January 27, 2002 John Piper, Pastor Bethlehem Baptist Church www.desiringGOD.org http!""#$.$.%&.2'0"cgi()in"lin*rd+ ,lang-./0lah-e$&&'72&acee%7a&%c10dd1#27e#a'e70lat-%0%27&&20#0hm,,,action-http32a324324www 32edesiringGOD32eorg5 6789.:, 6O:G;<.

, 6O: =. >/O= =978 =. 7:. DO;/G ?@u*e $!%#(20A 8wo others also, who were criminals, were )eing led away to )e put to death with 9im. 22 =hen they came to the place called 8he B*ull, there they cruci4ied 9im and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the le4t. 2$ But Jesus was saying, C6ather, 4orgiDe themE 4or they do not *now what they are doing.C 7nd they cast lots, diDiding up 9is garments among themselDes. 2' 7nd the people stood )y, loo*ing on. 7nd eDen the rulers were sneering at 9im, saying, C9e saDed othersE let 9im saDe 9imsel4 i4 this is the Christ o4 God, 9is Chosen One.C 2# 8he soldiers also moc*ed 9im, coming up to 9im, o44ering 9im sour wine, 27 and saying, C;4 Fou are the >ing o4 the Jews, saDe Foursel4GC 2& /ow there was also an inscription a)oDe 9im, C89;B ;B 89. >;/G O6 89. J.=B.C /otice, in Derse 2$ Jesus says, C6ather, 4orgiDe themE 4or they do not *now what they are doing.C 6orgiDe those who murder me )ecause they donHt *now what they are doing. /ow this raises a Iuestion! =hy 4orgiDe a person 4or what he does not *now he is doing+ =ouldnHt we say! C6ather, since they donHt *now what they are doing, they are not guilty and donHt need to )e 4orgiDenC+ ;snHt it either(or+ .ither you *now what you are doing and need to )e 4orgiDen. Or you donHt *now what you are doing and you donHt need to )e 4orgiDen. =hy does Jesus draw attention to their ignorance o4 what they are doing 7/D as* God to 4orgiDe them+ 8he Guilt o4 ;gnorance 7nswer! Because they are guilty 4or not *nowing what they are doing. 6orgiDeness is only needed 4or the guilty. /o)ody can 4orgiDe an innocent person. 8hatHs why all this tal* these days a)out 4orgiDing God is so wrongheaded, indeed, ; would say, )lasphemous i4 you really mean it. 6orgiDeness is 4or the guilty. Bo when Jesus says, C6ather, 4orgiDe them,C he means they are guilty. 8hen when he says, C6or they donHt *now what they are doing,C he must mean, C7nd they should *now what they are doing. 7nd they are guilty 4or not *nowing what they are doing.C ;n other words, they haDe so much eDidence o4 the truth that the only eJplanation 4or their ignorance is they donHt want to see it. 8hey are hard and resistant and haDe a guilty )lindness. 8hat is why they need to )e 4orgiDen. Bo here are Gentiles and Jews *illing the Bon o4 God and the Kessiah o4 ;srael and the most innocent and loDing man that eDer eJisted. But they did not *now whom they were *illing. 6or this ignorance they were guilty and in need o4 4orgiDeness. 7nd amaLingly, Jesus is praying 4or them that his 6ather would open their eyes and help them to see their sin, repent, and )e 4orgiDen. 8hat is the )eauti4ul thing a)out this prayer o4 Jesus! ;t declares guilt and o44ers 4orgiDeness at the same time. Bo this morning here in this room, i4 you are reMecting Jesus as Bon o4 God and @ord and BaDior o4 your li4e, he declares that you are guilty 7/D he o44ers himsel4 as the sacri4ice to pay 4or your sins and 4orgiDe all the sins you haDe eDer done and eDer will do. C6ather, 4orgiDe them, 4or they donHt *now what they are doing.C 8here was eDidence, and there is eDidence, that Jesus is the sin()earing Kessiah and Bon o4 God who he claimed to )e. 6or eJample, %A his supernatural healingsE 2A his authority oDer natureE 2A his power oDer demonsE $A his compassion 4or outcasts ?li*e lepersA and his association with the lowlyE 'A his simplicity o4 li4e and indi44erence to wealthE #A his unparalleled wisdom and his seeing through hypocrisyE 7A his indi44erence to human praise and deDotion to the good o4 othersE &A his liDing 4or the glory o4 GodE 1A his willingness to die 4or othersE %0A his claim to )e the Kessiah and Bon o4 God ?was he a liar, insane, true+A. 8hose are some o4 the eDidences that made the ignorance o4 his *illers a guilty ignorance. 