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Luke 23 "They Do Not Know What They Do"
Today I would like to focus our study down to the words of Jesus on the cross, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they do." I think that these words help us to understand both the depth of the love of God and the depth of our own sin before Him. These words help us to see those who were involved that day, Pilate, Herod, the rulers of the Jews and the multitude as Jesus saw them. They also help us to see ourselves rightly, as Jesus sees us. Let's interpret the familiar story of Jesus crucifixion through the lens of these powerful words, "Father forgive them for they do not know what they do."
Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King." Then Pilate, asked him, saying, "Are You the King of the Jews?" He answered him and said, "It is as you say." So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, "I find no fault in this Man." But they were the more fierce, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place." When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. Then he questioned him with many words, but he answered him nothing. And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused him. Then Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked him, arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. That very day Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other. Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, said to them, "You have brought this man to me, as one who misleads the people. and indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. I will therefore chastise Him and release Him." (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast). And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas" -- who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for a murder. Pilate, therefore wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. But they shouted, saying, "Crucify Him, crucify Him." Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go." But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that he be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed. So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will. (Luke 23: 1-25)
When Jesus said "Forgive them", who was He referring
to? It is impossible to tell from the text. So I assume that He meant
it in the broadest sense, including everyone that was taking part in
His crucifixion. That means the Roman soldiers, Pilate, Herod, the Jewish
rulers and the crowd. But what does Jesus mean when He says that they
do not know what they do? What did the Jews know? What they said was
that this man was perverting the nation, forbidding people to pay taxes
to Caesar, and saying that He Himself was Christ, a King. They said
that He stirred up the people. Now all of what they were saying were
lies except the part about being the Christ. But even that, they made
sound like He was taking the title of a revolutionary. So all this doesn't
tell us much of what they knew about Jesus. But it does tell us that
they were willing to lie to get rid of Him. What did the Jews really
think about Jesus? John tells us in 11:47, "Then the chief priests
and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?
For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone
will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our
place and nation." At that point the high priest made the plan.
They would sacrifice Jesus, one man, for the sake of the nation. So
the Jewish rulers were the instigators of the plot to kill Jesus, they
were the ones to push it through both Pilate and Herod, they were the
one's responsible for His death, and yet Jesus says, "Father, forgive
them for they do not know what they do."
How about Pilate, the Roman governor of the territory? What did he know
about Jesus? He didn't seem to believe anything that the Jews told him.
In fact three times Pilate said that he believed just the opposite,
that there was nothing that Jesus had done that was deserving of death.
In Pilate's view Jesus was not much more than a nuisance, something
that could be used for his political advantage if he played it right
or could get him into politial trouble if played wrong. Since Jesus
was a popular figure with the people, Pilate was reluctant to put him
to death, thinking that it might cause problems later. He also thought
that since he needed to release one prisoner at the feast anyway, it
might as well be Jesus, rather than a dangerous rebel like Barabbas.
But at the same time, Pilate did not want to anger the Jewish religious
rulers either. This is why he handed off the matter to King Herod, hoping
that the local ruler could take care of the problem for him. But in
the end Pilate bowed to pressure and condemned a man that he, himself
knew was innocent to death. It was Pilate's order that moved the Roman
soldiers to crucify Jesus. Pilate was responsible for Jesus' death on
the cross, and yet Jesus says, "Father, forgive them for they do
not know what they do."
King Herod was the same king that beheaded John the Baptist. He was
a descendant of Herod the Great who tried to kill Jesus as a baby. He
was not really Jewish but was a local power nevertheless. He was also
keenly interested in the supernatural, even though he did not try to
live a holy life. When they brought Jesus to him, he was glad because
he thought perhaps he would be able to see a miracle. But Jesus would
not play games with Herod. All through his questioning Jesus did not
say a word. He did not say a word even though the religious rulers were
accusing him fiercely. If He had said something or done some small miracle
Herod would have saved Him. What did Herod know about Jesus? I think
that we can see from the way that His soldiers abused Jesus that he
considered Him a rival. He had heard about Jesus' popularity with the
people and decided to show everyone how ridiculous Jesus would be as
a king. So he put the crown of thorns on His heads and a gorgeous kings
robe on Jesus' shoulders and then set Him back to Pilate. Herod had
heard of the miracles of Jesus. He could have saved Jesus from the cross,
but instead He choose to send an innocent man to His death so that he
could look better with the Jewish rulers and with the Roman governor,
Pilate. Pilate was responsible for Jesus' death on the cross, and yet
Jesus says, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they
do."
There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. And when they had come to the place called Calvary there they crucified Him and the criminals, one of the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" And they divided His garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying , "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God." The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save yourself." And an inscription also was written also over Him in letters of Greek, Latin and Hebrew. "This is the King of the Jew." Then one of the criminals who were hanged blaphemed against him, saying "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us." But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly , for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom" . And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." Now it was about the sixh hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth, then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, he said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' Having said this, He breathed his last. (Luke 23: 26-46)
Around the cross the temptations continued. The rulers
mocked Him saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He
is the Christ, the chosen of God." The soldiers mocked Him saying,
"If You are the King of the Jews, save yourself." Even one
of the thieves who was being crucified next to Him, mocked Him saying,
"If you are the Christ, save yourself and us." The temptation
again and again was "Save yourself, Save yourself" If you
are the Christ, if you are the King of the Jews, save yourself. Even
as Jesus was dieing, they continued to tempt Him. And yet Jesus could
say, "Forgive them Father, for they do not know what they do."
What did they not know? It is plain to see from their own words, they
did not know that this truly was the Christ, the Son of God. Each of
them looked upon Jesus as a threat, a rival, a nuisance, a fake, a crazy,
anything but the Son of God who was dieing on that cross for them and
for the sins of the world. Only one person in that scene knew. It was
the one who would seem most unlikely. The other thief who was being
crucified next to Jesus. When the first thief mocked Jesus, this man
spoke out, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the
same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward
of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." and then he
said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into Your kingdom"
And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly I say to you, today you will
be with Me in Paradise." What did this thief know that none of
the others did? The one thing that changed his actions, and his fate,
that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God.
Let me ask you something very important today. Do you know what you
are doing? In just the same way that the Jews and Pilate and Herod were
guilty of sending the innocent Jesus to the cross, everytime you or
I sin we also are sending Jesus to the cross. Because Jesus chose to
go to the cross to die for our sins. This is very serious, because everytime
I lie to protect myself, or look at someone else as a thing to be used
instead of a person to be loved, or store up wrong things that someone
did to me in my heart and start to hate, or talk to my son or my wife
unkindly, each and every one of these things means that I too am responsible
for the death of Jesus on the cross, and yet Jesus says, "Father,
forgive them for they do not know what they do." The amazing thing
to me is that the Father has forgiven us. All of us. Jesus died on the
cross for the sins of the entire world. He died for the sins of the
Jewish rulers and the sins of Pilate and the sins of Herod and the sins
of all of the rest of us. And God forgave all of us, opening His arms
to welcome all that would enter in. The terrible thing is that so many
simply continue to go on not knowing what they are doing. So many continue
to see Jesus as a fake, some religious mystic many years ago; or as
a nuisance, someone who makes them feel guilty or would take away all
their fun; or as a threat to their freedom. But if you would enter into
the forgiveness of God, if you would be with Jesus in Paradise, then
know that He is the Son of God and though He died for your sins, He
rose from the dead and lives today to save you.
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