Who Did Christ Forgive from the Cross?

What did Jesus mean when he spoke these words from the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34)?

Please read Matthew 27 and note that the religious leaders inspired the crowd to demand Christ's crucifixion. These leaders were motivated by jealousy and hatred, mocking Jesus as He hung dying (verses 41-43). The people who cried "Crucify Him!" were filled with hate and ignorance (see verse 25!). And the soldiers mocked and abused Jesus (verses 27-31). 

When Christ asked the Father to forgive all of these people, He knew that many would continue in their unbelief. He wasn't offering unrepentant unbelievers salvation. But He knew that some of those present would later come to understand the gospel, and they'd be devastated by the part they played, realizing Jesus had died for their sins.

We know that one of the soldiers present, a centurion, probably came to faith because seeing the way Jesus died, he said, “Surely this was a righteous man” (Luke 23:44-47).

Imagine how this soldier and others like him would feel when they realized the gravity of their actions in Christ's crucifixion. They'd probably assume such a sin was unforgivable. Then they'd remember Christ's words from the cross.

And Christ's words also have meaning to us. He wants us to know that no sin disqualifies us if we turn our lives over to Him. And He wants us to forgive others as He's forgiven us (Colossians 3:12-13).

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For more inspiration, see Christ's 7 Final Statements and My Favorite Friday.

 

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Passover Whispers

Most Jews who celebrate the Passover have no idea it has Jesus "written all over it."

The Passover was instituted when God brought ten plagues against the Egyptians because the pharaoh refused to set God's people free from slavery. The final plague was the death of each family's firstborn child (Exodus 11-13).

But God commanded each Jewish family to kill and eat a lamb without defect and smear the blood of that lamb on the doorframes of their houses. If they did this, they would be saved from the plague. This was an important reminder that forgiveness of sins requires the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22 & Leviticus 17:11).

It is one of many proofs God gave His people to show He had the power of life and death and He could rescue them.

Jesus is our Passover lamb, a lamb without defect, slain for our deliverance. He's the fulfillment of God's plan, and He has the power to rescue believers from our sins.

When we ask Jesus to be our Savior, we symbolically smear His precious blood on the doorframe of our heart. 

This Sunday we celebrate our Passover, our deliverance, and our rescue from sin. May we never forget the price that Christ paid.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Romans 12:1

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Please remember that God warned the pharaoh of each plague, giving pharaoh many chances to repent. 

See Romans 12:1-2: Grateful and Transforming and 7 Important Truths about God's Love.
 

The Seder supper celebrated by Jews at Passover has some wonderful symbols of Christ, even though many who celebrate Seder are unaware of these symbols. See Jesus the Messiah in the Four Cups of Passover.

 

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Precious Predictions of Christ

Today I'm sharing a devotion from Wisdom for Life. I pray it will bless you as you prepare to celebrate Christ's resurrection!  Gail

Precious Predictions of Christ

I love how God whispered clues about Christ’s coming throughout the entire Old Testament. These wonderful prophecies prove the supernatural and purposeful actions of God in human history. 

Psalm 22 is one example. It contains vivid descriptions of Christ’s crucifixion: “I am poured out like water, and all my bones are disjointed; . . . my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. . . . They pierced my hands and my feet. . . . People look and stare at me” (vv. 14–17).

Look at these stunning comparisons below:

Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
Matthew 27:46: “About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’”

Psalm 22:7–8: “Everyone who sees me mocks me; they sneer and shake their heads: ‘He relies on the Lord; let him save him; let the Lord rescue him, since he takes pleasure in him.’”

Matthew 27:39, 43: “Those who passed by were yelling insults at him, shaking their heads. . . . ‘He trusts in God; let God rescue him now—if he takes pleasure in him!’”

Psalm 22:18: “They divided my garments among them selves, and they cast lots for my clothing.”
Matthew 27:35: “After crucifying him, they divided his clothes by casting lots.”

Beginning in Genesis 3:15, God planted “clues” about the coming of our Savior. He wants us to know that all along He had a plan to turn our darkness to light and our death to life.

Thousands of years before Christ came to earth, Psalm 22 told us about His sacrificial death for our sins. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God’s love for us is present in every detail of His revelation?

For Further Thought

Enjoy this prophecy of Christ’s eternal sonship and priesthood: Psalm 2:7; Psalm 110; Acts 13:33; and Hebrews 5:1–10.

To see two other Wisdom for Life devotions posted on Bible Love Notes:

Uploading and Reloading

Are You Listening to the Sky?

