A Prayer and a Promise (Part 1 of 2)

Someone walks you what your response is to forgive them with a untruthful life will hear how Jesus chose to respond to his tormentors while he was suffering on the cross when the gospel of Luke chapter 23 hears Alastair back to open in prayer we pray that as we study the Bible, we may take our stand firmly upon its truth. We ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to illumine our minds and our understanding we ask you to free us from every distraction and that we might hear from you, the living God and in Jesus name we pray. Amen. I invite you to return to the sources that were read for as earlier in Luke chapter 23 and our focus this morning is on the two words that Luke records for us here, as spoken by Jesus from the cross. One is a prayer in verse 34 and the other is a promise that comes in verse 43.

First of all, in verse 34 Jesus said, father forgive them for they do not know what they are doing all the cries that came from the victims of execution. Surely none was more amazing than this.

The soldiers who probably felt that they had experienced everything that a man could experience in the carrying out of their duties. Soldiers who had grown accustomed to threats and vile abuse coming from those who wear on the receiving end of their caddying out there instructions soldiers who had listen to curses galore must've found themselves looking at one another and saying is he really say forgive them and said one to the other. I believe he's.

Of course, Jesus had instructed his disciples earlier in his ministry. Along these lines, you may recall in Luke six he said love your enemies and pray for those who abuse you. So an actual fight what we discover is that Jesus is simply practicing what he is preach, and indeed this prayer for forgiveness is in keeping with the emphasis which runs through all of Luke's writing.

I'm going to give you four references I'm going to turn each of them. You need to necessarily do so.

But if it's helpful to you then you can follow along.

Luke chapter 1 and verse 77.

I want simply to let you see that this motif of forgiveness is at the very heart of Luke's writing in the song of Zachariah Zachariah.

Speaking of John says are you my child will be called a prophet of the most high, for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him to get his people, the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins right in the very beginning before we have Jesus entering into his preaching and teaching ministry.

This theme is sound, the proclaiming of salvation and the forgiveness of sins. When Jesus then begins to minister. He encounters all kinds of people in different situations and in Luke chapter 7 at the home of a Pharisee where he is and been invited for dinner a dreadful thing takes place at least for the Pharisee for the whole namely a sinful woman shows up. She is apparently a fairly notorious woman and did crashes the party. Not only is she in the room but she then approaches Jesus and engages him in such a way that the host is absolutely appalled and he says to himself, and perhaps to others around him. You know if if this fellow really was a prophet as he says that he would know who this woman is that is approaching him. The influence of course be that he can't possibly be this individual because he wouldn't respond in this way to someone like this, but an actual five Jesus says to her, you know, your sins are forgiven and then in verse 49 the other guests began to say among themselves who is this who even forgives sins. This individual is apparently someone who can forgive sins we thought only God forgive sins out when you go into the acts of the apostles, which is Luke's second book and one that will consider later. I don't he will do it directly. It's probably more than any of us could handle because after 24 chapters of logos than 28 chapters in acts and I think will be about 110 by the time we finished, but when you go into the acts of the apostles, you discover that the motif is still there but if you like in symphonic charms you you have this recurring theme I'm out of my depth to speak like this. Some of you know what I'm attempting to articulate. For example, in the heavenly being over to buy Mendelson Fingal's K you have the thing that goes approximately then lifted than done diluted than them. They deleted items on some like that is about the only bid I know that's why mentioning them to, but it helps me that little part because when it comes again I say hello there it is again. I smiled to myself I say that I like that part daily guide it in Lily's eight and what you discover is that this then comes in and capitulates and recapitulates and does all the things that you're supposed to do and in the same way this theme.

This motif of forgiveness is running all the way through. So by the time you get to ask chapter 5 and verse 31 you have Peter proclaiming God exalted Jesus to his own right hand as Prince and Savior why that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel and then in chapter 10. The very same emphasis. This is the end of all that I'm going to show you here Peter again says he commanded us to preach to the people testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead, then here we have in verse 43 all the prophets testify about that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

You have this motif as I say, which comes at the very start of Luke's writing and runs as a recurring theme is a is an emblem that remains all the way through.

