The Seven Last Words of Jesus: His Forgiving Heart

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

"I have forgiven you already long time ago but I do not want to have any relationship with you anymore." Is this genuine forgiveness? Or is this a self-centered kind of forgiveness?

Genuine forigiveness accepts. Genuine forgiveness is willing to restore a broken relationship and to start all over again. In genuine forgiveness, there is always a new beginning.

We see such forgiveness from the mouth of Jesus dying on the CROSS. Jesus was mistreated. He was misjudged. He was considered a criminal and the most dangerous enemy of the Jewish society during His time. He was public enemy number 1. He was a blasphemer, an impostor, a traitor, and a deceiver. He was self-deceived and he kept on deceiving people. That's what people in authority during His time thought about Jesus. And for those unforgivable crimes, He was crucified as a criminal.

Humanity committed the greatest crime in all of human history against God. If we only think, that it was only the Jewish religious leaders and Roman soldiers during those times who crucified Jesus, we failed to grasp the meaning of the CROSS in human history. All of mankind have sinned against God. All of mankind thought that going against the will of God is the right thing to do. Man, blinded by sin, thinks that darkness is light and light is darkness. But deep within his conscience, he knows what is right. He cannot eradicate the light of conscience within him. Man sins against his better knowledge of God.

People do things out of ignorance. They think, apart from God, that they are doing the right thing. They treated the Sinless One as the most notorious criminal. They despised the Holy One of God and considered Him a liar and a deceiver. They considered Him the foremost sinner and He deserved, the most cruel death on the CROSS.

Can such sin of man against God be forgiven? Yes, it can be forgiven. And we hear those words of forgiveness from the mouth of Jesus Himself while struggling for His life on the CROSS. What a heart! What a grace! What a love! Amazing grace indeed!

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." From these words, we see the forgiving heart of Jesus. From these words, we experience the indescribable grace of God that even the vilest sinner such as I can be cleansed.

Yes, realization of the greatness of our sins committed against God is important for us to enjoy a restored relationship with Him. But it is of greater importance to realize that His love is far greater than our sins! This is our gospel. This is my gospel! And I cannot trade for anything or for anyone this greatest treasure that I received as a gift from the CROSS of Jesus.