 

It's a great time to buy Wisdom for Life because of the great sales on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.

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Remembering Christ's Sacrifice on Good Friday

Some things are best forgotten.
Others must be remembered. 

In the Old Testament, God repeatedly told the Israelites to remember they'd been slaves in Egypt before He freed them (Deuteronomy 15:15). When they forgot, they turned away from God.

Remembering is important.

Like the Israelites, we also were enslaved…to sin and death. When Christ died on the cross, He set us free. Once we believe, remembering keeps us headed in the right direction. 

There are many ways to remember Christ's love throughout the year, and ways we can highlight His love during special seasons like Easter.

I sometimes carry a nail in my purse or pocket a few days before Good Friday to remind myself of Christ's pain and my gain.

I encourage you to do something to keep your mind focused and your heart engaged with the real meaning of Christ's death and resurrection. 

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Have you ever heard of the concept of stones of remembrance? Stones of Remembrance explains the concept, and What Are Your Stones of Remembrance? offers practical ways to create reminders of God's faithfulness.

I encourage you to check out the Wisdom for Life Devotional. It contains 100 one-minute devotions to challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire your love for God's Word: Wisdom for Life. Read the story behind Wisdom for Life HERE. Find out about the two free Bible studies with purchase HERE. You can read the first four devotions in the book by clicking "look inside" on Lifeway or Amazon.

 

I also encourage you to sign up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes HERE.

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What Does It Mean to Take Up Our Cross?

Jesus said, “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.… Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matthew 10:38, 16:24

What does it mean to take up our cross?

✞ It means following Christ's example: 

“He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:8  

We may not be called to suffer physically, but we are called to “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,” humbly submitting our will and desires to God (Philippians 2:1-7).

✞ It means crucifying worldly desires:

“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14

“Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:8    

✞ It means sharing God's truth even when we're rejected:

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18  

We must never be ashamed of God's truths (Romans 1:16).

Taking up our cross means recognizing God's wonderful mercy and offering our whole being as a living sacrifice to our Lord (Romans 12:1).

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You'll be blessed to read this one-minute devotion about the story behind the hymn The Old Rugged Cross.

I encourage you to take a look at Easter Decorations for some ways I've tried to make my Easter decorations more Christ-centered.

 

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My Response to Male Leadership in the Church

When I came to the Lord at age twenty-four, I understood for the first time in my life that everything God does and everything He commands is perfectly loving and 100% true (Hebrews 4:12-13). 

I tell you this because even though I'm analytical and always questioning things, I didn't challenge God's commands about women's roles—I accepted them. I'm not saying I fully understood them, nor have I been a perfectly submissive wife. But I trusted that God's commands were good for me.

In my fifty years as a believer, I've never changed my mind about the fulfillment, purpose, and protection of those commands. In fact, it offends me when someone calls them "chauvinist" (Psalm 119:53).

Satan is always seeking to keep us from the blessings of God's design (John 10:10). And when biblical truths contradict popular opinion, we can expect people to criticize, misunderstand, redefine, or disregard them.

Before we get into specifics about biblical male and female roles in the church, I encourage you to ask yourself these two things:

1. Do you think God would allow His people to misunderstand such an important principle as male leadership roles for thousands of years and wait until the 21st century to set us straight? 

2. Do you believe that God's commands bring joy and blessings even when we don't fully understand their purpose? 

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As you've probably already figured out, we're going to handle this issue of male and female roles slowly and carefully. 

I encourage you to take some time and read We Need It: A Submissive Heart. For more insight, see 3 Questions Every Christian Must Answer and Without the Bible, We're Lost. 

 

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How a Loving God Keeps Our Fingers from the Flames

One winter evening years ago, my husband and I were visiting our daughter's family. While sitting in the living room talking, my daughter noticed that our two-year-old granddaughter Gracie was standing in front of the fireplace, extending her little hand toward the flames.

Leaping to her feet, our daughter screamed loudly at Gracie, lifting the startled toddler into her arms and bringing her away from the flames. Even though this was the most loving thing our daughter could do, from Gracie's perspective, her mom had spoiled her fun, and she let us know with loud, angry cries. The flames looked so beautiful and inviting, and Gracie obviously thought they'd be wonderful to touch.

Gracie's attitude isn't limited to two-year-olds. People of all ages can be attracted to sin and think God's commands are meant to spoil their fun. To make things worse, our culture often encourages us to “play with fire.”  

