Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
The words have astounded the world for nearly two millennia. They are a miracle in themselves. We are still trying to understand:
How could a Man who is being cruelly crucified pray for those murdering Him? Murder was not unknown; crucifixion was all too common in the Roman Empire. What had never been known in history was a victim praying for the forgiveness of His crucifiers. Jesus repeated His prayer over and over: "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34; present ongoing tense, Greek). When the apostles fanned out proclaiming Good News everywhere, this detail riveted the attention of the Roman world.
Was Jesus' prayer answered? For the pagan Romans who were doing the job, it seems that at least one, maybe even two or three of them, did repent. There was the centurion whose heart testified, "Truly this was the Son of God" (Matt. 27:54), and maybe the soldiers who kindly gave Him a drink when He cried out that He was thirsty. But did any of the Pharisees and Sadducees and council members who voted "crucify Him" have a change of heart? We don't know of any.
The apostle Paul fills in the detail for us (Rom. 5:15-18): Yes, the Father heard and answered that prayer. He didforgive them all. He did forgive the world for rejecting and crucifying His Son (includes you and me). The Roman centurion received the forgiveness, and we trust will be saved eternally. The Jewish leaders were forgiven no less, but they did not receive the gift. None will at last die the second death for crucifying Jesus; those who die that death will die because of their hard-hearted unbelief in rejecting what the Father gave them.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: June 1, 2002.
Copyright © 2014 by "Dial Daily Bread."
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