Forgiving Enemies

By Pastor Randy Jenkins, April 05, 2020

Of the statements of Christ on the three are and the other four are directed to those in .

The statements in reverse order:

  1. “Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your I commit my !’ And having said this he breathed his last.’” (Luke 23:46)
  2. “When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, ‘It is , and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.’” (John 19:30)
  3. “After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said, to fulfill the Scripture, ‘I .’” (John 19:28)
  4. “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ That is, ‘My God, my God, why have you me?’” (Matthew 27:46)
  5. “When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold your !’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your !’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:26-27)
  6. “And he said to him, ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in .’” (Luke 23:43)
  7. “And Jesus said, ‘Father, them, for they know not what they do. And they cast lots to divide his garments.’” (Luke 23:34)

“In the manifesto of his our Lord had said, your , them that you, do to them that you, and for them that use you and you. Now he is putting his own into .” (J. Oswald Sanders)

  1. “Jesus said” is in the imperfect tense which should be rendered “Jesus kept on saying.”

  2. Three times He references the object of his prayer: “Them, They, and They”
    Luke 23:35-39; Isaiah 53:12; & I Peter 2:23
    In essence they were saying, “We have broken his , now let us break his .

  3. Acts 3:17; I Corinthians 2:8; and I Timothy 1:13

  4. Matthew 9:6 & Hebrews 7:25

  5. Every act of forgiveness requires the involvement of two parties: One who and the one who (made available and availed).
    Grounds – The sacrificial of Christ on our behalf
    Bounds – Offer of to enemies based on repentance and belief
    “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ”(Romans 5:8)

“Though subjected to unspeakable , though suffering excruciating , though , , and , nevertheless, he cries, Father, them. That was the triumph of .” (Arthur Pink)

Hallelujah! What A Savior!