Grace and Forgiveness at the Cross (4/5)

Grace and Forgiveness at the Cross

“When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.”

Viktor E. Frankl M.D., Ph.D., psychiatrist, author and World War II holocaust survivor

Luke 23: 26-34

v. 34 Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.

1. Father
   • Do you see the way He addressed God? In the midst of His most intense trial, what came out of his mouth was “Father”
   • “Father” signifies closeness and trust (even though He was hurting, feeling lonely, separated from God, he chose to say “Father”)
   • Your view of God will determine the course of your whole life! Here are a few different ways we can see God:
     Genesis 3:4-5 What did Satan attack in the Garden? He attacked her view of God.
     Matthew 25:24 …I knew you were a hard man…
     Luke 15:29 Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me… (never gave me this or that, I’ve served you all these years, compared what he got to what his brother got, envy in his heart. Do you hear his warped view of his father?)
     Luke 15:17-20 How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare and I’m here starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father… (positive view of his father)
2. Forgive
   forgive – “to give up resentment against or the desire to punish.” It means to release the person.
   Col 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
   How do you respond when you’re wronged?
   • If someone cuts in front of you in traffic (anger)
   • If husband does something (hurt feelings)
   • Children do something (react in frustration, etc.)
   • We become hurt, angry, bitter, irritated, feel sorry for ourselves, want to be right, want revenge, etc.
   
   1 Peter 2:19-25 He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly
   (There is someone who judges justly, and it isn’t us)
   • He entrusted Himself to God (it’s safe to entrust yourself to God. He’s perfect, loves you and He judges justly

   v. 24 By His wounds you have been healed

   (God can heal our wounds, so that we can extend compassion and
   forgiveness to others)

3. Them
   • Who do you need to forgive in your life? (There are the daily thems and the more long term thems)
   • Who are the thems in your life?
   Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that we are not tempted beyond what we can bear…
   • when you’re wronged, you suffer
   • when bad things happen to you, you suffer
   • there are different types of suffering (health issues, children’s health, financial struggles, marriage challenges, relationship issues, dealing with loss, temptation & our own sin, etc.)
   Heb 2:5-11 Jesus was made perfect through suffering
   • If Jesus was perfected through suffering, don’t you think we will be as well?!
   • Suffering is a normal part of the Christian life
   Romans 8:17 Now if we are children, the we are heirs – heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.
4. For they Know not What they Do
   • Jesus extended mercy and grace while on the cross
   • He released them (for they know not what they do)
   • He was able to overcome His own sense of hurt and pain, to give others what they needed
   • He didn’t have a desire for revenge, or for them “to get theirs”
   1 Peter 2:23b He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly
   • He entrusted Himself to God during the cross and after the cross
   • After His resurrection, you don’t hear Him talking to the apostles about how he was wronged and treated unfairly!
   • He moved on with His life
   • We need to do the same
   • Forgiveness is life giving (Example – a lack of forgiveness is like the arteries in our heart being clogged up. Blood doesn’t flow freely and properly.)