Let's never forget that God's commands keep us safely in his arms (John 15:10). 

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1

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To read about some other things I've learned from my granddaughter Gracie, see: 

Have You Folded Any Socks Today?

It Doesn't Get Better than This

💙 Please check out The Bible Love Notes devotional Wisdom for Life. It features one-minute devotions from Psalms and Proverbs and is on sale at reduced prices on Lifeway, Amazon, and CBD.  

And please sign up for a free email subscription to Bible Love Notes online devotions HERE. 

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Do You Yearn for More than God's Word ?!?

 

In her first edition of Jesus Calling, Sarah Young explained, “I knew that God communicated with me through the Bible, but I yearned for more.”(1)

The amazing popularity of Young's books confirms that many professing Christians also yearn for more. They'd rather be mentored by Young's words disguised in Christ's voice than by Christ's actual words in Scripture.

Sitting in a restaurant, I heard a man loudly excusing his sinful behavior saying, “After all, Jesus’ disciples were adulterers and bad people when Christ chose them.” 

He obviously yearned for more than God's Word in dealing with his sins because he was excusing them based on fictional aspects of The Chosen. Millions are shaping their faith from The Chosen's mixture of truth, fiction, and error.

For years, professing Christians have yearned for “Boundaries” instead of biblical reconciliation, trusting an author who says, “I have tried the ‘standard’ Christian answers for others, and myself and have come to Job’s conclusion: they are worthless medicine” (source).  

 

A little bit of error mixed with truth is the most effective method of deception.

When the Pharisees taught people to set “aside the commands of God” for man-made traditions, Jesus said, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (see Mark 7). 

If you're yearning for more than the Scripture, please ask God to show you the beautiful life-changing power of His Word. Once you've experienced its perfection, wisdom, and guidance, you could never yearn for more, especially from sources that misrepresent it.

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 See God Wrote Us a Book...Incredible to learn my response to Scripture as a new believer. See also Dallas Jenkins Explains the Story Behind The Chosen and the collection of articles in Are Boundaries Biblical?

(1) This was removed from later copies of the book because it doesn't reflect a Christian attitude toward God's Word, but that doesn't change the fact that it's Young's testimony. The publisher also removed Young's explanation of the method that inspired her to write Jesus Calling because the method is New Age, not biblical. See Please Examine the Claim of the Jesus Calling Author. And I highly recommend this video by Doreen Virtue who used to be involved in the New Age before she became a Christian: Proof Jesus Calling Is New Age, not Christian.  

Proverbs 30:5-6: “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

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The Results of Promoting Self-Control Instead of Self-Esteem

For forty to fifty years secular psychology has taught that having high self-esteem is important for our well-being. However, some secular psychologists are now changing their minds.

“Florida State University Professor Roy Baumeister (Ph.D. psychology, Princeton University) has revealed that in a lifetime of study of violent criminals, the one characteristic nearly all these criminals share is high self-esteem” (source).

Baumeister believes self-control is more important than self-esteem. He explains that children with good self-control do better in school and are more popular with peers. When they grow up, they tend to be more law-abiding, have better relationships, and have fewer emotional problems (source).

This is no surprise to Christians who've studied God's Word:

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2

“He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” Psalm 25:9

“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 12:3

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” Philippians 2:3, see Philippians 2:3-11 for a more thorough understanding of this passage.

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See The Low Self-Esteem Excuse and 6 Ways the Self-Esteem Movement Contradicts Scripture. 

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Don't Trust Teachings that Use These Methods

Dear Christians, beware of any teacher who: 

🠞 1. Claims Christians have been wrong about some of God's commands for thousands of years.

See False Teachings about Sodom and Gomorrah. 

🠞 2. Claims a New Testament command is only cultural. 

See Comparing Apples and Rocks.

🠞 3. Claims a Bible author was only sharing his opinion.

See Paul's Letters Are Scripture.

🠞 4. Uses complex arguments to explain away obvious truths in Scripture.

See A Letter Defending Male and Female. 

I encourage you to read the verses below that urge us to be wise in judging the things we hear. In fact, you might want to memorize some of these verses. 

Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.”

Proverbs 3:5: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

1 Corinthians 3:18-20: “Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become ‘fools’ so that you may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness’; and again, ‘The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.’”

1 Corinthians 1:20: “Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

1 Corinthians 2:14: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

2 Timothy 4:3: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

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See 6 Steps to Expose False Teachings and  4 Things Promoted in False Teachings.

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