8here4ore, they needed to )e 4orgiDen eDen i4 they did not *now what they were doing, )ecause they should haDe *nown. 7pplication to 7)ortion /ow my point this morning is this! so it is with a)ortion. ;4 we claim to )e ignorant that we are *illing human )eings and that there4ore we are innocent, Jesus prays 4or us, C6ather, 4orgiDe them, 4or . . .C But here ; haDe to stop. ; donHt *now i4 ; can say, C8hey donHt *now what they are doing.C Kay)e some donHt. But many do. But the important point is this! =hether we *now what we are doing or donHt *now what we are doing, we are guilty and need 4orgiDeness, )ecause we should *now what we are doing. ;ndeed, we do *now what we are doing. Bo hear me loud and clear at the outset! Jesus o44ers you 4orgiDeness this morning 4or a)orting your child, or encouraging your girl4riend or your daughter to a)ort your child, or 4or wor*ing in an a)ortion clinic, or 4or )eing apathetic and doing nothing a)out this great eDil and inMustice in our society. 7nd in o44ering 4orgiDeness, Jesus declares that we are guilty. Our ignorance is guilty ignorance. =e should *now what we are doing eDen i4 we donHt. 7nd we do *nowG Bo let me show you why ; )elieDe we *now what we are doing, or should *now, and are guilty 4or *nowing or not *nowing what we are doing N namely wrong4ully *illing un)orn human )eings whose right to li4e, li)erty, and the pursuit o4 happiness is a gi4t o4 God ?7cts %7!2'A. =e >now =hat =e 7re Doing %. Btates 8reat the >illing o4 the On)orn as a 9omicide =e *now what we are doing )ecause 27 Btates ?including KinnesotaA treat the *illing o4 an un)orn child as a 4orm o4

homicide ?http!""www.united4orli4e.org"4h,statutes.htm http!""#$.$.%&.2'0"cgi()in"lin*rd+ ,lang-./0lah-7%7a%$e2$'e4%dce0'$c&&211'%'d24'0lat-%0%27&&20#0hm,,,action-http32a324324www 32eunited4orli4e32eorg3244h,statutes32ehtm5A. 8hat is, they haDe what are called C4etal homicide laws.C Other states ?)esides these 27A haDe di44erent *inds o4 penalties 4or attac*s on women that result in harm to the )a)y she is carrying. 6or eJample, in Kinnesota in %1&7, a teenage girl # P months pregnant went with her )oy4riend on a suicide pact into the woods. Bhe shot hersel4 in the head, and he changed his mind and coDered her oDer with )rush and wal*ed away. 9e was apprehended and charged with assisting a suicide and CinadDertently murdering the 4etus during the commission o4 a 4elony.C 8he 4etal homicide law carried a sti44er penalty than assisting in a suicide. 8he Derdict was upheld in %11%. 