The Prayers of Jesus Christ, Part 5

NOTE: In honor of Resurrection Day this Sunday, I wanted to repost parts 4 (posted yesterday) and 5 from my Prayers of Jesus Christ series.

The Prayers of Jesus Christ, Part 5

To be technical, one may not consider the last words of Jesus as a prayers. However, He was addressing His father, so I would call them prayers:

(Luke 23:32-34) 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 on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”

All the words and teachings of Jesus Christ are powerful, but none give me chills as much as the words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” He was tortured in a way none of us can fathom, humiliated, broken hearted, and yet, He could look down at the men that had committed such acts and ask His heavenly Father to forgive them? It did not take Him months or years to work through His issues, no He was able to forgive his abusers and forsakers, which included friends, that same day! I know we have all heard many sermons preached on this subject, but can we ever hear it enough? 

Jesus knew his abusers and betrayers were filling prophecy as well as fulfilling His destiny. They were acting according to the plan of God the Father. They may not have realized they were murdering the Son of God and did not understand how their acts had to happen, but they must have known that causing another human being so much pain was wrong! Jesus knew their hearts and I am sure He saw the blackness there, and yet, He still asked God to forgive them! Let me emphasize it again: He did not have to go through years of counseling to get over a rejection complex.  He did not have to wait years for His memories to soften the hurt. No, Jesus was able to forgive them while the splinters of the cross dug into his deep wounds in his back they had caused with their cruel whips. Even while in agonizing pain from the huge nails driven into his hands and feet and the thick thorns sticking into his skull, He could see His torturers in danger of Hellfire and feel compassion for them.

And yet, when someone hurts our feelings, we brood over it for weeks, maybe even months or years? Can we really be so weak and shallow? We need to start praying that the Holy Spirit will enable us to see our fellow men through the eyes of Jesus Christ. I have been praying, "God, please increase my compassion and decrease my criticism." The more we can see people as souls in danger of Hell, and people hurting and in need of a Savior, the less we will hold onto our pride and hurt feelings.

Remember in my previous blog I said that Jesus' last words to His disciples were to remind them to love one another. We need to etch Jesus' words and teachings into our hearts. The next time we want to curse a bad driver, get angry when we don't get the attention we want on social media, someone doesn't say the exact words you expected them to, or some other trivial issue, picture Jesus humbly praying for His tormenters' souls, and maybe we can finally start learning to be less petty! We need to forgive all blunders committed against us and move on, even forgiving the more serious offenses. We need to follow the example of the One who forgave the unforgiveable.

(Mark 11:26) But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”





(John 19:28-30) After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

 
When Jesus said, "It is Finished," He was referring to His time on earth as a man. He had fulfilled what He had come to fulfill. His final act as a man was finished.  He was born to die for our sins, and now that He had shed His blood, we could now be allowed claim His free gift of salvation and ultimately spend eternity with the blessed Trinity. 

Instead of using the words of Jesus Christ, the sacrificial lamb as an excuse to sin (Romans 6:1-2) we should be praising Him for such an amazing love. We can never truly fathom how much He loves His children! We should be on our faces in awe of such a love, not trying to wiggle our ways out of ignoring the commandments (Matthew 19:16-21) and the sins of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17)!

What also is interesting is in the book of Revelation, it mentions that all will be finished after the seventh angel sounds his final trumpet.  The world we know it will be over, and a new one will be created.  This earthly age will be finished, and our hope will be complete as our eternity begins!

(Revelation 10:7) But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished.

(Revelation 21:1-3) And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.

Praise God He gave His Son to endure such a brutal death so we can choose to live righteously and have eternal life with Him! Praise Jesus for such a heart full of compassion that He still asks for forgiveness for those that had abuse Him - you and me! Praise the blessed Trinity that Jesus' acts on earth are finished and yet have scarcely begun! Someday we will be able to thank Him in person for such an awesome sacrifice and blessed future to come!