Palm Sunday 2020 - Devotions in Exile - Holy Week Devotions: Seven Words From the Cross for the Seven Days to the Resurrection

Palm Sunday Devotions in Exile

The First Word of Christ from the Cross

          Forgiveness is Ours

Luke 23:33 - 34  And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.  Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

These words of Christ from the cross of Calvary are important to us as Christians, for they show us two things.

          First these words point out to us our need for forgiveness. Christ was not simply speaking about forgiving those who had nailed Him to the tree… He was not simply asking to forgive all those there who were complicit in the act… By His Divinity, He was speaking about you and me.

          Too often you have heard people explain away their sinful actions by claiming, "The devil made me do it." Maybe you have even said it that way, or made some other excuse, “They did such and such to me, how was I supposed to respond?” Maybe you try to explain your actions by claiming, “I couldn’t help myself” Of course, I have too often heard people say, “God understands how difficult life is, He overlooks the little things.”

          The real root of the problem is not Satan or others, but our own self-righteousness, we do not want to take the blame for our sinful actions. We definitely do not want to think that God will hold us accountable, and surely those “little things” are not sins?

          Christ shows us by His first words from the cross that we do need forgiveness. All those sinful actions are our own. We must take ownership for them, even though we do not want to accept that we are responsible for them.

          Christ was nailed to that cross for our sins. His blood was spilt for you and for me. We hung Him there as surely as did the Roman soldiers that held the hammer and pounded the nails through wrists and feet.

          That brings us to the second and most important point, the words of Christ point out His reason for being on that cross. How can we be forgiven for our sinful-mess?

Only through Christ's taking our sins to the cross do we receive forgiveness for those sins that nailed Him to that cross.

          Christ's love for us, God's mercy and grace towards sinners, is shown to us in that cross. That God would give up His “beloved Son in which He is well-pleased” to such suffering for those who do not even realize their need for it, shows us how much He really desires us to be forgiven – that we might be with Him for eternity.

          As we hear and study the Word of Christ, the Spirit moves us to allow it to speak to us clearly without denying it. It is the Spirit who makes us to realize our mess of sins, and realizing it, He moves us to confess what we have done – our sins nailed Christ to the cross.

          In the Word of Christ, we are also led to believe that this was by God's designed purpose, to bring us, His children, into His heavenly Kingdom.

          As we approach Easter this week (and every Sunday), let us repentantly be aware of the reason Christ was nailed to, and hung upon that cross. Let us look to that cross and the forgiveness purchased and proclaimed by Christ there, knowing why Christ hung there – for our salvation!

          Let us thank God for "knowing what He was doing."

PRAYER: Gracious Savior, we thank You for knowing what you were doing, lead us to know what we are doing. Give us the grace and your Spirit’s blessing that we may live our lives more pleasing to You and keep our minds ever on Your cross, and the gift of forgiveness and life You have given us. Amen