Jesus is heading up Calvary’s hill, beat half to death, bloody, weakened and he reaches the top only to be laid down and nailed to the cross and then raised high and dropped with a thud in the hole prepared for his tree. And then it happened, he saw them in full view. The ones who screamed for his death. The ones who had been purposely plotting since he raised Lazarus to put him away, for good. They had managed in a short few days to turn public opinion so vehemently against him that the same people who earlier in the week had thought he was come to be their King were screaming in unison for his head.
But here's what trips me up. When Jesus looked full in
their rage filled faces he said “Father forgive them for they know not what they
do”. Really?! They had been plotting, even with the devil himself getting
involved, really?! They “know not what
they do”? Not so fast Jesus, don't you dare let them off the hook like that. They
knew exactly what they were doing. And they don't deserve to be forgiven at
all. They deserve death not some pass like they didn’t know what was up.
But Jesus was right about them. He always is. Did you ever
think about what he was saying. The Bible
reminds us “we don't wrestle against flesh and blood”, there is something else
going on, something spiritual, something other than, bigger than just what you and
I are seeing. The Bible tells us when we show people the truth we are setting
the captive free. The devil has taken them captive to do his will.
Listen dear friends who were abused as a child or date
raped or who got addicted to a drug or lost in a physical affair with someone
else's spouse. Is it possible that the
devil was using you to steal, kill and destroy you, to wreak havoc on your family,
to destroy generations to come?
We see people day after day that in their innocence the
devil used an uncle or neighbor to destroy their soul and when they finally
face this deep wound they almost cannot
forgive. Are you kidding me!? Let him
off the hook? He ruined thirty years of my life?!
Friend, if you can hear the words of Jesus today and
realize that they were used by Satan to destroy you, that they were blind and dead
and wicked and yes, RESPONSIBLE but
could it be that we could see it from Jesus’ perspective...
Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.
Help us Lord, help us see.
