Good morning. It’s Mondays, March 2nd, aka National Old Stuff Day.

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

— Luke 23:34

If you’ve ever seen The Passion of the Christ by Mel Gibson, you probably remember the scene where Jesus is hanging on the cross and says:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

But it’s not just a movie line.

It’s Scripture.

Luke 23:34 (NIV) says,

“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”

As Jesus says this, He is hanging on the cross between two criminals. The soldiers who crucified Him are standing nearby and dividing up His clothes by casting lots, just as the verse says. The people are watching, and the rulers are sneering at Him. This is not after the suffering is over. This is while it is still happening.

So what did Jesus mean when He said, “for they do not know what they are doing”?

Because didn’t they know He was innocent?

Luke 23:22 (NIV) says, “I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty.” Even one of the criminals crucified next to Him said in Luke 23:41 (NIV), “This man has done nothing wrong.”

This is what He meant.

They knew He was innocent, but they did not fully understand who He truly was. They did not understand they were crucifying the Son of God.

As 1 Corinthians 2:8 (NIV) says, “None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

So when Jesus says, “Father, forgive them,” He is revealing the heart of God at the very moment humanity is at its worst. The people are not confused about what they’re doing physically. They know they are executing a man. But they do not fully grasp the spiritual weight of it. They do not understand they are crucifying the Son of God, the Lord of glory, as 1 Corinthians 2:8 explains.

So even though Jesus was unjustly sentenced to death, He did not plead for His own mercy. He pleaded for the mercy of the ones putting Him to death.

When you’re not sure how to pray, A.C.T.S. gives you a simple path to follow: Adore, Confess, Thank, and Ask.

Adoration: Father, You revealed Your mercy at the cross.

Confession: We do not naturally forgive like Jesus did.

Thanksgiving: Thank You that He asked for forgiveness even for His executioners.

Supplication: Make our hearts more like His.

In Jesus name, Amen

“Open Arms” by gavn!

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See you tomorrow,

Zach | Start With God