Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” …
Luke 23:34a (NLT)
Beaten beyond recognition as a man. Mocked and scorned. Stripped and nailed to the cross. Soldiers throwing dice for His clothes. Jesus prays, “Father, forgive them” … THE prayer of love.
Love looks down from the cross and sees Mary, His mother, and John, the disciple He loves. There she stands looking up at her Son, the Son of God, the Messiah.
I imagine the questions she has as she weeps. Does she understand why her Son is suffering so? Where are the angels who rejoiced at His birth?
When Jesus saw His mother standing there beside the disciple He loved, He said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And He said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
John 19:26-27 (NLT)
Even in His pain and suffering, Jesus provides for His mother.
Love on the Cross Provides
Mary, the mother of Jesus needed a son to care for her. Jesus provided His disciple to care for Mary.
The prayer of love on the cross provides forgiveness.
The prayer of love provided forgiveness. It cost Jesus everything. The sins of the past, present, and future were laid on Jesus while He was on the cross.
God poured out His wrath upon those sins.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Matthew 27:46 (ESV)
Darkness filled the land for about three hours.
Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
Luke 23:46 (ESV)
The prayer of love … “Father, forgive them.”
The price for your sins and my sins was paid for. Jesus paid the price. Forgiveness.
A Memorial to the Prayer of Love
Standing before her, I feel Mary’s agony as she holds the One she bore in her womb. One arm holding His shoulders. The other as if she is asking “why?”
Tears stream down my face. I hear sobbing behind me and pull the woman to the front of the crowd. I hug her, “He did this for you and me.” We stand there crying. Mary’s grief became our grief.
All around us, people are talking and snapping photos, oblivious to the love and grief they are looking at but not seeing. Oblivious to the eternal life that came from the death of our Savior.
When Jesus was born, Simeon told Mary that a sword would pierce through her soul, Luke 2:35. I wonder if she remembered Simeon’s words as she held Jesus.
The Pieta, Michelangelo’s heartfelt sculpture, is love in sculpture. The love of a mother for her Son, and the love of the Son for the world.
The Pieta reminds us of the prayer of love from the cross … “Father, forgive them”
A Prayer of Love
Our Father in heaven, Your love overwhelms us. We have sinned against You, Father. Please forgive us. We turn from our sins. Help us to walk in Your ways. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, into the world to take our sins upon Himself. We know that Jesus’ sacrifice cost Him His life. Jesus died on the cross and was buried. Three days later, He rose from the dead. I want to follow You as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, God, for saving us from the consequences of my sins. Help us to follow You from this day forward. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.
If you prayed that prayer and you want to know more about “What It Means to Be A Christian,” click on the link and let us know in the comments section so that we can pray for you.
To grow in your Christian walk, you will want to begin studying your Bible and attending a Bible-teaching/preaching church on a regular basis. You will also want to join a Bible study.
Related Links
“Michelangelo’s Pieta” by ItalianRenaissance.org