Forgiveness and Family
King of the Jews • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Normally, I try to give you some story, illustration, or some kind of funny tale to get your mind and heart ready for the message. For the next three weeks, this story does not need any of that. For the next three weeks, we will be going through our Lord and Saviors death, burial and Resurrection. For the next three weeks, we will be looking at the very reason we call ourselves blood bought born again Christians. For the next three weeks, it is my prayer that as we look at Christ’s words from the cross and look into an empty tomb, it brings us closer to the foot of the cross and when we look up we see a risen Savior.
I love this season as a church because we get to look at one of the greatest stories ever told. It is a story that Christians and non-Christians know. It is this reason also why it is so hard to preach. Why? Because everyone comes in with a preconceived understanding of the direction of the sermon. We have all seen the movies. Matter of fact, last year we played Passion of the Christ here at church. But church I am asking you right now, clear your mind and heart and look upon this with fresh eyes. Like a child that has never seen or heard of the cross or the tomb.
He called a small child and had him stand among them. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me.
So right now I am going to ask you to close your eyes and see this picture.
Today we are standing on holy ground.
Today we stand before the cross of Jesus Christ.
At the cross, we see the Master of heaven and earth as He hangs between two thieves.
We see the soldiers. We see the swelling crowd and we hear their mocking shouts.
Picture in your mind as Jesus hangs from the cross. See His crown of thorns. See the nails in His hands and feet. And as you see Him, see the moment when He pushes up on His feet and with every ounce of His strength, He ushers forth these final words for us who are at the cross.
We see the cross stained with the royal blood of Christ. We see the darkness of the sky and we hear the cracking of the boulders as the ground shakes.
Everything we see and hear at the cross plays a vital role in the crucifixion. Every part and every moment at the cross has a story and a message to tell.
Think about this; in the six hours that Jesus hung from the cross. In those six hours, He spoke only seven times and in those final words, Jesus gives us a picture of God and what it means to live our lives for the glory of eternity.
But today, as we approach the cross, I want you to open up your heart and hear the final words of Jesus.
Every breathe was a struggle and of all that He could have said from the cross, these are the final words He chose for us to hear. And hear them we must.
Please open your eyes and let us pray.
Lord, I apologize now for the pathetic job I am about to do. For there is no way I can adequately covey your life changing powerful words You spoke on the cross. Your words are packed with eternal power that my accent can not do justice to. But I know we can not get to the tomb with hearing your words you spoke from the cross. Please guide my tongue and Holy Spirit give me strength as I try to give this message. Please let these words you spoke touch the heart, mind and lives to those around us. In your precious and Holy name.
Then he handed him over to be crucified.
Then they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by himself, he went out to what is called Place of the Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him and two others with him, one on either side, with Jesus in the middle. Pilate also had a sign made and put on the cross. It said: Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.
No matter how we view history, there is absolutely no way we can bypass the cross.
The cross of Jesus Christ is the not only the dividing line of history but the dividing line of eternity.
There is nothing more important than for you to see the cross, to know the power of the cross and to embrace the message of the cross.
To understand the power of the words that Jesus spoke from the cross, we must understand the power of the cross itself.
For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.
if you are to hear the words Jesus spoke from the cross, then you must personally go to the cross.
The message of the cross is a personal message that speaks to every person of every generation, and that includes you. It is a personal experience.
The world does not understand it and rejects the meaning and power of the cross.
The world avoids the cross, while the believer embraces the cross and its message of love and salvation.
With these thoughts in mind, we are now ready to hear the words of Jesus from the cross.
Last words can be very important. Last words sometimes sum up the life that person has lived. For example:
John Polycarp who was a disciple of John was told if he would renounce Christ his life would be spared. In his final words, Polycarp said, “86 years have I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”
D. L. Moody, the great evangelist said in his final words, “I see earth receding and heaven is opening. God is calling me.”
There are great men of history who spoke their final words, but the greatest words ever spoken in the final moments are the words of Jesus.
The first words that we have from Jesus on the cross were words of forgiveness.
