ルカによる福音書23:32-38 Luke 23:32-38,

Jesus was captured by the Jewish leaders and handed over to the Roman governor. He was then taken with two criminals to a place of execution outside the walls of Jerusalem called Golgotha. Golgotha means “Skull.” This is probably because it was a small hill like a human skull. Jesus was then crucified with the two criminals. Jesus was crucified in the middle, one criminal on his right and the other on his left.

How terrible must the pain of crucifixion have been, since thick nails were driven into the hands and feet of the crucifixion victims and they were placed on the wood of the cross. And even more painful than the pain was the humiliation that Jesus had to endure, being executed as a sinner against God’s teachings, even though he was sinless. And then he would die exhausted from the intense pain of body and mind, bleeding from his wounds, hunger and thirst. How agonising! According to Mark’s Gospel, when Jesus was crucified, he cried out with a loud voice, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)

So did Jesus die resenting those who crucified him and God the Father who allowed people to do so? He did not. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is the prayer from Psalm 22 in the Old Testament. It was only because he sincerely believed in God in the midst of his suffering that he was able to pray to God, “Why have you forsaken me?” Therefore, the last words Jesus cried out on the cross were a prayer of trust in God, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” (Luke 23:46)

And in verse 34 of today’s Bible passage, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” By “them” he means those who want to kill him by crucifying him. Can we, ordinary people, pray for those who want to kill us, “Father, forgive them”? No, we can’t! Because Jesus was the Son of God, he was sincerely obedient to the mission given to him by God the Father to die on the cross. It is not that he took up the cross because he had to, but in his heart he cursed God who gave him such a duty and those who crucified him and killed him. Jesus went to the cross because he sincerely hoped that by going to the cross and making atonement for people’s sins, they would be forgiven for their sins and saved. Therefore, on the cross, He prayed, “Father, forgive them” so that their sins could be forgiven.

When you read the Bible in this way, you realise how precious the cross of Jesus is. In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, there are words that prophesy the cross of Jesus: “the LORD makes his life an offering for sin” (NIV 2011 Isaiah 53:10). Because Jesus made himself a precious atoning offering, we can live with forgiveness of sins. We want to believe in this precious Jesus and follow him.