Jesus was asking forgiveness primarily for the nation of Israel, who crucified Him in ignorance — not for the Roman soldiers.
Les Feldick teaches that the 'them' in Jesus' prayer refers chiefly to the Jewish people — the nation that had the Old Testament Scriptures and should have recognized their Messiah, yet killed Him in ignorance. Romans were also involved in the crucifixion, but the guilt Jesus pleads about is Israel's, and that ignorance became what Les calls 'God's loophole' for the nation. Peter later preached the same line in Acts 3: they acted ignorantly, and were called to repentance.
Luke 23:34 — This is the verse in question — Jesus' actual prayer, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do' — which Les uses to show the prayer was based on their ignorance.
Acts 3:17 — Peter tells the nation of Israel, 'through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers,' confirming that Jesus' prayer was aimed at Israel's ignorance.
Luke 23:34 records Jesus' words from the cross: 'Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' The Gospel accounts do not explicitly name who 'them' includes, but the crucifixion involved both Jewish leaders and Roman authorities — 1 Corinthians 2:8 says, 'Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.' In Matthew 27:25, it is the Jewish crowd that says, 'His blood be on us, and on our children.' In Acts 3, the apostle Peter addresses the men of Israel, saying, 'But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses' (Acts 3:14-15) — and then immediately adds, 'And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers' (Acts 3:17). The Scripture itself connects the crucifixion to Israel's ignorance, and calls them to repentance in Acts 3:19: 'Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.'
Les Feldick teaches that Jesus' prayer — 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do' — was a plea based on Israel's ignorance. He calls it 'God's loophole for the nation of Israel': had they known who they were killing, God would have had to destroy them. Peter uses the same argument in Acts 3, telling Israel, 'You killed him, but you were ignorant.' Les also ties this to the Old Testament principle of a man who kills another unknowingly, showing that ignorance was a recognized mitigating factor in Israel's economy. Peter over and over lays the blame for the crucifixion on the Jewish nation — 'you delivered up,' 'you denied the Holy One,' 'you killed the Prince of Life' — because they, who had the Scriptures and the covenants, should have known better. At the same time, Les points out that the whole human race is guilty of crucifying the Messiah, citing Psalm 2:1, and that Rome certainly did not know who Jesus was. The emphasis, however, falls on Israel, because Peter deals with them on covenant ground. Les also stresses that this is not an excuse for anti-Semitism, and that the nation still needed to repent before forgiveness was applied.
Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do' — and Les emphasizes that this was an appeal to their ignorance, not just an act of grace. He explains that in Israel's Old Testament economy, a farmer who killed a man unknowingly was not treated as a deliberate murderer; the ignorance mitigated the guilt. Peter makes the same appeal in Acts 3:17, telling Israel, 'through ignorance ye did it.' This ignorance, Les says, was God's loophole that spared the nation from immediate destruction.
Les points out that Peter 'over and over' lays the blame for the crucifixion on the Jewish nation. In Acts 3:13-15 Peter says to Israel: 'ye delivered up... ye denied the Holy One and the Just... and killed the Prince of life.' Les notes that Peter was 'pointing the finger at the nation' on covenant ground — Israel is the one who should have known better because they possessed the Scriptures and the promises of the Abrahamic covenant.
Yes — Les is careful to note that the Roman soldiers were present and that Pilate himself will one day stand before the righteous Judge for what he failed to do. He also quotes 1 Corinthians 2:8 that the 'princes of this world' — which he says includes both Jewish leaders and Rome — did not know who Jesus was, or they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Les adds that the whole human race is guilty, citing Psalm 2:1 where the kings of the earth and the people conspire together. But when Peter preaches, he focuses on the nation of Israel because they had the greater revelation.
Not automatically. Les teaches that at the time of Acts 3, the nation of Israel 'has not yet been forgiven' of the fact that they rejected and killed their Messiah. That is why Peter's first word in Acts 3:19 is 'Repent.' Jesus' prayer from the cross opened the door, but Israel still had to respond in repentance for their sins to be blotted out.
What Jesus Said From the Cross — 7 Statements Explained
of which He is of course the bright and morning star, or the 8th I AM in our New Testament. Now that was just a quick review, now I'd like to take a look and probably spend the rest of this half hour on the 7 statements from the cross. I'm going to have you turn with me now in the class to Luke chapter 23, and as I warned you before the cameras started rolling, we're going to be jumping back and f…
God's Loophole for Israel
Les explains that Jesus' prayer 'Father, forgive them' was pleading Israel's ignorance — and that had they known who they were killing, God would have had to destroy the nation. This is the loophole Peter uses in Acts 3.
Peter Points the Finger at the Nation
Les shows Peter telling Israel, 'you delivered up... you denied the Holy One... you killed the Prince of Life,' demonstrating that the blame for the crucifixion is placed directly on the Jewish nation.
The Princes of This World Did Not Know
Les uses 1 Corinthians 2:8 to show that neither the Jewish leaders nor Rome knew who Jesus was — otherwise they would not have crucified Him — and that Peter used this ignorance as Israel's escape route.
Killing the Prince of Life — and the Call to Repent
Les emphasizes that Israel 'killed the Prince of Life' and that the nation had not yet been forgiven at the time of Acts 3 — hence Peter's call to 'Repent' in Acts 3:19.
His Blood Be On Us
Les shows that it was the Jewish crowd — not the Roman soldiers — who declared 'His blood be on us, and on our children,' linking the responsibility for the crucifixion to the nation of Israel.
Ignorance in the Old Testament Economy
Les parallels Jesus' 'they know not what they do' with the Old Testament principle of a farmer who kills a man unknowingly, illustrating that ignorance mitigated guilt in Israel's law.
Israel on Covenant Ground
Les explains that while the whole human race is guilty of the crucifixion according to Psalm 2, Peter deliberately lays the blame on Israel because they, who had the covenant, should have known better.
Luke 23:34: Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
This is the prayer in question — Jesus asks the Father to forgive because 'they know not what they do.'
Acts 3:13-15: The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
Peter's indictment of Israel shows that the 'you' who killed the Prince of Life is the Jewish nation.
Acts 3:17: And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
Peter explicitly identifies Israel's ignorance — the same ground Jesus pleaded from the cross.
Acts 3:19: Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Israel's forgiveness was not automatic at the cross — Peter calls the nation to repent of killing their Messiah.
1 Corinthians 2:8: Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
This verse shows that both Jewish leaders and Roman authorities were ignorant of who Jesus was.
Psalm 2:1-2: Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Les uses this to show that the whole human race — kings and people together — is guilty of conspiring against the Messiah.
Matthew 27:25: Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
The Jewish crowd at Jesus' trial took the responsibility for His blood upon themselves and their children.
The 'them' is understood chiefly as the nation of Israel — the Jewish people who should have recognized their Messiah from the Old Testament Scriptures. Roman soldiers participated in the crucifixion, but the guilt Jesus pleads about is Israel's, committed in ignorance. Peter's message in Acts 3 makes this explicit when he tells the nation, 'You killed the Prince of Life.'
Because they did it in ignorance. Les calls this 'God's loophole' for the nation: had they known who they were killing, God would have had to destroy them. Jesus' prayer from the cross and Peter's later appeal in Acts 3 both rest on Israel's ignorance.
Not automatically. Les explains that the nation of Israel 'has not yet been forgiven' for rejecting and killing their Messiah at the time Peter preaches in Acts 3. That is why Peter's call is 'Repent' — forgiveness was extended to the nation as they repented.
Watch the Teaching: What Jesus Said From the Cross — 7 Statements Explained