The Seven Sayings from the Cross: #2 — "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

Welcome back to our series, “The Seven Sayings from the Cross.” In our last study, we discussed Christ’s cry on the cross: “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Now, we turn to words of mercy spoken in the midst of cruelty in Luke 23:34:

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

As nails pierced His hands and soldiers mocked His name, the first sound from the Savior’s lips was not a cry for justice but a prayer for grace.

The scene was one of horror. The soldiers had just gambled for His garments, the crowd shouted insults, and religious leaders sneered in triumph. Yet while hatred filled the air, Jesus uttered a prayer: “Father, forgive them.”

No one asked for forgiveness. No one showed remorse. Still, Christ interceded for the guilty. Isaiah 53:12 foretold this moment:

“He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Even as He fulfilled prophecy, He revealed the heart of God: a heart that forgives before we even know our need.

Jesus did not excuse their sin, but He acknowledged their ignorance: “They know not what they do.”

The soldiers saw only a condemned man, not the Lamb of God. The priests saw only a threat to their authority, not the fulfillment of their Scriptures. The crowd saw only spectacle, not salvation.

Their ignorance did not make them innocent, but it made His intercession all the more astonishing. Romans 5:8 explains it perfectly:

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

If He could pray for His executioners, He can surely forgive the sinner who comes to Him today. In that prayer, the door of grace was flung open to the world. The same forgiveness Jesus prayed for on the cross was preached by His apostles after the resurrection. What Jesus asked the Father to do, the Father did, and He offered forgiveness to all who would believe.

The first word from the cross was a word of forgiveness because that is where salvation begins. Before the sinner ever called upon God, the Son of God called upon the Father for the sinner.

His prayer was not for those soldiers alone but for every soul whose sin nailed Him there, including ours. When we stand at the foot of the cross and hear Him say, “Father, forgive them,” we realize He was speaking of us.

Let us live as forgiven people who forgive. For the Lord still prays for His own, and His mercy is still greater than our sin.