Father, Forgive Them... God's Call

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” [Luke 23.34] 

This is grace. It is God's will that all mankind be saved and understand the truth. God's forgiveness is His call to every human being.

As Luke records this, it takes place before the criminals crucified on either side of Jesus were even discussed. This is important.

What follows Jesus' exposé of undeserved grace “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” is a timeless look into saving faith (or the lack thereof). Faith is what separates the "called" from the "chosen."

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” [Luke 23.39-43]

The criminals on either side of Jesus represent all of humanity for all time. They represent the "called."

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” [Matthew 22.14]

The scoffing criminal, in unbelief, challenged Jesus just like the religious leaders who sentenced Jesus to death. The other criminal however did not challenge Jesus, but in a simple faith-filled request said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And, as Jesus responded, this humble criminal was thereby "chosen."

The difference between Jesus and the two criminals is basic. The criminals were justly being crucified because of their selfish actions. Jesus was unjustly being crucified because of His selfless commitment to God (and mankind represented by the two criminals).

It is profound that the criminals were deservedly on crosses. The faith-difference in the two criminals however is found in one proudly rejecting his cross while the other humbly embraced his. The humble criminal, in effect, "took up his cross..."

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

For all the selfish motives that landed both of the criminals on crosses beside Jesus, it was the realization that he deserved to be there that resulted in the humble criminal's proclaimed faith in Jesus. This faith in Jesus, made evident in his request, forever secured the humble criminal's salvation.

We are just as guilty as the two criminals crucified on either side of Jesus. We are guilty of responding to Satan's lie that we should follow our selfish desires. The criminals, instead of giving up their own selfish desires, acted upon them and found themselves crucified for it. Like the criminals, we act upon the very same selfishness that was Adam's and Eve's original sin in the Garden of Eden when they doubted God's intentions in forbidding they eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3). Adam and Eve believed Satan's lie that God was holding out on them, and so, they took matters into their own hands. Adam's and Eve's guilt of taking matters into their own hands is effectively the same guilt of the criminals on either side of Jesus. It is our same guilt too. And, it is the reason "idolatry" is the first thing forbidden in the Ten Commandments because idolatry is the self-centric disobedience that leads to all other sin. Idolatry is man's way of taking matters into his own hands independent of God's demands. When man follows this his own way, making his own solutions, all manner of telltale disgusting sin follows. The Bible supports this exhaustively.

Idolatry is criminally taking from God His role of solely caring for us. Idolatry puts us in the same proximity to Jesus as the two criminals crucified on either side of Him. In that proximity, Jesus' prayer on the Cross covers us as it covered to two criminals, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” This is the undeserved grace-call of God extended to all. We have the choice to respond in humble faith embracing our criminal fate or to continue in arrogant selfishness rejecting and fighting against our criminal fate.

Like the men on the crosses beside Jesus, we are ALL criminals for trusting and pursuing anything other than God ALONE (ourselves, finance, insurance, medicine, technology, religion... all crimes of idolatry against God). Jesus' call to the Father, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” is God's call to us. We can only enjoy that forgiveness and all the blessings it brings when we humbly acknowledge we are criminals and in need of Jesus. We are not done following Jesus until we are with Him where He is. Neither are we done giving up our own way until that time. And, most relevant to the topic of this article, we are not done taking up our cross until we are fully united with Jesus in God's presence in heaven.

Our undivided faith in Jesus Christ is the only thing that renders us chosen. We should not wait until death is imminent upon us to exercise this faith - Jesus' life on earth was more than the Cross - and so, He demanded miracle-working faith of all who would follow Him. Whether it's faith to live or faith to die, only faith in Jesus pleases God because Jesus is the only Way to God.

The two criminals crucified on either side of Jesus give deeper meaning to:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Father, my unwritten thoughts accompanying this article are more than can be articulated. It is sufficient today to understand Your call (the offer of forgiveness) and to respond in humble faith to receive it as I give up my own way, take up my cross, and follow Jesus. May I be found only in Jesus. So be it.

This Will Get You Saved

Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters and called out the entire regiment. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it. When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified. [Matthew 27.27-31] 

Any person who claims 'Jesus is Lord' but does not give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Him, is guilty of no less mockery than is seen in Matthew 27.27-31.

