LUKE 23:33-34 THE GOD WHO SAVES

Written by , Rector of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia
 

³³ When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.
³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Jesus makes a request from the cross and gives a reason for that request. Both the statement and the reason make no worldly sense. Given the events of the past 24 hours, let alone several years of opposition, and the fact that Jesus was attached to a cross by nails, literally dying under his own weight, could there have been a more unnatural thought than that of forgiveness for the very ones who put you in that position? Jesus uttered prayer where cursing was expected. He pleaded for forgiveness where pronouncements of damnation and destruction were the order of the day.

As Jesus struggled to breath, he used the precious fruit of his efforts to speak what to those around him must have sounded like sheer nonsense. He asked God to forgive all who had a part in his crucifixion because they were ignorant of their actions. How could this be so? The religious leaders had plotted for years in order do away with Jesus. The crowd intentionally chose to have a notorious criminal liberated so that Jesus would be crucified. Pilate had him flogged and then gave into the demand of the crowd as a calculated matter of expediency. The soldiers on the execution detail were certainly well versed in their craft. The disciples had been told by Jesus that they would all abandon him. We know that Jesus died upon the cross for our sins, both because of them and to do away with them, and yet we continue to choose sin over obedience to God. What is it about Jesus’ crucifixion that human beings do not “know?”

It is not that human beings do not know that Jesus was killed, what we do not know is that in executing Jesus we murdered the “God who saves.” The name Yeshua, which means “Yahweh is salvation,” is not a convenient label for identifying this particular man in history; it is the description of the essence of the One who is God Incarnate. As St. Paul wrote:

⁶ [Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷ but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! ⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

As Jesus himself said, “⁶'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. ⁷ If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well'” (John 14:6-7). If we really knew that Jesus is the awesome, almighty and loving God, would we dare to keep on sinning?

Thank you, Lord for forgiving me for my lack of understanding of truly who you are. Through your Spirit open my mind to receive your revelation so that I might grow into the full knowledge of you and in my obedience to you. Also, give me a forgiving heart. Amen.

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