Jesus says, “Father, forgive them.” Who is “them?”

Question: I’m preaching on, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”  I’d appreciate any thoughts you might give. How far does that forgiveness go? Is that forgiveness bound by geography or time?

Response: I think “them” is all that crucified him. And according to Peter in Acts 2 and 3, it was everyone to whom Peter was preaching. And according to John, Jesus is the lamb who takes away the sins of the world. And so all of humanity crucified him, for our sins crucified him. I think Scripture is saying that all along Adam (“humanity”) has crucified him for he is the Good and the Life hanging on the tree (which is a cross) in the garden from the very beginning. So yeah, “them” is everyone that’s anyone and this is why he also says, “It is finished.” The thing that finally creates a person in the image of God, is the Grace of God revealed in Christ Jesus on the tree in the Garden (John 19:41) on Calvary. It’s that Grace that creates Faith in “Adam” (us) which was the thing that the first Adam lacked in Genesis 3. So, I believe the “them” is absolutely huge. And this is why he says, “They don’t know what they’re doing.” Apart from Christ we don’t know the Good, which is Christ. We may know “about the good” (as in the law), but at the cross, “the Good” knows us for he is “the Life,” our eternal Life. He is the Promised Seed.