April 2, 2021
Pastor John Hering
Luke 23:32-34
Luke 23:32-34
32 Two other men, who were criminals, were led away with Jesus to be executed.
33 When they came to the place called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on his right and the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” They cast lots to divide his garments among them.
Were you there? Ever since I’ve been creating Good Friday services at Divine Peace we have ended our service with this hymn 119: “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” It’s a probing question that people face on this Good Friday all around the world, and for people of all time. Were you there on Good Friday? Were you there when they crucified my Lord? … when they nailed him to the tree? …when they laid him in the tomb? Before you answer, I want us to remember some of the people that were at “Golgotha—the Place of the Skull” that Scriptures tell us were there to witness the
Nail-Pierced Hands of Jesus
Many were there to See those Hands
Some were there because they had to be there. The Romans soldiers had to be there. It was their job to be there. They carried out their orders with deathly precision. While the soldiers were there for their reasons, the Scriptures tell us of the important reasons they had to be there. They were fulfilling the Scriptures that King David was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write hundreds of years earlier. “A band of evil men has encircled me. They have pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me. 18 They divide my garments among them. For my clothing they cast lots” (Ps 22:16-18). But, of all the soldiers that were there to see the Nail-pierced Hands of Jesus there were soldiers particularly chosen by God to be there. These soldiers God used to make a declaration that many heard then and that we confess this holy night, “54 When the centurion and those who were guarding Jesus with him saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.” (Matt 27:54).
Two other criminals were there to see the Nail-pierced hands of Jesus. They didn’t have a choice about being there either. They also had nail-pierced hands as the punishment they deserved for their crimes. They were gasping for their breath just like Jesus only their words from their crosses were filled with hatred and anger, for, “even the criminals who were crucified with him kept insulting him” (Matt 27:44). “One of the criminals hanging there was blaspheming him, saying, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (Lk 23:49). But, the other criminal saw the nail-pierced Hands of Jesus, the words of forgiveness that came from Jesus’ mouth and came to a different conclusion: “But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same condemnation? We are punished justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for what we have done, but this man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41). After this man confessed his sins to Jesus he provided us with some of the most reassuring conversation with Jesus anyone could ever have! “42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember mewhen you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus said to him, “Amen I tell you: Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
The Jewish leaders were there. Maybe they wanted to be sure Pilate would follow through on his promise. Maybe they were gloating. Maybe they were so filled with hatred they “enjoyed” every minute of Jesus suffer for all the times he had embarrassed them, put them in their place, and showed they were wrong. In their minds they had won a great victory and now they got nasty. “41 In the same way the chief priests, experts in the law, and elders kept mocking him. They said, 42 “He saved others, but he cannot save himself. If he’s the King of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him” (Matt 27:41). They were there to see the Nail-pierced hands of Jesus and taunted, jeered and challenged Jesus to come down from the cross oblivious to the fact Jesus could have easily destroyed them all then, and would eternally punish them in hell for their unbelief.
It would have been nice to say all the disciples were there. But, there was only one disciples there—John. John was there to see the Nail-pierced hands of Jesus while standing next to the person who perhaps had the heart that hurt the most—Mary, Jesus’ mother. Do you think she remembered the words spoken to her by Simeon 33 years earlier? “Listen carefully, this child is appointed for the falling and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too” (Luke 2:35). Mary, was there to see the nail-pierced hands of Jesus and witness her son slowly dying before her eyes. Now Mary fully understand what the words of Simeon meant. She was there.
Working through a list of those who were there help us to remember the people, places and events of Good Friday, but I didn’t really answer the question: Were You There? On the one hand you could say, “No, I wasn’t physically there to see the nail-pierced hands of Jesus.” We were not there because we are separated from those events by 1,000s of miles and some 2,000 years. But, there is a different way to look at the question. Yes, I was there. You just sang it. “Beneath the cross of Jesus I find a place to stand.” If the words of this song are true, then you were there and so was I. No, we didn’t stand there with swords and shields in our hands, hurling insults at Jesus, or even simply standing there to watch someone we loved die. However, you were there to see the Nail-pierced hands of Jesus because you were nailed there with him. St Paul wrote to the Romans, “3 Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Rom 6:3). Your baptism put you with Christ on the cross, not just for our sins, but we died with Christ through God’s eyes. One more person was there! Of all the people who saw Jesus’ nail-pierced hands of Jesus, the most important one to see those hands was God! When God saw Jesus as our Substitutionary Sacrifice, God saw the many hands there were there being declared forgiven in the blood of Jesus! You were there with so many more people to see the Nail-pierced Hands of Jesus for you. See those hands of Jesus’ grace, love and forgiveness and trust that
All Are Forgiven Because of Those Hands
Were you there? I remember another important event in my life when I was there. I was driving with my new bride to our honeymoon spot on Mackinac Island. We drove from Minnesota through the UP of Michigan. Do you all know what’s there? Nothing but trees. Hill after hill covered by huge, green trees—until you come to a clearing and giant billboard that says, “Real Christians FORGIVE like Jesus.” Now, I don’t know what you would think when you saw that sign, but it was having the opposite effect on me. The message makes me think about all the lessons Jesus taught about forgiveness (turn the other check; not 7 times but 70 x 7 times; the Parable of the Prodigal Son, etc.). That’s why it is a good thing for me to be reminded of the prayer Jesus spoke from the cross. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” With these words Jesus is praying for his Father in heaven to forgive the people that were there putting him to death. Just think about the selfless love of Jesus with his Nail-pierced hands in order to forgive the sins of all people. Yes, you were there and Jesus forgave you.
So, can I forgive as Jesus has forgiven me? Can you? As I make some comparisons to my life I think you would come to the same conclusions I have. How many petty squabbles of time infested my heart to see if God will get my time in worship and Bible study, or my Sunday morning cup of coffee and a few more minutes in bed? How many hurtful things have I said to people about my wife not cooking and cleaning the way I think she should? How many revengeful things have I thought about doing in order to get even with my neighbors who play their music too loud or don’t shut up their dog from constantly barking? How many times have I withheld forgiveness because I would rather hold a grudge instead? If real Christians forgive like Jesus, what does that make of me? Who can claim to have the same standard as Jesus and forgive people? No one! Do you know what that makes us? Guilty. Undeserving. Not at all able to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. The sign, “Real Christians FORGIVE Like Jesus” screams at me that I needed a miracle to be rescued from all my sins.
Were you there? Look again at those Nail-pierced hands of Jesus. For a Savior who performed so many miracles during his ministry sure doesn’t look to me like a miracle worker on Good Friday! He looks weak and helpless nailed to the cross. Bloodied, beaten, a crown of thorns on his head—Jesus looks defeated. It looks like Satan won. But, the victory party in hell turns out to be short lived. The cackling of Satan turns into great fear for Jesus holds out his innocent, perfect nail-pierced hands to the Father as payment for the sins of the world! Yes, miracle of miracles you were there because all are forgiven by those nail-pierced hands of Jesus Christ. Believe it. Look long and hard at Jesus Nail-Pierced Hands and rest secure in Jesus’ promise: You Are Forgiven! Amen!
