Father, forgive them
The first statement that Christ made from the cross was, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Luk 23:34. This was Christ's prayer to the Father as the soldiers nailed His hands and feet to the cross. In relation to this event, King David, who was speaking prophetically for Christ, said, "In return for my love they are my accusers, but I give myself to prayer." Psa 109:4.
The abuse of crucifixion was the final and most painful humiliation that Jesus suffered on His offering journey. In the preceding five wounds, He had been brought back from the dead by the resurrection life of God that was in His blood. Paul coined the Greek word exanastasis to describe this effect of resurrection life in a mortal body. Php 3:11. Christ's death on the cross was the dying phase of His offering. This was when He laid down His life in obedience to the command of the Father, so that He might take it again in anastasis. Joh 10:17-18. Php 2:8. Anastasis is the resurrection of the dead to immortality.
Christ's death on the cross demonstrated the Father's love for us. Because God the Father loved the world, He gave His only Son, who died for us even though we were all ungodly and without strength. Rom 5:6-11. Joh 3:16. The offering of Christ was not only the expression of the Father's love toward us; it was also the means by which the love that He alone possesses was commended to us so that we could be born as His sons. Rom 5:8. The Father's love is the definition of His life. 1Jn 4:16. Through the offering of Christ, He gave His life to us as a gift. Giving His life to us was the expression of His fatherhood toward us.
The abuse of crucifixion was the final and most painful humiliation that Jesus suffered on His offering journey. In the preceding five wounds, He had been brought back from the dead by the resurrection life of God that was in His blood. Paul coined the Greek word exanastasis to describe this effect of resurrection life in a mortal body. Php 3:11. Christ's death on the cross was the dying phase of His offering. This was when He laid down His life in obedience to the command of the Father, so that He might take it again in anastasis. Joh 10:17-18. Php 2:8. Anastasis is the resurrection of the dead to immortality.
Christ's death on the cross demonstrated the Father's love for us. Because God the Father loved the world, He gave His only Son, who died for us even though we were all ungodly and without strength. Rom 5:6-11. Joh 3:16. The offering of Christ was not only the expression of the Father's love toward us; it was also the means by which the love that He alone possesses was commended to us so that we could be born as His sons. Rom 5:8. The Father's love is the definition of His life. 1Jn 4:16. Through the offering of Christ, He gave His life to us as a gift. Giving His life to us was the expression of His fatherhood toward us.
