Father, Forgive Them

"But Jesus was saying, 'Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing'" (Luke 23:34, NASB).

In Jesus Christ, we see a quality of character that cannot be easily faked.

We see a man who had been falsely accused of crimes that he had not committed. We see a man who had been betrayed by one of his closest friends, and abandoned by the others. We see a man who was abused by the system. We see a man who was mocked and tortured without mercy. We see a man who deserved all the praise that could be given, but who received anger and hatred instead. We see a man who was facing the wrath of God for the sins of his enemies.

But we do not see a bitter and resentful man. We do not see a man gritting his teeth, trying not to call down the armies of heaven to wipe out an evil and ungrateful humanity.

In Jesus Christ, we see the character of God. We see a man who would rather suffer than see us suffer. We see a man who would rather forgive than destroy. We see a man of strength surrounded by a sea of weakness. We see the supernatural...not merely a man of God, but God himself in the form of a man.