Two others—criminals—were also led away to be executed with him. When they arrived at the place called The Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided his clothes and cast lots.
The people stood watching, and even the leaders were scoffing: “He saved others; let him save himself if this is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him. They came offering him sour wine and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”
An inscription was above him: This Is the King of the Jews.
Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
But the other answered, rebuking him: “Don’t you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment? We are punished justly, because we’re getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
And he said to him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Here we have the first two statements Christ spoke from the cross and it is words of forgiveness and salvation.
When I look at how Jesus lived His life, it does not surprise me that His first words from the cross would be the words of a prayer directed at those who hated Him and crucified Him. Jesus lived a life of prayer and in His final hours He continues to pray, not for Himself but for others.
As He hung on the cross and heard their mocking voices, He prayed, “Father, forgive them.”
He could have prayed, “Father, judge them, or Father, avenge Me.” But He didn’t.
Instead, He prayed “Father, forgive them.”
forgiveness is to give grace to someone who does not deserve it.
Think about this; at this critical moment, as heaven is silent and as the angels of heaven watch, they hear Jesus pray, but He does not pray for His loved ones or for His disciples, but for His enemies.
Jesus who had every right to condemn His enemies, instead chose to pray for them and to forgive them.
“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,
We see Christ living out what He taught. So much so, that these two criminals that were cursing Him, when one saw that He was innocent called out and Christ forgave Him. Not a disciple, not a follower, not family. Someone just a few moments before was telling Him off.
I believe there is a vital reason why Jesus spoke these words first.
These words are the gateway by which we enter into the kingdom of God.
Without forgiveness there can be no salvation, which is the very reason why God sent Jesus, His only Son to the cross.
Can you imagine what the crowd must have thought when they heard Jesus speak these words? Instead of cursing them, instead of calling upon the angels of heaven to deliver Him, instead of begging for His life, He instead prays for God to forgive them.
The fact that these are Jesus first words from the cross tells us just how important forgiving others is to the heart of God.
“For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.
There is great eternal power in forgiveness.
The most powerful demonstration that you can give of your commitment to be like Jesus and follow Him, is when you forgive others as Christ has forgiven you.
That is probably the most desperate message that America needs to hear.
Jesus not only forgave those who were there that day at the cross.
The power of His prayer and the power of His blood surpasses time and space and still to
this day brings forgiveness and gives eternal life to all who call upon His Name and believe.
That means today, if you will come to the cross of Jesus Christ and believe in His power to forgive sin, your sins, all of your sins can be instantly and forever forgiven.
When Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them,” He was not only praying for the crowd that day, He was also praying for all people of every generation, including you and me, who look to the cross and have the courage to believe that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation.
Because of Jesus prayer, God answered in a mighty way. These same men who mocked Jesus and called for His crucifixion, most would experience the great forgiveness
of God and became followers of Christ.
If God can forgive them of such terrible depth of sin, then He can also forgive you.
That is the power of Jesus prayer to forgive. And that same power of forgiveness is available to you today. All you have to do is ask and believe.
Here’s my point. God answered Jesus prayer to forgive. And perhaps you are praying for someone to come to Christ. Perhaps you have witnessed to them or you have brought them to church and yet they appear to be completely uninterested in spiritual things.
Don’t give up. Keep on praying. Keep on praying and ask God to bring the message of His forgiveness into their lives.
Because family and friends are so important. Christ even in the state He was in; still remembered He was to honor His mother.
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.
From His viewpoint on the cross, Jesus sees the Roman soldiers. He sees the crowd and the Priests who are there to mock Him. But most importantly, standing near Him, He also sees five people that are dear to His heart.
Picture Jesus looking out at the crowd and He sees these five. Just five… five…
Where are the others? Where are the ones He called to follow Him? Where is Peter who said He would die with Him?
He sees only these five who have the faith and the courage to stand with Him at the cross. He sees these five who dare to stand close to the cross knowing that their closeness to Christ could result in their arrest and death.
