"Word of Forgiveness" by Rod Bayley, 23 March 2008 Easter Message 9:30 AM, Luke 23:26-34

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Corrie Ten Boom, who wrote the famous book ‘The hiding place,’ was
held in a German concentration camp during WWII. She was humiliated
and degraded, particularly by the leering shower guards, not to
mention the appalling physical conditions. But unlike her sister she
survived the experience, and thought eventually that she had by grace
forgiven her guards. So she preached forgiveness, speaking at various
places throughout the U.S. and Europe, including one Sunday in Munich,
Germany.

After the talk as she was greeting people, she saw a man come toward
her, hand outstretched: “Fraulein, it is wonderful that Jesus forgives
us all our sins, just as you say.” She remembered his face - it was
the leering, mocking face of an SS guard of the shower stall. Her
hand froze by her side. She thought she had forgiven all, but she
could not forgive when she met a guard in the flesh. Ashamed,
horrified at herself, she prayed, ‘Lord forgive me, I cannot forgive.’
And as she prayed she felt forgiven, in spite of her shabby
performance as a famous forgiver. Her hand was suddenly unfrozen and
went out.

Well, we might think her response was impressive, but as we consider
Christ’s words as he hung dying; ‘Father forgive them; for they do not
know what they are doing’, surely we are astounded. Here is the
sinless Christ praying for sinners who had opposed him, and who had
now hung him on a barbaric cross to die. In this text the ‘them’ for
whom Jesus intercedes includes both Romans and Jews - that is, those
who had been strangely drawn together in their opposition of Jesus.
Responding first to his crucifixion in this section is Jesus himself.
In his mind, his horrible and humiliating condition in no way
jeopardizes his relationship with God the Father, who he continues to
address as Father. Even in the midst of his execution he points us to
God’s mercy. In death Jesus is ministering for others, putting into
practice his own instructions.

He had said in Luke 6:27b-28, “Love your enemies, do good to those who
hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat
you.” And now as he hangs bleeding and dying on a wooden cross, he
prays for all those who have opposed him, sought his death and are now
killing him. As the Creator dies at the hands of his own creatures,
he seeks their forgiveness - they have no idea what they are doing.

He is not a victim though, taken unaware and showing surprising grace
towards his enemies. It was his Father’s plan that he should die for
us. He had come for this agonizing moment, and that is why he acts
and speaks as one in control, even when things are seemingly out of
control. Rather than thinking about himself, he is praying for those
he came to save, for those who have rejected him, who hate him. Here
is Jesus acting as our mediator - claiming forgiveness of sin.

Of course the irony is that his death was the payment for our sins,
the basis for our forgiveness which he was then seeking for his
contemporaries. Luke presents Jesus as the Saviour - his death was not
the penalty for his sins, for he had none. And so the question is
this: ‘If it was not his own sins which nailed him to the Cross, then
what did?’ Well, it is my sin, my rejection of God, which only God
can forgive.