Father, Forgive Them

Happy Easter!

• We are here because Jesus is alive!
• The reason Jesus died for us is because he loved us enough to lay down his life.

Praying Like Jesus Series

• Jesus gives us a powerful example of being devoted to prayer in every season of life.
• Our responsibility as disciples is to imitate his example — to pray like Jesus.
• Today’s Main Idea: Jesus’ prayers on the cross demonstrate just how much he loves us.

The Journey to the Cross

• Before Jesus was betrayed, he spent a considerable amount of time praying (John 17, Matthew 26:36-46).
• Jesus prayed for the disciples, the church, and all future believers (including you and me). 
• Jesus also prayed for humility and submission to God’s will.
• Jesus was then arrested and sentenced to death on the cross.
  • The soldiers mocked and beat him and forced him to carry the cross.
  • Jesus was nailed to the cross and died for our sins, but he before he died he offered several prayers on the cross.

Prayer #1: My God, My God, What Have You Forsaken Me?

• Scripture: Matthew 27:46.
• Jesus cries out to God because of the weight of our sin and the anguish of being separated from his Heavenly Father.

Romans 3:25  — Jesus atones for our sin through the shedding of his blood.

2 Corinthians 5:21 — Jesus was sinless, but he took on our sin at the cross.

• This was an incredibly painful process, and it caused Jesus to cry out in agony.

Prayer #2: Father, Forgive Them, For they Know Not What They Do.

Scripture: Luke 23:34

• Knowing the anguish Jesus felt makes this prayer all the more incredible.
• Would you have been willing to offer such grace and mercy to your executioners?

If we want to know what true love looks like, we should look to the cross.

• Scripture: John 15:13. The greatest type of love involves a willingness to die for your friends.
• But Jesus didn’t just die for his friends, he also died for his enemies. 
• Not just those who were devoted to him, but those who despised him!

Scripture: Romans 5:8 — Jesus proves his love by dying for us while we were still sinners.

• This is the most compelling example of sacrificial love in all of history.
• Jesus’ prayer for forgiveness makes it that much more amazing.

The Test of Forgiveness

• Can you imagine how difficult it would be to suffer for your enemies? And to forgive the ones who tortured you?

A Christian woman named Corrie Ten Boom was faced with that challenge.

• A former prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. A former guard at that prison asked for Corrie’s forgiveness.
• He knew God forgave him when he became a Christian, but he wanted to hear it from her, too.
• Corrie couldn’t do it on her own, but when she prayed for Jesus help, she reached out and forgave him: “I forgive you, brother, will all my heart.”

“For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then.”  –Corrie Ten Boom

Scripture: 1 John 3:16 — Jesus’ death calls us to a life of radical love and forgiveness.

Prayer 3: Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit.

Scripture: Luke 23:46

• Jesus entrusted his life and soul to God as he passed from life to death. 

He Has Done it

• Jesus quoted from Psalm 22:1 (Why Have You Forsaken Me?)
• The end of that Psalm focuses on victory and hope — He has done it!
• The story doesn’t end with the pain of the cross, it culminates in the hope of the empty tomb, because Jesus has done it!

Application:

• Trust in Jesus as Our Savior
• Live For Jesus as His Followers
• Know You Are Loved.

Study & Reflection

“If we want proof of God’s love for us, then we must look first at the Cross where God offered up His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Calvary is the one objective, absolute, irrefutable proof of God’s love for us.”

-Jerry Bridges

Let’s read 1 John 4:7-16, which talks about how God’s love for us calls us to show genuine love towards others.

1. What are some of the important things this passage reveals about God (his nature, character, or plan for our lives)?
2. According to verse 9, how did God demonstrate his love for us?
3. Verse 10 is more specific about the reason Jesus was sent into the world. What was his ultimate purpose in going to the cross?
4. Do you think the Bible’s definition of love is similar to or different from the way most people use the word? If it’s different, what makes it unique?
5. If the Bible’s definition of love is based on what Jesus did on the cross, what would it look like to love people the way Jesus did?
6. What role does the Spirit plan (v. 13) in our walk with Jesus? How does the Spirit help us in our faith?
7. Thinking back to the sermon, what is the relationship between forgiveness and love? 
8. What was your reaction to the story about Corrie Ten Boom and the prison guard? What would you have done in that situation
9. Finally, reflect on what you hear God calling you to do based on the sermon and the passage we just read.

Get In Touch!

If you would like to request prayers, make a decision to follow Jesus, or get plugged in with a ministry or small group, visit swestcc.org to get in touch!