They Knew Not What They Did

Yesterday, a father and husband was killed while trying to protect his family during an armed robbery nearby.

This tragedy brought to mind, again, the goodness and love of our Lord Jesus, Who laid down His life to save His loved ones!

Praise God, He arose in absolute victory, leaving His people full of rejoicing! We ought never allow our joy to be tamped down by thinking we are a burden to our Savior, for He commands us to rejoice without measure, as He rejoices without measure in saving us.

When Jesus hung in agony and shame on the cross, He showed great compassion, not just for His people, but also for those who murdered Him. He prayed, "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do."

The soldiers were, after all, just following orders, but that does not excuse their crime against the Lord of Glory. Just because they worked for the government doesn't in any way excuse their taking the life of an innocent man. If what they did hadn't been a crime and sin against God, Jesus wouldn't have needed to pray for their forgiveness.

Christ's prayers are always answered, because He always prays within the will of His Father!

But sin must be atoned for, which means that our Lord Jesus Himself was punished for the crime of the murder that these forgiven soldiers committed!

It may seem strange for Christ to be punished for a crime against Himself, but in the end, all our sins are crimes against God, and yet they are all punished upon the back of the Son of God in our place!

Peter preached forgiveness for those who had by wicked hands crucified and slain Christ. Jesus' blood cleansed even His own murderers of their crime when they trusted in Him!