A lot of people throw around "God" as if they have some kind of bond with Him. However, talking about "God" without acknowledging Jesus Christ is ...well ... stupid because Jesus said:

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. [John 14.6] 

What does "through me" mean? It means specifically:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

And, what does following Jesus mean? It means He is going somewhere that we too need to go:

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12] 

Jesus came to earth with one ultimate goal: to get back to the Father. It is the grace of God that Jesus walked on earth so that we might be afforded the chance (called by grace) to follow Him to God (chosen by our own undivided faith).

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [Ephesians 2.8]

The prayer of Jesus found in John 17 says it all. Read it!

Jesus' journey to earth was God's plan to come to earth and return to heaven having established "a following" of believers spanning all time as we know it. It was indeed a rescue mission. It was a redemption mission. It was the love of God:

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. [John 3.16-18]

The sad truth however is found in Jesus' own words:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14] 

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. [John 10.9] 

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” [Matthew 22.14]

The requirement for being called is simply to be human. God's undeserved grace calls all to redemption without exception. The requirement for being chosen is giving-up-your-own-way-taking-up-your-cross-following-Jesus exclusive and undivided faith in Him ALONE. 

Yes, the requirement for being chosen is to follow Jesus ON HIS TERMS:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Jesus demands that we follow (or trust) nothing else. We must give it up - we must repent of it (turn away from it altogether). In contrast, Satan deceptively says it's okay to trust ourselves and the man-made idols of the world because he alleges they are God's way for us to be like God (wealthy, secure, healthy, and comfortable) - in the same deceptive language that tripped up Adam and Eve in the Garden (the original sin):

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.” [Genesis 3.1-5] 

If we can see it, the Roman soldiers were not the first people to mock Jesus... Adam and Eve were. The Roman soldiers were not the last people to mock Jesus... Every person who has ever lived mocks Jesus to this day by not giving up their own way, taking up their cross and following Him exclusively - regardless how much "God-talk" they engage in.

The Roman soldiers would have been right to mock Jesus if He had only been a man...

Father in heaven, may my mockery of Jesus forever cease as I understand He was not just a man, give up my own way, take up my cross, and follow Him as the Messiah of God. May others follow Him by my testimony and example. So be it.

Are You The Messiah, The Son Of The Blessed One?

Then the high priest stood up before the others and asked Jesus, “Well, aren’t you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?” But Jesus was silent and made no reply. Then the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, “Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?” “Guilty!” they all cried. “He deserves to die!” [Mark 14.60-64] 

Why did Jesus not answer the first accusation but then answer the next question?

The first accusation was about Jesus' prediction concerning the Temple. It was about religion and, I can imagine, if Jesus had given an answer, it would have been like every other response Jesus ever gave to the religious leaders' questions and it would have shut them up because they couldn't have refuted His perfect answer. This is the very thing Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane: getting spiritual control of His perfect humanity so that He might still get to His cross.

Jesus however knew exactly what response would not silence the religious leaders but secure their  death sentence upon Him: it was regarding His deity - His being the Son of God - God in the flesh - Immanuel, the Messiah.

In His superior human perfection, Jesus could silence every objection the religious leaders could ever launch at Him. Every single answer Jesus ever gave these religious leaders shut them up except the one answer above: “I am. And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Why?

Why indeed!

What Jesus said to one, He said to all:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

When Jesus answered in the affirmative that He was indeed the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One, He blatantly disclosed their idolatry. They were religious alright, but their religion had become an idol in lieu of (or in addition to) relationship with God. This age-old idol-induced spiritual blindness prevented them from recognizing the very Messiah of God they claimed to know and serve. So in love were they with their idol of religion that instead of giving up their own way, taking up their cross, and following Him, they condemned and murdered Jesus in fulfillment of the very Scriptures they claimed to revere.

Now, before we shake our heads in proud disbelief at what took place in Mark 14.60-64, we should understand that we participate in the exact same rejection of the Messiah. We do so when, rather than giving up our own way - the self-preserving ways of man manifest in the plethora of self-preserving idols (finance, insurance, medicine and technology), we instead faithfully and dutifully pay homage to them. Instead of taking up our cross - fearlessly embracing the very 'death and destruction' allegedly postponed or avoided by the self-preserving idols of finance, insurance, medicine and technology, we unashamedly embrace these idols (as if God never said that He ALONE was our Healer, Provider, and Protector). In this way, we do not follow Jesus. In this way, we are not followers of Christ - we are not saved.