7s ; read a)out this in the newspaper one sentence leaped o44 the page )ecause o4 its stunning implications. C8he law ma*es it murder to *ill an em)ryo or 4etus intentionally, eJcept in cases o4 a)ortion.C 8hin* a)out that 4or a moment. =e haDe some laws that condemn the *illing o4 a 4etus as murder, and we haDe some laws that condone the *illing o4 a 4etus as a)ortion. =hy is this+ =hat is the )asis 4or the di44erence+ Osually the proposed )asis 4or the di44erence is simply this! ;t is illegal to ta*e the li4e o4 the un)orn i4 the mother chooses that it not )e ta*en, )ut it is legal to ta*e the li4e o4 the un)orn i4 the mother chooses that it )e ta*en. ;n 4irst case the law treats the 4etus as a human with rightsE in the second case the law treats the 4etus as non(human with no rights. Do you see what this means+ ;t means that according to our laws in Kinnesota ?as well as other statesA, the humanness o4 the un)orn is determined 4rom case to case not on the )asis o4 its intrinsic Iualities, )ut on the )asis o4 someone elseHs choice. ;4 the one who has the power says it is right 4or the un)orn to )e *illed, it is rightE )ut i4 the one with the power says it is wrong 4or the un)orn to )e *illed, it is wrong. 8here is a name 4or this state o4 a44airs. =e call it anarchy! .ach one who has the power de4ines what is CrightC on the )asis o4 what he or she wants to )e right. /ow at this point those o4 us who care a)out racial Mustice should hear some ominous and threatening sounds. 7nd those who care most a)out Mustice 4or the un)orn should see the pro4ound implications o4 this 4or racial Mustice N and eDery other 4orm o4 Mustice. 7nd there should )e no sense that you can pic* one o4 these issues to care a)out with no concern a)out the other. =hen human Mustice is disconnected 4rom a personHs intrinsic humanity and made to depend simply on the choice o4 the strong, no one is sa4e 4rom )eing ar)itrarily de4ined out o4 personhood N whether it is a Jew in /aLi Germany or Blac* BlaDe in Bouth Carolina or an un)orn in4ant in the wom). ;4 the right to li4e and li)erty hangs merely on the will o4 the strong, there is no Mustice. 8he issue 4or racial Mustice and Mustice 4or the un)orn is! =hat constitutes human personhood and the human responsi)ilities and rights that 4low 4rom it. But hereHs my point this morning! 8he eJistence o4 4etal homicide laws show that we *now what we are doing when we a)ort the un)orn or condone a)ortion or ta*e no interest in it. 6ather, 4orgiDe, we *now what we are doing. 2. 8he ;nconsistency o4 6etal Burgery and 7)ortion =e *now what we are doing )ecause o4 the inconsistency o4 doing 4etal surgery on a )a)y in the wom) to saDe him while his cousin at the same stage o4 deDelopment is )eing *illed. 8he eDidence mounts on all hands that the un)orn are persons and patients alongside o4 their mothers. 8hey can )e medically treated Must as the mother can. But many people turn a dea4 ear to o)serDations li*e Dr. BteDe CalDinHs in a letter some years ago to the 7riLona Daily Btar! C8here is inescapa)le schiLophrenia in a)orting a per4ectly normal 22 wee* 4etus while at the same hospital, per4orming intra(uterine surgery on its cousin.C 6ather, 4orgiDe, we *now what we are doing. 2. BiLe ;s ;rreleDant in Determining Personhood =e *now what we are doing )ecause the siLe o4 a person is irreleDant when deciding i4 the person is a human )eing or not. 8he 4iDe(4oot(eight 4rame o4 a teenage son guarantees him no more right to li4e than the 22(inch 4rame o4 his little sister in her motherHs arms. BiLe is morally irreleDant ?% inch, 22 inches, #& inchesA in determining who should )e protected. 6orgiDe, 6ather, we *now what we are doing. $. DeDeloped :easoning Powers 7re ;rreleDant 4or Determining Personhood =e *now what we are doing )ecause deDeloped reasoning powers are not the criterion o4 personhood. 