Therefore, it is hardly a surprise to us that Jesus from the cross should pray in this particular fashion. I think this is probably one of the most famous prayers in the world. Even people who don't know very much about prayers may actually know that at some place in time at Jesus of Nazareth said father forgive them that usually the extent of what is Jesus saying when he says father forgiven Izzy say listen, it's okay, father, don't let's worry about this. Let's just let them all. Is this some blanket expression of forgiveness on the part of Jesus that is unrelated to the response of the hearts of men and women will clearly the answer is no and were able to affirm that my reading in the context in which these words are said Jesus is about to give his life expressly to pay the price for sin to open the gateway into heaven. That picture is going to come graphically in a few verses time when the curtain in the temple is torn into declaring entry into the most holy place, but given that he is about to do this. He is praying to his father that those who are involved as the proponents of this atrocity and those who carry it out. And finally, those who stand by idly and watch.

He's asking his father that it may be that by grace. They will be brought to see that he is actually the Savior. They will be brought to see that they are actually in need of a Savior and then they will turn from their sin and discover that their transgressions may be blotted out completely and that their sin may be fully pardoned, thus fulfilling what you have in Isaiah 5312 where it says of the one who is to come, and he made forgiveness or intercession for the transgressors in here Jesus is interceding for the transgressors. I've suggested you in recent weeks of the way to get around all of this are to handle this is by going to the great summary statements that we find in the epistles and let me give you two more in second Corinthians chapter 5. As Paul explains to the Corinthian reading about the nature of alienation between a holy God and sinful man and what Jesus has done in effecting reconciliation.

This is how he puts it, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. Now those two words. As I pointed out to you before and will point out to you on many many subsequent occasions. Those two final words are crucial. What Paul does not say is this God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins. No, not counting men's sins against them. Why because he was counting their sins against him so that he can go on to say in what is fast becoming my favorite verse of the Bible and 21 of two Corinthians 5 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God know when this actually dawns on a mind lays hold upon a life. Stairs are hot then that individual will shift from asserting generic awareness of the potential for forgiveness of sin to the personal testimony, the understanding of the flag that here in the death of Jesus of Nazareth is forgiveness for my sin. So in the song for children.

It is affirmed wounded for me wounded for me.

They are on the cross he was wounded for me gone. My transgressions, and now I am free all because Jesus was wounded for me in a is become a very personal awareness and that's what we're talking about here at Parkside all the time were asking ourselves the question, do I believe do I trust in Christ, or I might simply swimming around in a great sea of religious orthodoxy with the vague hope and aspiration that somehow or another. As a result of the death of Jesus and of his great prayer. Forgiveness that somehow or another I am automatically forgiven and the difference between me and someone who affirms a more fully simply that they have determined to affirm it more fully. But it is equally true of me, my friend.

It is not equally true of you. There's all the difference between an awareness of the individual that you would like to spend the rest of your life with and spending out of the rest of your life for that individual in all kinds of awareness of who they are and their potential in their capacities and their beauty and their friendship and everything else you can write it down in a book you can put it in your journal. You can carry it close to your heart.

But there is a vast between all of that information, and all of that aspiration spending your life in the is very important we understand father forgive them a notice he enters at a special plea for the don't know what they're doing. I find it hard to believe, don't you, they don't know what they're doing because they knew what they were to think in the trunk of the charges they manipulated pilot pilot signing the papers of execution. The soldiers determined to do their business is Jesus really do not know what they're doing well presumably what he saying is this that aware of their actions. They're not aware of the extent and significance of that act. The soldiers aware of the five and here is another victim of execution by the do not realize that their crucifying the Lord of glory and Jesus as he prays in this way is praying that these individuals go about their business. In this way may be brought to understand how long their perspective is, I think this lies at the heart of the dramatic response to Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost. You know you read his sermon of Peter. It's a good sermon refused to say it's not. But is it really that good. What was what he told me said you killed.

