Father, Forgive Them
Month 6: The Cross — Why Jesus Died · Loving Others
Today's Scripture
Read together: Luke 23:32–34
32 Two others, who were criminals, were also led away to be executed with Jesus. 33 When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified Him there, along with the criminals, one on His right and the other on His left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.
Memory Verse
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”— Isaiah 53:5 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Kings 9–11
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 170 of 365 — Solomon's wisdom, wealth, and the sad drift of his heart.)The Heart of It
Soldiers were hammering nails through His hands. Of all the words Jesus could have spoken, He chose these: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (). Stop and feel the wonder of that. The people who deserved His anger received His prayers instead. He didn't wait for the soldiers to say sorry. He didn't demand that they understand the wrong they were doing. They were still hurting Him. They were gambling for His clothes right there at His feet. And He was already asking the Father to forgive them. This is forgiveness in its purest form. It's love that does good to the very people who have given us every reason to do them harm.
That's why this lands on a Loving Others day. Jesus isn't only the One who forgives us. He is also the pattern for how we treat the people who wrong us. Paul wrote, "forgiving one another… even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do" (). A sibling breaks our toy. A friend leaves us out. Someone treats us unfairly. And our flesh wants to keep score and make them pay. But the cross shows us another way. We don't forgive because the other person earned it. We never earned it from God either. We forgive because we have been forgiven so much. A child who grasps Calvary has the deepest reason in the world to say, "I forgive you," and to truly mean it.
Around the Table
Even while He was being hurt, Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them." We can forgive when others are unkind to us, too.
Let's do it: Practice saying "I forgive you" with a big smile — then hug whoever's closest!
Jesus forgave before anyone said sorry. We forgive because we've been forgiven so much.
Let's talk: Who is one person you need to forgive this week — even if they haven't apologized?
Forgiveness doesn't mean saying "it didn't matter." It means handing the debt over to God instead of making the person pay.
Let's go deeper: What's the difference between truly forgiving someone and just pretending you weren't hurt?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's harder — saying "sorry" or saying "I forgive you"? Why do you think Jesus did the forgiving part first, before anyone apologized?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Even the harshest critics of early Christianity couldn't explain one thing away. Christ's followers forgave the people who persecuted them, and they loved their enemies. That kind of love is costly. It's unearned. And it's modeled on the cross. Love like that is hard to fake, and willpower alone can't mass-produce it. It points to a real, life-changing Savior.
For Dad · Go Deeper
Dad, your kids will learn forgiveness less from what you teach and more from what you do when they wrong you. And when your spouse wrongs you too. A father who keeps a hidden ledger of his children's failures raises kids who feel they can never come clean. But a dad who forgives quickly, freely, and out loud gives them a living window into Calvary. Just say it: "I forgive you, and I love you." And here's the harder layer. Is there someone you still haven't forgiven? Bitterness in a father's heart leaks into the whole house. So take it to the cross before you ask your children to forgive each other. Let the Spirit do in you what you're asking Him to do in them.
Draws on: Paul Tripp, Parenting; Sam Rainer, The Solomon Seduction.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that Jesus prayed, 'Forgive them,' even from the cross. Thank You for forgiving us so completely. Help us forgive others the same way. Help us do it quickly, and from the heart. In Jesus' name, amen."
I can forgive others freely, because Jesus forgave me first, even from the cross.