in our moments of suffering. Despite the excruciating pain of crucifixion, Jesus models a life of prayer, reminding us that prayer is not about comfort but about connection with God. [17:35]
- Surrender to God's Will: Jesus' life was a continuous act of surrender to God's will, culminating in His acceptance of the cross. This teaches us that true discipleship involves denying our desires and aligning ourselves with God's purposes, even when it leads to suffering. [18:04]
- Seeking God's Glory: Jesus sought not His own glory but the glory of the Father, challenging us to prioritize God's honor over our own ambitions. In doing so, we trust God to exalt us in His time, focusing instead on making His name known. [19:29]
- Revealing God's Character: On the cross, Jesus reveals God's character as compassionate and forgiving, echoing the divine nature described in Exodus. This revelation calls us to embody these attributes, showing grace and mercy to others as a reflection of God's heart. [21:58]
- The Call to Forgive: Jesus' plea for forgiveness on the cross challenges us to forgive those who wrong us, reflecting God's boundless grace. This act of forgiveness is not just a personal virtue but a participation in God's redemptive mission, demonstrating His love to the world. [28:29]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - Opening Prayer
- [00:45] - Greeting and Introduction
- [01:17] - Focus on Jesus' Seven Statements
- [02:13] - Scripture Reading: Luke 23:32-34
- [03:14] - Back to Exodus: Understanding Context
- [05:02] - Moses and the Golden Calf
- [06:27] - Moses' Intercession and God's Character
- [08:23] - God's Revelation to Moses
- [10:44] - Connecting Exodus to the Cross
- [12:29] - Jesus' First Statement on the Cross
- [15:15] - Jesus' Actions: Prayer and Surrender
- [19:29] - Seeking God's Glory
- [21:58] - Revealing God's Character
- [28:29] - The Call to Forgive
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Luke 23:32-34
- Exodus 34:6-7
Observation Questions:
1. What was Jesus' first statement on the cross, and what does it reveal about His priorities even in suffering? [14:13]
2. How does the story of Moses and the Israelites in Exodus 34 help us understand the significance of Jesus' plea for forgiveness on the cross? [03:14]
3. What characteristics of God are highlighted in Exodus 34, and how are these reflected in Jesus' actions on the cross? [21:58]
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does Jesus' prayer for forgiveness on the cross challenge our understanding of justice and mercy? [14:54]
2. In what ways does Jesus' surrender to God's will on the cross serve as a model for true discipleship? [18:52]
3. How does the revelation of God's character in Exodus 34 inform our understanding of Jesus' mission and message on the cross? [21:04]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you were wronged. How can Jesus' example of forgiveness on the cross inspire you to forgive in a similar situation? [28:29]
2. Jesus prayed in His agony. How can you incorporate prayer into your life during times of personal suffering or difficulty? [17:35]
3. What desires or ambitions might you need to surrender to align more closely with God's will, as Jesus did? [18:04]
4. Consider a situation where you sought your own glory. How can you shift your focus to seek God's glory instead? [19:29]
5. Identify someone in your life who may not "deserve" forgiveness. How can you extend grace to them as a reflection of God's character? [28:29]
6. How can you actively demonstrate God's compassion and mercy in your daily interactions with others? [21:58]
7. Think of a person who tests your patience. What is a short prayer you can say before the next time you interact with that person? [29:06]
Devotional
Day 1: Prayer as a Lifeline in Suffering
In moments of deep suffering, Jesus turned to prayer, demonstrating that prayer is not about seeking comfort but about maintaining a connection with God. On the cross, despite the excruciating pain, Jesus' first response was to pray, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." This act of prayer in agony reveals the importance of turning to God in our darkest times, seeking His presence and strength. It challenges us to cultivate a life of prayer that transcends our circumstances, anchoring us in God's love and purpose. [17:35]
Psalm 18:6 (ESV): "In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears."
Reflection: In what areas of your life are you currently experiencing distress or suffering? How can you intentionally turn to prayer as a means of connecting with God in these moments?
Day 2: Embracing Surrender to God's Will
Jesus' life was a continuous act of surrender to God's will, culminating in His acceptance of the cross. This teaches us that true discipleship involves denying our desires and aligning ourselves with God's purposes, even when it leads to suffering. Jesus' surrender on the cross is a powerful reminder that following God's will may not always be easy, but it is the path to true fulfillment and purpose. As we seek to follow Christ, we are called to lay down our own ambitions and trust in God's perfect plan for our lives. [18:04]
Luke 22:42 (ESV): "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Day 3: Prioritizing God's Glory Over Our Own
Jesus sought not His own glory but the glory of the Father, challenging us to prioritize God's honor over our own ambitions. In doing so, we trust God to exalt us in His time, focusing instead on making His name known. This selfless pursuit of God's glory calls us to examine our motives and desires, ensuring that our actions and decisions reflect a commitment to honoring God above all else. By seeking God's glory, we align ourselves with His eternal purposes and find true satisfaction in His presence. [19:29]
John 3:30 (ESV): "He must increase, but I must decrease."
Reflection: In what ways can you shift your focus from seeking personal recognition to prioritizing God's glory in your daily life and interactions with others?
Day 4: Reflecting God's Compassionate Character
On the cross, Jesus reveals God's character as compassionate and forgiving, echoing the divine nature described in Exodus. This revelation calls us to embody these attributes, showing grace and mercy to others as a reflection of God's heart. As followers of Christ, we are called to bear God's name and character in our interactions, demonstrating His love and compassion to a world in need. By reflecting God's character, we participate in His redemptive work and become conduits of His grace and mercy. [21:58]
Micah 6:8 (ESV): "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Reflection: How can you intentionally reflect God's compassionate character in your interactions with others today, especially in situations where it may be challenging to do so?