Dear reader, there is no scriptural rebuttal to Matthew 16.24 that allows us even a moment of self-preservation. If this upsets you, you are the problem. Ours is the duty of following Jesus in preaching the Good News (there is forgiveness of sins), miraculously healing the sick, raising the dead, and living without fear - all the while rejecting every fear-mongering idol that calls us away from trusting God ALONE. The decision to do this is our Gethsemane. It is our 'hour of prayer' to overcome the temptation to trust in ourselves and our idols and instead, to trust only in God - to follow Jesus.

Unironically, religion today offers to 'soften' Matthew 16.24 giving all sorts of alternate understandings and interpretations of it. In doing so, religion continues to do what Jesus accused it of:

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! [Matthew 23.15]

The only remedy to this condition is Matthew 16.24. Matthew 16.24 allows no idol in the life of a "believer." Matthew 16.24 qualifies that degree of disallowance for idols to the extent of death - our own cross. That is following Jesus (regardless what modern religion looks like and promotes). And, just like Jesus' rejection of the then-current idol of religion, claiming to be the one-and-only Messiah of God, got Him sentenced to death, so His true followers today who identify and reject idols in following Christ will experience the same hatred from the world, led by religion.

The way to upset an idol-ridden religious system is to literally follow Jesus ALONE.

Father, as Jesus destined Himself to the cross in professing to be Messiah, the One Sent From God, may I be found giving up every way of my own - every idolatrous identity other than Christ in me, taking up my cross in solidarity with Jesus, and following Him. So be it.

The Difference An Hour Of Prayer Can Make

They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. And they didn’t know what to say. When he returned to them the third time, he said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!” [Mark 14.32-42] 

There is much more to this account than meets the casual eye. 

The text says Jesus "became deeply troubled and distressed." So deeply troubled and distressed was Jesus that He said, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Most people believe the "cross" was what Jesus was wrestling with in the olive grove, but I am not so convinced. I believe Jesus was in the fight of His life with every other possible human solution besides the cross: Jesus was warding off idolatry in that grueling but absolutely essential hour of prayer. Jesus was confirming to the point of death His commitment to God and God ALONE even though God Himself could have designed another option: “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

What we don't understand is that Jesus was fighting within Himself not to die right there in the Garden of Gethsemane before he could even get to the cross. Mark records that Jesus prayed that "if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by." We have mistakenly believed that that "hour" was the cross, but Jesus Himself indicated otherwise: "Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour?" He was talking about that hour of prayer - that hour of commitment - that hour of overcoming temptation - that hour of rejecting every possible idol-solution to avoid the cross - right there in the olive grove!

That hour of prayer was so intense that another Gospel writer said:

He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. [Luke 22.44]

In that fateful hour Jesus was fighting off grief to the point of death so that He might proceed to the cross. Jesus was practicing what He had preached over and again:

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24] 

Jesus would never had gotten to the cross had He not fought unto death the fight to give up His own way - every possible human solution that could have prevented the cross. For starters, Jesus could simply have left Gethsemane before Judas and the mob arrived.

If we can see it, Jesus' request that God take away the cup of suffering was so that He could get past the grief to the point of death in the Garden of Gethsemane so that He could get on to the cross. Jesus didn't even want the option of dying there at Gethsemane to avoid the cross. The cross was the only goal.

It should be understood that Jesus' sleepy and therefore prayerless disciples, forewarned by Jesus about "temptation," ultimately gave in to that temptation - they took the idolatrous option of preserving their own lives:

Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away. [Mark 14.50]

Jesus, on the other hand, did not run away. He had prayed. He had overcome temptation (idolatrous options). He had effectively given up His own way. He overcame both "fight" and "flight" self-preserving options so He might get to that cross. It had to happen - Jesus was committed. In that commitment, He was alone... He knew the difference that hour of prayer in solitude would make - it would get Him to His cross.

I never dreamed there could be deeper significance to Jesus' hour or prayer at Gethsemane... But here it is. Jesus wasn't just making Bible-filler when He demanded that His followers must give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Him. He knew that hour of prayer was coming for Himself - as it comes for each of us. Will we sleep, or will we watch and pray so that we might overcome temptation to seek any other self-preserving way (idol) to avoid our cross?

