Theology

Did Jesus Really Forgive Those Who Crucified Him?

by J.W. Phillips
09/26/25
Not For Sale

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

Did Jesus Really Forgive Those Who Crucified Him?

It is commonly assumed that Jesus offered forgiveness to those who were crucifying him even while he was on the cross. This isn’t exactly true. 

The only reference for these words is in Luke 23:34, where Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.”

So were these words intended for all those on Calvary’s hill, for all those stomping around Golgotha, mocking him, taunting him, jeering him? 

The context of the passage suggests otherwise. In the preceding verse we read: “And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, the one on the right hand and the other on the left.”

So who does the “they” refer to? The Roman soldiers.

The crowd didn’t crucify anybody; it was the soldiers who erected those crosses and put these men on them. Therefore, the “they” in verse 33 is the antecedent for the “them” in verse 34. It does not refer to all that were there that day.

A moment’s reflection will make it clear why it could not refer to all of them.

Jesus said, “They do not know what they do.” But the high priest knew, the scribes knew, the Pharisees knew, and all those who aligned themselves with them knew.

Their hostility to Jesus was well defined, based on content, not on random emotion, not on the contagion of mob excitement. They knew!

The Roman soldiers, however, were just doing their job, following their orders, carrying out their duty. It was for these men, the executors assigned to this crucifixion detail, that Jesus offered these words about forgiveness.

Notice also that the one to forgive was not Jesus but the Father. So in that sense as well Jesus didn’t forgive anybody.

The omniscient Father knew how little these Roman soldiers knew about a religion that wasn’t theirs. It was ultimately up to him to determine who could be forgiven.

Further reflection on Jesus’ request requires recognition that forgiveness will never be granted based on ignorance alone. Forgiveness requires repentance, and repentance requires knowledge of what we did wrong. Ignorance doesn’t give any of us a free pass.

In Hosea 4:6 God says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Well, if they didn’t know, why were they destroyed?

The same verse answers that question, “because you have rejected knowledge….” You didn’t know because you didn’t want to know. By itself, ignorance didn't absolve them. 

God holds us accountable for what we could have known, what we should have known. So when we decide not to go to church, we will be responsible for what was taught. And when we decide not to read our Bible today, the next day and the next, we will be responsible for what we chose not to read.

There’s another angle to this ignorance issue that also deserves mentioning. In Acts 3:17 Peter told the Jews, “… you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 

You mean those who plotted Jesus murder did it in ignorance? The religious rulers who stalked him for months, hating him everyday, they did it in ignorance.

In one sense, yes; and if we’ll consider the opposite scenario, we will know why that’s true.

Consider Caiaphas, the worst of the worst. Was he aware that Jesus was God’s perfect lamb, by whom eternal forgiveness was being secured and victory for the kingdom was being won that day?

That wasn't what he was thinking. He was totally ignorant of that, foolish man that he was.

What if he had known? Would that have changed anything?

Maybe it would have, maybe it wouldn't. We’re not sure. It should have, we know that much.

There is no calculation for coo-coo crazy, not even two IQ point’s worth, that would have supported continuing opposition to Jesus. This is why Paul said in I Corinthians 2:8, “… none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” 

Yeah, you would think; if reason alone was the criterion, that would be true.

But it isn’t.

Remember, Satan knew the Lord of glory better than anyone—yet he wanted Jesus dead! Moreover, there will be unsaved ones during the Lord’s millenial reign who, though seeing Jesus in person, will rise up and try to defeat him.

How can this be? Because sin is stupid, that’s why. We have to factor that in.

We can never say that ignorance excuses. If we say that, everyone ignorant receives forgiveness and goes straight to Heaven. Besides, Scripture said, when reflecting more broadly on the world’s population, “they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

It is obvious there are gradations of ignorance. And we can add to those gradations the child who dies in tender years who will be received immediately by our tender Lord.

The grace that shows up in the gospel—hoping that a better response might have been secured had the darkness covering ignorance been removed—adds sweetness to the gospel appeal. But that’s hope, not assurance. Alongside this fact, remember, are the Lord’s words in John 3 saying people’s preference for darkness is precisely the basis of their condemnation (John 3:19).

So what about us, are we supposed to offer forgiveness to people offending us even while they’re doing their worst? Again, keep in mind Scripture doesn’t report Jesus doing that.

In fact, there is no formulaic answer like that anywhere in Scripture, and I’m not sure there should be. Yes, we are to forgive our enemies, yet timing and context are addressable issues. 

If the forgiveness we offer is to be more than an automatic reflex and a pre-program response forced out (though the grimacing face communicates a different message), the Holy Spirit must be given opportunity to minister to the one sinned against.

Artificially imposing an immediate forgiveness response from every believer is without scriptural warrant. A time for understanding how this forgiveness will play out—its stages, its challenges, its methods—will mean so much. That should come first.

A more alert ministry recognizes that the forgiveness offered the first moment will see its inspiration fade and the reality of that sin remain. What then? The bigger issue is not how quickly forgiveness was offered but how long forgiveness will be sustained.

Forgiveness as soon as possible is the goal, but only when sufficient grace is daily released. True, no one will have the full measure of grace when their forgiveness is first offered. But the need for laying hold of this grace, daily through faith, should be understood and accepted or the forgiveness will fail.

When pursuing this goal, we should keep in mind that Jesus didn’t front-load every response to the evil he encountered by first dispensing the forgiveness offer. More often, he confronted them, if not admonished, or at other times taught them. Context mattered for him, as it will for us.

Zeal to crank out words of forgiveness first may not come from God, as we have too often supposed. We certainly don’t want bitterness (Hebrews 12:15), and we also don’t want the harm already done to us compounded because we camped out on the wrong side of forgiveness. 

Hopefully, wounded one, you will feel God’s comfort more strongly and access his enabling grace more steadily as you meditate these thoughts today.