Jesus’ 1st Statement

Luke 23:34 · 2025-04-10 · Brian Carroll · 7 Statements From The Cross

Luke 23:34 · Jesus' Passion. Jesus’ 1st Statement — sermon from Cypress Bible Church on BibleSlides.

Jesus’ 1st Statement Father forgive them for they know not what they do. Those are very powerful words for anyone to speak, but when you consider the context of these words spoken by Jesus, it is overwhelming. These are the first biblically recorded words that Jesus spoke after he was hung on the cross. God in the Flesh, a sinless man was betrayed, falsely accused, arrested, taken into custody, denied by his followers, convicted in court, beaten, spat upon, mocked, forced to carry his own cross, and then mockingly crowned with a crown of thorns, and finally was hung on the cross to die. And what was Jesus’ response – “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Wow Jesus was asking God the Father, his father, our father to forgive “them”- to not hold their actions against them Who is Jesus referring to when he says “Forgive THEM – was it the Roman soldiers casting lots for his garments as he hung above them, was it the soldiers that mocked and beat him, was it the Sanhedrin that stood against him, was it Pilate who washed his hands of the decision, was it the people who early in the week shouted Hosanna, then later chanted “crucify him” or was it collectively all of those who actively participated in getting him to the cross. While it is not clear to me who Jesus is specifically referring to, when he says “Forgive Them”, Scripture is crystal clear about what was about to transpire. 2nd Corinthians 5:21 says “God (the Father) made him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him (Jesus) we might become the righteousness of God.” It was the sacrificial death of Jesus, the sinless Son of God, God in the flesh, that came to pay the price for my sin, for your sin. Jesus concludes this saying with the phrase “for they know not what they do.” Those who actively participated in his crucifixion, were ignorant of what they were doing. Yet God’s plan was in the process of unfolding that would transform all of history and offer a gift of reconciliation between God and man. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” How do we respond to such a sacrificial redeeming abundant gift? Although these things seems so inadequate. We can Express Abundant Gratitude to God for the gift that has been offered to us through Christ’s death and resurrection, submit our life to following, loving and living like him – one of those ways is to be people who people who follow Jesus’s ways. As Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” May you be aware of God’s abundant grace today and…

Cypress Bible Church · Full sermon loading below.