These five stood at the cross. These five heard Jesus speak His famous last words. These five experienced the cross of Jesus Christ.
There is a message here that speaks of those who would dare to draw near to Christ even
at great cost and of those who do not. You are either following Christ and seeking Him, or you are not. We can talk about the cross; we can sing about the cross; but to experience the truth and power of the cross, you must go to the cross and stand in the presence of the cross.
It is only in the presence of the cross that you hear the ringing hammering of the nails. Only at the cross could you have heard the dull thud when the cross was dropped into a deep hole. Only at the cross can you hear the final words of Jesus.
To experience the cross, you have to go to the cross and determine for yourself who is this man on the middle cross.
And that brings us to this life changing question that comes to us from the cross; just how close are you willing to get to the cross? How close?
How close are you willing to get to the cross?
Are you willing to risk your life to stand so close to the cross that His blood spills on you? Are you willing to face the ridicule and scorn of the world so that you can stand close to the cross of Christ?
It takes more than just being at the cross. There were many soldiers who stood in the presence and shadow of the cross and were completely clueless and unmoved by what they saw.
I realize that when you first read this and hear it, you immediately think this has nothing to do with me. These words are between Jesus and His mother. But that’s only what it looks like when you first read it.
These words of Jesus to His mother reveal a great truth of an eternal purpose for every follower of Christ.
Picture in your mind as Jesus mother and those with her make their way through the crowd to stand near the cross. See her as she watches the soldiers crucify her beloved Son.
Mary’s heart was pierced when Herod killed the children of Bethlehem because of Jesus.
Mary’s heart was pierced at the whispers that Jesus was conceived in shame.
Mary’s heart was pierced when Jesus brothers rejected Him and mocked Him.
Mary’s heart was pierced when Jesus hometown rejected Him and wanted to throw Him off a cliff.
Finally, at the cross, the sword slices through her heart as she watches Jesus suffer on the cross.
When Mary lifts her eyes to the cross, remembers when she would kiss His brow that was
now covered in thorns and blood.
She remembers the moments when she held His little hands, the same hands that were now nailed to the cross for her salvation.
She remembers the time when He said to her, “My hour has not yet come.” Now as she watches Him struggle on the cross, she realizes this is the hour He spoke of.
The first thing that grips my heart regarding Jesus words, is that His words to Mary are words of comfort, and not only are they meant for her, but for everyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Jesus gives us an example of our God given responsibility to our blood family.
God knows how messy it can get in a family. The family Jesus grew up in was not a perfect family, and yet He did not use that as an excuse. His brothers were not at the cross. They did not believe in Him. And it was a source of conflict between them.
And knowing the sorrow and suffering His mother was experiencing, He says to John, the beloved disciple, "Behold your mother!"
John and Mary are not blood related. John is not the son of Mary and yet Jesus gives John the honor to care for Mary. On a physical level Jesus is making sure that His mother is cared for. And that is very important but there is much greater meaning here.
Through these powerful words from the cross, not only is Jesus demonstrating the importance of caring for our earthly family, but more importantly He is demonstrating
that when we become members of His Kingdom, we also become members of His
eternal family.
Mary and John had one great thing in common; they both loved and believed in Jesus Christ and because of that, they were more than just friends; they were members of the same eternal family.
The moment you become a believer in Christ, you immediately become a member of a
great eternal family.
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel, who will not receive a hundred times more, now at this time—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and eternal life in the age to come.
Our spiritual, eternal family will consist of people of every race, from every nation, and of every language on earth. Just as we have no control over the family we are born into, neither do we have any control as to whom will be in our kingdom family.
No one would have thought that the thief on the cross next to Jesus. A scoundrel, a blasphemer, someone who did not deserve to be forgiven was brought into the kingdom family.
So until Jesus returns, let us love one another and care for one another just Jesus called John to care for Mary.
That is the will of God for our lives as believers in Christ. We are to forgive each other and care for each other until Jesus returns.
But the first step is to come to the cross and ask for forgiveness and care from our Savior Jesus Christ.