Day 5: The Transformative Power of Forgiveness
Jesus' plea for forgiveness on the cross challenges us to forgive those who wrong us, reflecting God's boundless grace. This act of forgiveness is not just a personal virtue but a participation in God's redemptive mission, demonstrating His love to the world. Forgiveness is a powerful tool that breaks the chains of bitterness and resentment, allowing us to experience freedom and healing. As we extend forgiveness to others, we mirror the heart of God and invite His transformative power into our lives and relationships. [28:29]
Colossians 3:13 (ESV): "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?
Quotes
"Jesus said father forgive give them for they do not know what they are doing and they divided up his clothes by casting lots the word of God for the people of God thanks be to God now before we dive into that I want to take us back to Exodus uh to chapter 34 and I want to back up even a little bit further and talk to us about some of the events that happened 34 is a powerful chapter it it's a place where God meets with Moses." [00:02:56]
"Jesus hangs there and he looks out on this people the they of his statement those who have accused him falsely who have slandered him who have plotted against him who have betrayed him who have fled from him and who yelled crucify not too very long ago he is before the power of Rome seeming ly subject to their whims he is at the mercy of the mob even his disciples are not there and Jesus looks out on all of it and says father forgive them forgive them for they do not know what they're doing." [00:13:25]
"Jesus talks early on in The Sermon on the Mount uh about forgiveness he he he says you have heard it said as he kind of unpacks the teaching of the day to to forgive but I say forgive your enemies also Jesus practices what he preaches he does what he says or he acts and his words confirm what he is doing he looks out on the crowd and he forgives these people who I think we would all say deserve a different kind of justice." [00:14:22]
"The first is he prays he's on the cross he's in terrible Agony I don't know if you've studied crucifixion at any length it is the most brutal way that a person can die it was specifically devised by the Romans in order to punish Rebellion very often what they would do is as Gladiators the famous Spartacus Uprising but just generally in different parts of the of the Empire as these different people groups would rise up to be able to to rebel and push back once they crush the Rebellion many times they would crucify many of the rebels along the road as a message to those who were traveling that road up and down not to mess with the power of Rome." [00:15:33]
"Jesus is hanging there in that Agony and what what does he do he prays we live in America we can sit down in a nice comfy chair or or recline on a couch in a room and get our cup of coffee and have the have all of the temperatures just right and do all of these sorts of things and and have the settings right and we still don't pray and yet Jesus the first thing he does on the cross is he prays father forgive them for the they don't know what they're doing." [00:17:28]
"Jesus does is he surrenders in fact his whole life has been an act of surrender he has surrendered willingly to the will of God Matthew's gospel records three times in the garden where Jesus is praying and asking his father if there's any other way if there's any other way we can accomplish this person then let this cup pass this cup of suffering that I'm about to drink from just let it pass pass from me and three times he goes back and says you know what God though but if this is the only way then your will be done he knew what was coming and yet he willingly surrendered to the will of his father." [00:18:04]
"Jesus practices what he preaches remember what he tells the people if anyone would come after me and be my disciple let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me and Jesus practices what he preaches he denies his own desires he very literally takes up his cross and he follows after his father John's gospel he says I do those things which I see the father doing I say those things which I hear the father saying Jesus practices what he preaches he surrenders he align his life with God's will." [00:19:29]
"The third thing he does after praying and surrendering is he seeks he seeks not his own Glory but the glory of his father John 8 uh in John chapter 8 Jesus is talking and he says you know what I don't seek after my own Glory I'm not trying to honor myself or glorify myself or make much of myself no I'm letting my father do that and he will but I am wanting to glorify the father that's my desire Jesus in that moment when he says father forgive them for they know not what they do he's hearkening to this sense of seeking not after our own personal edification and glorification that we might have a big name that we might be accomplished that all of the things that come with that but instead that God would be glorified through us and we let God handle the exalting business and not ourselves." [00:20:22]
"He prays he surrenders he seeks and in that moment on the cross he reveals he reveals the character of God he reveals a god whose first impulse is to forgive whose first desire is to move toward a Reconciliation to pardon and after all isn't that what God himself said as he talked to Moses in Exodus 34 the Lord the Lord the compassionate ancient texts in mamia and different cultures throughout what is now the Middle East are filled with Gods describing themselves in titles uh that don't begin this way but the powerful the almighty the just the merciless all of these the images that that first describ the power of the deity but God's first impulse here with Moses is compassion compassion the compassionate and gracious God slow to anger abounding in love and faithfulness that is the beginning of God describing who he is to Moses and it is what Jesus demonstrates Ates on the cross when he says father forgive them they don't know what they're doing." [00:21:58]
"Jesus in Father forgive them for they don't know what they're doing it's wrapped all in their demonstrating the character and the nature of God to the world and we carry that you and I carry that message when we are quick to forgive when we demonstrate compassion when we're slow to anger when we do that we bear the name of God well we carry out what Jesus did on the cross as a demonstration to others but they keep hurting me but they keep hurting me Pastor forgive them forgive them because if you want to be like your father in Heaven you'll forgive and when they keep hurting you remember how much God has forgiven you what if God forgave oh what if God forgave like we did well this is the third time there would be nobody in this building it would be empty but God is compassionate full of grace slow to anger abounding in love and that is the call to you and I that is the mission that you and I carry with Within ourselves our name is not our own we have been given the name of God to Bear to the world and that means when you're shopping and and and it means when you're at work and it means when you're at play and it means when you're with your family or with your friends or with complete strangers and it means that the kindness and the grace that you show should be a demonstration of the character and nature of God on the cross Jesus did this very thing and that is what we're called to do may we rise to Our Calling May we embrace the mission that God has given us and may we forgive well in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit let's pray." [00:28:29]
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