–George Sheffield “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) While hanging on the cross, Jesus spoke what is known as “The Last Seven Words”; that is the last seven sayings of His. The first saying that He spoke was a prayer of forgiveness.
He prayed for the Father to forgive those who had taken part in His crucifixion because they didn’t understand what they were doing.
Jesus prayed for His enemies as He taught us to do (Mt 5:44).
But this prayer goes deeper than that. This prayer is for all mankind.
Jesus was “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29). His blood was shed to cleanse us of all sin (I Jn 1:7). However, this is not a prayer of automatic forgiveness which guarantees salvation. People can be forgiven IF they want it, but they must repent and believe on Jesus. No repentance, no salvation.
Our sins nailed Jesus to that cross. We are just as guilty as the soldiers who crucified Him, as the leaders who condemned Him, and as the crowd who cursed Him. Yet Jesus prayed for us and forgiveness is available to anyone who repents and calls upon His name. He prayed for you; He prayed for me, because Jesus knows full well the devastating results of sin and its eternal consequences. And since that first Good Friday, God the Father has been answering His Son’s prayer daily as people come to Christ for salvation.
