Unlimited: Father, Forgive Them
Aug 20, 2021 1131
Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do (Luke 23:34, NKJV).
Because I’ve got relatives overseas, some of whom are elderly, I’ve had to say goodbye to them, knowing that I might never see them again. Our final words mean can mean a lot. Sometimes people pray.
It is fitting that Jesus’ final words on the Cross were a prayer. He could have prayed for many things. He could have prayed to be saved from crucifixion, or to be granted a painless death. He could have prayed for a display of glory from the Father to vindicate his name, or for courage for his cowardly disciples. But he prayed for none of these things. He prayed for what his heart most desired: forgiveness for you.
You weren’t there, but because he died for the sins of the world, Jesus wasn’t thinking just of the people who physically crucified him. He was thinking of a lost and broken world.
Jesus prayed “Father, forgive them”. He was praying for you.
He wasn’t thinking of himself. He was thinking of you.
He understands how hard it is for us. He understands how often and how far we fall. And most of all Christ wanted you to know that you are forgiven.
It’s only human to doubt God sometimes, and to question whether he even thinks about us. At those times, remember Christ’s words at Calvary. “Father, forgive them…” They should banish your doubts forever. – Eliezer Gonzalez
Reflection: Understanding that Jesus’ final prayer was for us in general, and for our forgiveness in particular, I encourage you to consider what you tend to pray for the most. Think about that, and think about what that may say about your relationship with God.
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