![]() ![]() The Jewish leaders had deceived them into believing that Jesus was a fake and a troublemaker (Acts 3:17). The mob didn’t really know whom they were trying to destroy. ![]() They didn’t know that they were killing the Son of God (see 1 Corinthians 2:8). This was how they normally treated condemned men, and they believed that He truly deserved it. The soldiers personally held no ill will toward Him. The sinners who put Jesus on the cross were ignorant of the true import of their actions. Jesus, the persecuted, prayed for His persecutors.Ĭoupled with the willingness of Jesus to forgive His tormentors is the fact that they did not know what they were doing (Luke 23:34). Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them,” because He was putting into practice the principle He had taught in the Sermon on the Mount: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43–44). Today, risen and glorified, Jesus remains the “one mediator between God and mankind” (1 Timothy 2:5). From the cross, Jesus interceded for sinners. Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them,” because He was fulfilling Old Testament prophecy: “He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). The words “Father, forgive them” show the merciful heart of God. It does mean that Jesus was willing to forgive them-forgiveness was, in fact, the reason He was on the cross. It is important to note that Jesus’ prayer, “Father, forgive them,” does not mean that everyone was forgiven, unilaterally, without repentance and faith. Jesus asked forgiveness for the angry mob that had mocked Him and called for His crucifixion (Mark 15:29–30). He asked the Father to forgive the Roman soldiers who had mocked Him, spit on Him, beat Him, yanked out His beard, whipped Him, put a crown of thorns on His head, and nailed Him to the cross. He asked the Father to forgive the thieves on the cross who jeered at Him. Even in His agony, Jesus’ concern was for the forgiveness of those who counted themselves among His enemies. ![]()
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