Forgiveness

 N.T.#656 "Forgiveness"

Oct. 22, 2025 

Luke 23-Part 5 

LET IT GLOW

Friend, have you received forgiveness of your sins? Jesus loves us so much that He provided a way so we can be forgiven.

As they led the beaten Jesus uphill through the city gate, up to Golgotha, people were following, and women were lamenting Him. It was like a funeral procession. 

What did Jesus say to the crowd of mourners?

• The Savior told them to not weep for Him, but weep for themselves and their children. (verse 28)
• Judgment is coming for the nation of Israel for rejecting the Messiah.  
• During the Tribulation, it would be better to have no children so mothers would not see them suffer. (verse 29)
• He quotes Hosea 10:8, describing the terrible day when people would prefer a horrendous death to divine judgment. (verse 30)
• Those who conspired against the Christ would have judgment fall upon them. Like dry wood burns and green wood does not, Their consequences were going to be severe. (verse 31)

Rejecting the glorious gift of salvation is the worse thing one can do. Judgment awaits them, then hell for eternity.  On the other hand, asking Jesus to be your Savior and repenting of sin, provides an indescribable glorious forever time in heaven. 

Where will you spend eternity?

LET IT GROW

We read about the first 3 hours of the crucifixion of Jesus in verses 33b-43. In verse 34, Jesus prays, 

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. 

Here was Jesus in excruciating pain and He intercedes for His executioners before the Father God. 

MacArthur puts it this way:

Jesus' tormentors were both Jews and Romans. (Acts 7:60) They didn't deserve forgiveness. They were blind to the light of divine truth, For had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. (1 Cor. 2:8)

Some of the fruit of this prayer would be in the salvation of thousands in Jerusalem at Pentecost. (Acts 2:41)

The imperfect tense of the verb "was saying" suggests He prayed throughout the process. (Swindoll)

As Christ and the martyr Stephen, we must be so controlled by the Spirit that in our darkest hour we will be able to speak these words and mean them. (Falwell)

LET IT GO

Jesus paid it all.

All to Him I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain.

He washed it white as snow.

O, what a Savior!