In Luke 23:34 NLT, you read, “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.‘“ This line always makes me pause, because it shows His tremendous love for the people, His mercy, and His grace, but there is another verse in this chapter that also makes me sit up and take notice.
Think about every crucifixion scene you’ve ever watched. Almost always, you hear Jesus gasp out words just before he dies.
But that’s not what happened.
“Then Jesus shouted, ‘Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!’ And with those words he breathed his last.”
Luke 23:46 NLT
Did you see it?
Jesus SHOUTED.
At the end, He left no room for doubt. With a voice that could be heard by everyone present, this man for whom shouting should have been a physical impossibility (google crucifixion) let everyone know that God was His father and that He was still the one in control. By all rights, it should have taken several more hours for Him to die, but He very publicly died when HE chose.
Everyone present had to recognize the significance, so it’s really no surprise that the soldier made his declaration in verse 47.
They were all there either to mourn or to mock and jeer. They were also there, whether they liked it or not, to hear.
Celebrating Jesus!
Tammy C