Father, Forgive Them

On Good Friday, I often reflect on the cruelty of God's creation towards its creator. Christ's crucifixion wasn't simply the act of a handful of specific, evil people at a specific point in time, but rather the natural result of human nature as a whole. We are all sinful, petty, and jealous. It is in our nature to fear and hate what we can't understand, and to lash out in wounded pride towards people who we feel are "better" than us in some way. Jesus was an aberration in our fallen world, and the same qualities that drew people to him- his love, compassion, wisdom, and purity- also drove them to murder him. We can't stand being reminded of our faults, and Jesus not only pointed out the faults of humanity, but was himself faultless. This song is written from the point of view of a member in the crowd that put Jesus to death, as a reminder that the same impulse that guided the Pharisees and drove the crowds into a frenzy lives in each of us. We are all, in our sinfulness, responsible for Christ's death, and it is because of our sinfulness that he had to die. Praise God that he takes our wickedness and turns it into our redemption!
This song is from the podcast Word Like Fire, which is focused on new worship music. Please visit www.wordlikefire.com for more songs.