You handed them over. You disowned, you killed the author of line recently telling them what they already knew no he's telling them what they didn't know they didn't realize the extent of the significance of what being done and when. By the work of the Holy Spirit dawned on then he said, having been cut to the hot within what should we do and he said well you should repent and turn from your sin and you should be baptized as an indication of your desire to follow Jesus and to set so those who stepped out in faith and in obedience would be able again to affirm a song from my childhood. There's a way back to God. From the dark paths of sin. There's a door that is open. We may go in that Calvary's cross. That's where we begin when we come as a sinner to Jesus seek when John writes about it later. He says if if conditional clause if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

That is a large door swinging on a very small hinge as the late Sybil Baxter used to put this prayer is quite remarkable is not father forgive them. They don't know whether doing a presumably that had gone somehow or another on one of these two criminals. The one to whom, in verse 43, the promises given the promises given in response to his request. In verse 42 will come to that. Let's just focus on this gentleman for a moment if we may this Jack had seen it had enough of Jesus in the past few hours. Apparently to conclude that he was innocent of any crime. Hence, his rebuke to the other criminal in verse 40 don't you fear God, he said to them, shouting is aware through Jesus or over Jesus are behind the head of Jesus, don't you fear God's insured under the same sentence we are punished justly. We are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong. How did this come about, wasn't that in the presence of the holiness of Jesus and all of his purity and his grace.

This man all of a sudden realized how dirty he was. What was it that hinges this tenderness in the heart of somebody was clearly fairly hard-bitten criminal what you say. Must've been hearing Jesus prayer. Jesus is just great father forgive them and must obstruct good X. What is he the only one who heard the print know both of them had so they both hear the same words of Christ and the respondent, I know not how the spirit moves convincing men and women of sin and revealing Jesus through the war and creating faith in him.

I don't know how it happens, the wind blows where it will hear the sound of it, you can't tell where it's coming from.

You don't really know what it's going socially.

Jesus is everyone who is born of the Spirit of God.

There is a ministry and this is not a mechanism is not an evangelical process. This man doesn't fit this man's conversion doesn't fit the standard package doesn't the things you're told to do in the way you're supposed to get there and the things you're supposed to understand all the mechanism.

This fellow has it all wrong.

The first criminal regarding the cross is a contradiction. He was with the crowd. If this Messiah was genuine. He would be on a cross. The second criminal so the cross is a confirmation because he's on the cross, he must be the Savior. Remember we said last time that the attitude of the first fellow was essentially if you get me out of my guy lamb I'll believe in you. You get me office cross I'll become your follower. I have a problem.

I have a dilemma I have felt need deal with my felt need and I will follow you save yourself and save us pretty routine. That's normal was God ever done for me either something for me. I'll do something for him.

Why should I believe in him that's what we listen to all the time. It's a perfectly understandable question is a very story.

Conclusion the second man you see, he now realizes that his predicament is different from what the two of them formerly thought it will go to Miami on a cross, not in sync.

General problem can we do but listen to this. We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve the sisters friend but this man has done nothing wrong. Remarkable isn't how somebody in the final stages of their life should be processing information so well.

I wonder did he mean by this. You know this is what supposed to happen to you if your arrival and of the state. This is supposed to happen to you if you're a terrorist is that many say you know this man.

It doesn't done anything. The charges against him were trumped up charges against eyes were legitimate. Therefore, it is legitimate that we guides illegitimate that he died and is probably deeper than that. The first criminal essentially makes a demand upon Jesus for what he thinks he deserves the second criminal makes a request to Jesus for what he knows he doesn't desire, let me say that to you again because on this hinges the difference between believing faith and religious hopefulness first individual makes a demand upon Jesus for what he believes he deserves second individual makes a request of Jesus for what he knows he doesn't. There is a critical distinction between saving faith and religious hopefulness and we need to understand that from part one of today's message titled a prayer and the promise on Truth for Life with Alister egg Easter is just a couple weeks away. You might find yourself being asked the question why did Jesus have to die so I want to encourage you to request the book were recommending the book called the cross in four words does a great job of explaining how sin entered the world the temporary provision God made for sin in the Old Testament and then how Jesus sacrifice on the cross has paid the penalty for sin once and for all in the cross, and four words you'll study for themes that explain all Jesus accomplished on the cross you learn how these themes were foreshadowed in the Old Testament as far back as the books of Exodus and Leviticus the book the cross in four words is quick, it's easy to read, but it's packed with profound insight comes highly recommended from Alister requester copy of the book today when you give to support the Bible teaching of this program. Your donation helps bring Truth for Life to people all around the world through radio online through our mobile app you're giving also helps make Alister's entire online library completely free to access.

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Thanks for joining us to be with us again tomorrow as we continue our study, the gospel of Luke. Learning about two vastly different ways people respond to God's grace.

The Bible teaching of Alister Beck is furnished by Truth for Life Learning is for Living