When Were They Forgiven?

     Luke tells us that when the Jews delivered Jesus up to the Romans for
crucifixion, that while on the cross, Jesus prayed to God, "Father, forgive
them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

     Many people have assumed that Jesus was asking God to forgive his
murderers on the spot, without any conditions except the fact that they
were acting in ignorance. It is my studied conviction that they are wrong
in their conclusion for the following reasons.

     First, the fact that they were ignorant was not an excuse for their sin
of crucifying the Savior. Peter told the Jews in Acts chapter 3, "Now, fellow
Israelites, I know you acted in ignorance as did your leaders. But this is how
God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his
Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may
be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the
Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you;
even Jesus." (Acts 3:17-20) If they were forgiven while in a state of ignorance,
Peter didn't know it because he says in effect, they needed to repent and turn
to God because they had sins that needed to be wiped away.

     Second, if those for whom Jesus prayed were forgiven at the time he
prayed, they themselves didn't know it because on the day of Pentecost,
when Peter told them that they crucified Jesus, whom God made both Lord
and Messiah, "they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other
apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' " (Acts 2:36-37)  They were asking,
"What shall we do in order to be released from the guilt we have incurred?"

     Third, if the Jews were forgiven at the time Jesus prayed, the Holy
Spirit didn't know it. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit from heaven
to guide the apostles into all the truth and to teach them what to say when
proclaiming the message of salvation. (Jno. 14:25-26; 16:13) On the day
of Pentecost, the apostles spoke as the Holy Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:4)
The Holy Spirit through Peter told them to "Repent and be immersed so that
your sins may be forgiven." (Acts 2:38) In the Spirit's mind, the guilt of the
people for whom Jesus prayed was unforgiven till they heard and obeyed
the words from the apostles' mouths.

     Fourth, there were conditions that the Jews would be required to
meet in order to be forgiven. The Spirit through Peter said, "Repent
and be immersed." They had not met the conditions of forgiveness at
the time Jesus prayed, so they could not have been forgiven at that time.
Why would they repent when Jesus prayed, as they thought they were
doing the right thing by crucifyng the Lord?

     The  prayer  of  Jesus  was  a  request  that  when  the  gospel is
proclaimed and the terms of pardon stipulated, that the Jews who
comply would receive  pardon of their heinous sin of crucifying God's
sinless Son. God forgave them on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:1,38)
                                                                                             RD

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