Father, Forgive Them, For They Do Not Know What They Do

Good afternoon. Easter Sunday is a few days away. Last Easter, my daughter had the flu, so we stayed home, so we didn’t get anyone else sick. This year, it is a government mandate to stay home, so we don’t get others sick.

Lately, I have been thinking about how people would mock me growing up. They would act nice, and then laugh at me behind my back. I was so naive. I would never do that to anyone else, so I didn’t realize the cruelness in some people’s hearts. Honestly, I still don’t understand it.

When Jesus was brought to trial, Pilate whipped Jesus and afflicted great torture on him. Jesus did not fight back. He could have brought down all the angels in heaven to save him. He didn’t. Why? Jesus loved us so much, that he wanted to die for our sins.

What did we do with his great, abounding love? The soldiers twisted a crown of thorns into his dead and put a purple robe on him. While his head bleed, they decided that wasn’t enough. They started chanting, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then, they struck him and afflicted great pain on him.

Why did the soldiers seek to pile humiliation, on top of humiliation on our savior? It almost sounds like they derived satisfaction from humiliating Jesus.

Pilate even said, “I find no fault in Him.”

The Soldiers Mock Jesus
So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands.

Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.”
–John 19:1-4 (NKJV)

Jesus let us mock him. Jesus let us humiliate him. Jesus loved us so much that he forgave us, as he died on the cross to forgive our sins.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
–Luke 23:34 (NKJV)

Jesus did all of this for us, and we ungratefully mocked him and tortured him. Then, he forgave us anyway. He gave us eternal forgiveness, if we believe.

It is our turn to praise his holy name. Jesus is not ashamed of us, so we should boldly sing our praises to him this Easter!