With Jesus we might pray, “Abba, Father,” ... “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 

Jesus was not trying to avoid the suffering of the cross. Jesus had engaged the Father in prayer to avoid the suffering of temptation - that battle within every human to reject the idols that incessantly propose options to God's will (which is undivided trust in God ALONE).

Father in heaven, the world and this life offer endless solutions to improve and preserve my life. But this life is not my goal. My goal, like Jesus' goal - is my cross. Otherwise, there is no distinction between my life and the world. His cross is what set Jesus apart so the world might see Him, and my cross is what sets me apart so the world might see Him. May I be found giving up my own way (every temptation to 'self-preserve'), taking up my cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

The World Is Not A True Believer's Friend

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. They would not be guilty if I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin. Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. If I hadn’t done such miraculous signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. This fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’ [John 15.18-25] 

Seven years ago today, I wrote the article The World - Not My Friend. I would like to dig a bit deeper today...

Let's focus on verse 19:

The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. [John 15.19]

Seven years ago, I was just really beginning to recognize what I believe today is the great deception in the Church: idolatry. 

Mind you, idolatry is not idolatry to the world because the world does not have God. The world's systems of caring for itself are only idols to God's covenant people once they have vowed faith in God alone through Jesus Christ. In other words, man's industries of finance, insurance, medicine and technology are all admittedly quite brilliant designs for man without God. However, when any man called by God's grace is chosen by his reciprocal response of faith (giving up his own way, taking up his cross, and following Jesus), that man lives thereafter as a distinct child of God - no longer part of the world.

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

The alleged "Jesus-believing child of God" who refuses to give up the world and its systems lives in contradiction to the very faith they claim. For today's "Church" and its leaders to teach otherwise is false religion. The ire ignited by these words is the very hate Jesus predicted above and, it is evident in the world and all who embrace and defend the world: 

The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. [John 15.19]

What's worse, the alleged "Jesus-believing child of God" consequently enjoys none of the faith benefits described in Hebrews 11 - they neither live by faith nor die by faith (refusing to turn to the world by turning away from God). They are, in fact, children of hell who have effectively rejected the faith that could save them and deliver them (whether like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego or like the martyr Stephen).

The world and the "Church" both applaud the alleged "Jesus-believing child of God" who relies on the systems of the world (alarmingly, the world credits "science" and the Church credits "God"). As should be expected, the world hates and ridicules the "Jesus-believing child of God" who categorically rejects the world's solutions of finance, insurance, medicine and technology (as this author proposes). However, it is totally unbiblical and uncharacteristic for the "Church" to ridicule the "Jesus-believing child of God" who rejects these worldly man-made idol-solutions... and yet, that is exactly what happens.

Haters will hate, but it will only be idol-defying-world-giving-up-fearless-of-death-miracle-working-Jesus-followers-faith that inspires hatred. Otherwise, it is simply "to each his own" with the world and the Church dwelling together in symbiotic peace (oddly while the world profits from the Church's idolatry).

The world is not a true believer's friend.

Father, may the hatred of the world be incited by these words today revealing the distinction between the world and true believers in Christ. May all who read this test every word by Your Word - by Jesus - for their validity. May these words challenge every would-be believer in Jesus (myself included) to give up their own way, take up their cross, and follow Jesus. So be it.

Jesus-less Existence

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. [John 15.5-8] 

Religion makes religious people content in Jesus-less existence. 

These religious people, who do not actually do the things Jesus did are in fact headed for the fire.

Stay away from religion and don't be religious!

Be like Jesus.

If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24]

Father in heaven, I understand that, if I am not like Jesus in this world, I will be gathered, not unto heaven but, into a pile to be burned. That is why my prayer remains that I be found giving up my own way, taking up my cross, and following Jesus. So be it.

How Much Have We Learned From Jesus?

After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. [John 13.12-17] 

These are the same men who, just a few weeks later, after being baptized with the Holy Spirit, are documented for the following:

But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.” [Acts 6.1-4]

There's a lot of teaching out there about "authority" in the Church. In contrast, how much "foot washing" is going on? How much have we learned from Jesus?

That's all.

Father, for all the "teaching" that goes on among Your people today, the very idea of serving others is basically foreign. I could ask You to help us give up our own way, take up our cross, and follow Jesus, except that, You won't do that for us - I know I must decide and do this myself - I know this IS my faith - I know it is my decision to let everything else go and simply follow Jesus. May Your Word, Who is Jesus, be my guide. So be it.