The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Forgiveness

Nor was this prayer absolute, i. e., that ignorance removed all guilt or made it so slight that the Father could dismiss it without further ado. No; the very first word “dismiss it” states that these are terrible sins, something grave and serious to dismiss. This is not a case of brushing away a few feathers. This is also true with regard to the ignorance. The sinning that is connected with the Passion of Jesus is so open, flagrant, deliberate, and so multiplied that everybody who was involved knew it. It is unwarranted to claim ignorance for these outrageous sins, or to think that Jesus supposed that ignorance was back of them. “What they are doing” is defined in I Cor. 2:8, namely this that they were crucifying the Lord of glory, or Acts 13:27, that they were fulfilling the prophets, or Acts 3:15-17, that they were killing the Prince of Life. It was this ignorance that Jesus referred to. All these men who did Jesus to death were an ungodly, unregenerate lot who were living in all kinds of sins besides those they perpetrated on Jesus. What good would it do them to have only the latter canceled? This prayer of Jesus involves the thought that these men may and will yet learn just what they have done, that it was God’s own Son, the Prince of Life, the Lord of Glory, and not just a man, whom their ungodliness killed.

This shows us the fulfillment of this prayer which Jesus had in mind. By no means a pardon without repentance — <span style="background-color:yellow">that would run counter to all Scripture and to the very redemption Jesus was now effecting</span>. But a pardon through repentance when the truth would be brought home to them as the Acts passages brought it home. The knowledge that was thus wrought, which consisted of the light that would operate upon them as law and as gospel, as revealing their horrible sin and also the redemption that Jesus effected when they killed him, that knowledge was the means Jesus had in mind for causing their repentance and thus their remission, and not of one sin only but of all their sins. In other words, Jesus prays that the Father may give these murderers of his time, grace, and the knowledge that may bring them the Father’s pardon.

It is remarked that Jesus does not say: “I myself dismiss it for them; for,” etc. Why not? Because he is the Intercessor with the Father. He is acting as our High Priest. But did he not pardon others, even the malefactor (v. 43)? Ah, but all these repented. His intercession cannot take the place of absolution. Intercession is made for those who are still impenitent, absolution is intended only for the repentant.