Problem 18 - Not recognizing the POSITIVE answer to the Lords Prayer/The Cross

PROBLEM NO. 18 --THEY DO NOT RECOGNIZE THE POSITIVE ANSWER TO THE LORD'S PRAYER WHILE ON THE CROSS

This prayer is found in Luke 23:34, "Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. And they divided His garments and cast lots."

This was the first of the seven sayings of our Lord while He was hanging on the cross, and it was a prayer for forgiveness. Acts 2 brethren do not see any significance to the answer of this prayer.

THE TRUTH

This problem is involved very closely with problem no. 17. Acts 2 theologians do not emphasize in their writings the importance of the ramifications of this prayer.

Now we must believe that God the Father answered this prayer of His dearly beloved Son. Any other idea would be blasphemous indeed. If any prayer is answered, it would be the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Second, we must understand that this prayer was answered in a POSITIVE WAY by God the Father and not in a negative way. The positive answer strongly influenced and made possible the effective preaching of the Apostle Peter on the Day of Pentecost. He was filled with the Holy Spirit and preached repentance and baptism for salvation, and OFFERED THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN/KINGDOM OF GOD To ISRAEL in his second sermon to them (Acts 3:19-21). God gave Israel another chance to receive His Son and the Millennial Kingdom in the book of Acts. God's mercy was made available to Israel as the Twelve Apostles preached their hearts out in order to get Israel to repent.

Peter knew that God had answered this prayer of His Son. He stated in Acts 3:17, "Yet now brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers." Ignorance means 'not knowing,' and this is what Jesus had said on the cross, 'they do not know what they do.'

This has been well explained by C.R. Stam in his commentary on Acts:

"The fact is that before the crucifixion Israel's leaders did not know that Jesus was the Christ. True, they could have known, yes, and should have known, but the fact remains that they did not know. They were in a similar position to that in which Saul of Tarsus was later found. He too could and should have known, but he did not know, and later wrote: "I obtained mercy, because I DID IT IGNORANTLY IN UNBELIEF."

"No excuse, of course, could be found for the hate and injustice and cruelty which Israel had shown toward Christ, but the fact is that they did not know that He was the Christ. Our Lord Himself implied this when He said:

"WHEN YE HAVE LIFTED UP THE SON OF MAN, THEN SHALL YE KNOW THAT I AM HE ..." (John 8:28).

"In other words, those responsible for the crucifixion well knew that they were murdering their Victim, but they did not know that their Victim was Christ. Whatever may be the full implication of 1 Cor. 2:8, it surely teaches that had "the princes of this world" known who their Victim was "they would not have crucified the Lord of glory."

"This, of course, did not justify their action, but it was a basis upon which God might show mercy. Had they recognized Him as Messiah they would not have dared to condemn and crucify Him, but they did not believe Him to be the Messiah, hence our Lord's appeal: "they know not what they do," and Peter's concession: "And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it." (Acts Dispensationally Considered by C.R. Stam, Vol. 1, p. 136; The Colt Press; 1954; emphasis the author's).

By Robert C. Brock