September 3 Do You Know?

Luke 23:34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
 
THE Old Testament prophets sometimes called for God’s vengeance against their persecutors. The much-maligned prophet Jeremiah, for example, called out to God “You understand, O Lord; remember me and care for me. Avenge me on my persecutors. You are long-suffering – do not take me away; think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.” (Jeremiah 15:15) “Father, forgive them.” was far from his heart. It was common, too, for people executed under God’s law to confess, “May my death atone for all my sins.” They sought forgiveness for their own sins that had condemned them.
    But the sinless, suffering Savior neither prayed God’s vengeance on the Jews; nor, did the perfect Lamb of God have reason to confess. Instead, he displayed God’s high, wide, deep and long love when he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” How great is the father’s love that even before we know of our sin and understand our Savior, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)   
    No, they do not know. The unknowing Jewish authorities were without mercy for the Merciful Savior. Heart-hardened Roman soldiers gambled for his clothes. John describes the robe as a seamless, woven garment, which was the only thing of value Jesus possessed as a man. How pitiful it is for one to profit from another’s death. How greedy we are to gamble for things that do not belong to us. How true it is in our world that so many of us don’t know what we are doing when we crucify God’s grace for personal gain. Pursuing material measures of wealth will keep us from grasping Jesus’ wondrous, rich forgiveness.
    Yes, we are born the same as those before Jesus that day. None of us know of our sins, the Father’s justice and the Son’s salvation until the Holy Spirit mercifully reveals the gospel to us. How grand and glorious it is, then, to now know, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17) Remember, Jesus’ death is not to condemn the guilty. It is, instead, a sacrifice to forgive the guilty who confess their sins. John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
    In the Bible God has given to mankind the true knowledge of God and man’s need for God. We do know what we’re doing when we deny Christ and the gospel teachings. No longer do we have an excuse. Instead, we have “the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (John 14:6) In Jesus’ forgiveness, the cross, then, graciously becomes mankind’s means to follow the Way into eternal life.
    Know what you are doing. Follow Jesus.
     
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for your submissive, loving purpose to atone for my sin. I pray, Holy Spirit, you will teach me to know what I am doing. Amen.