Key Verse: Luke 23:34
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”
- What do you say to someone when they have said something about you to someone else?
- How about if someone does something to make you loose your job?
- What is your reaction when someone rejects you?
- How would you feel if someone hurt someone in your family?
- How would you react if your best friend was murdered?
Jesus tells us we need to forgive the people who offend us. (Mt. 18)
Forgiveness is a hard thing to learn about and do, but Jesus taught us how. Let us take a look at the power of His forgiveness:
Matthew tells us (in Mt. 26:67-68) that they spit in his face, jeered, slapped and banged Him around.
Luke states (in Luke 23:11-12) that, being mightily offended, Herod turned on Jesus with his soldiers joining in taunting and jeering Him and (in verses 63-65) that they poked fun at Jesus, slapping Him around and taunted Him.
Matthew shows how Jesus was rejected (Mt. 27:22) when “They all shouted, "Nail him to a cross!"
After this Matthew shares that Pilate’s soldiers weaved a crown of thorns and put it on His head, then they mocked Him, spit on Him and struck him on the head with a staff. (Mt. 27:29-30)
Next they crucified Him (nailing Him to the cross). (Mt. 27:35; Rom. 6:6)
If this all was not enough to hurt, offend and shame Him, Luke tells us that they even gambled over His clothes all the while making faces and taunting Him. (Luke 23:34-36)
“And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
With all this done to Him, He CHOSE to forgive. He asked His Father, God, to forgive as well. The key to forgiveness is choosing to forgive. The power of forgiveness is in Jesus Himself.
If He forgave these grave injustices done to Him through the pain of the beatings and the cross, what right do we have to hold any un-forgiveness toward anyone? We have no right to hold un-forgiveness, none what-so-ever. Jesus commanded us to forgive (Mt. 6 & Mt. 18) yet, how can we truly forgive when we are still hurting? We cannot, but Jesus can.
In mission school I was taught to see how powerful forgiveness was through how Jesus forgave from the cross. I was taught to get off by myself and:
- Ask the Lord to forgive me for my anger and resentment
- Ask Him to enable me to forgive the person who had hurt me
- Say out loud, “__________, you hurt me and I do not feel like forgiving you, but I choose to forgive you. By the same power the Lord Jesus forgave with from the cross, I choose to forgive you.”
- I was to say this as many times as needed until the point where the person who offended me could walk into the room and I would feel no anger or animosity toward them. (Mt. 18:22 – seventy times seven!)
So, if someone offends you, please do not wait until they come and apologize to forgive them. Do it now. Do it now!