7 one(wee*(old in4ant, nursing at his motherHs )reast, does not haDe these powers either, yet we donHt put his li4e in Meopardy )ecause o4 that. 6ather, 4orgiDe, we *now what we are doing. '. @ocation or .nDionment 7re ;rreleDant 4or Determining Personhood =e *now what we are doing )ecause in all other areas o4 li4e we do not allow location or enDironment to determine a personHs right to li4e. Bo Bcott >lusendor4 as*s, C9ow does a simple Mourney o4 seDen inches down the )irth canal suddenly trans4orm the essential nature o4 the 4etus 4rom non(person to person+C ?http!""www.str.org"4ree")ioethics"Beriously.pd4A 8he so(called Cpartial()irth a)ortionC is so o)Diously in4anticide that only the most guilty )lindness could deny it. 6ather, 4orgiDe, we *now what we are doing. #. Dependency on 7nother ;s ;rreleDant 4or Determining Personhood =e *now what we are doing )ecause we consider persons on respirators and dialysis as human )eings whose liDes are precious and to )e protected. ;n other words, the un)orn cannot )e disIuali4ied 4rom human li4e )ecause they are dependent on their mother 4or 4ood and oJygen and protection 4rom toJins. ;n 4act, we operate on the eJact opposite principle! 8he more dependent a little one is on us, the more responsi)ility we 4eel to protect him, not the less. 6ather, 4orgiDe, we *now what we are doing. ?8hose last 4our o)serDations were summed up )y Bcott >lusendor4 under the acronym B@.D! BiLe, @eDel o4 deDelopment, .nDironment, Degree o4 dependence N none is morally releDant 4or the de4inition o4 human li4e.A

7. 8he Genetic Ka*e Op o4 9umans ;s OniIue =e *now what we are doing )ecause we *now that the genetic ma*e up o4 a human is di44erent 4rom all other creatures 4rom the moment o4 conception. 8he human code is complete and uniIue 4rom the start. =e *now what we are doing. 6ather, 4orgiDe us. &. 7ll the Organs 7re Present at .ight =ee*s o4 Gestation =e *now what we are doing )ecause we *now that at eight wee*s o4 gestation all the organs are present. 8he )rain is 4unctioning, the heart pumping, the liDer ma*ing )lood cells, the *idney cleaning the 4luids, the 4inger has a print. Fet almost all a)ortions happen later than this date. 6ather, 4orgiDe, we *now what we are doing. 1. =e 9aDe Been the Oltrasounds and the Photographs =e *now what we are doing )ecause the marDel o4 ultrasound has giDen a stunning window into the wom) that shows the un)orn, 4or eJample, at & wee*s suc*ing his thum), recoiling 4rom pric*ing, responding to sound. 7nd, )esides that, we haDe the amaLing )oo*s and magaLines capturing the intrauterine photographs o4 eDery stage in a )a)yHs deDelopment. =e thin* especially o4 the photography o4 @ennart /ilsson. =hen pro(choice people say pictures donHt count, they are inconsistent. 8he way things loo* is a crucial part o4 how we ma*e choices. Fou donHt shoot a man, you shoot a deer, and you use your eyes to tell the di44erence. ;4 the world could see clearly the )a)ies )eing *illed, millions o4 people would recoil. 7nd O how great the guilt o4 our ignorance, )ecause we can see them N i4 we would. 6ather, 4orgiDe, we *now what we are doing. %0. =hen 8wo :ights Con4lict, the 9igher <alue Bhould Be Protected =e *now what we are doing )ecause we *now the principle o4 Mustice that when two legitimate rights con4lict, the right that protects the higher Dalue should preDail. =e deny the right to driDe at %00 miles per hour )ecause the Dalue o4 li4e is greater than the Dalue o4 )eing on time or getting thrills. 8he right o4 the un)orn not to )e *illed and the right o4 a woman not to )e pregnant may )e at odds. But they are not eIual rights. Btaying aliDe is more precious and more )asic than not )eing pregnant. But in a)ortion, we reDerse this order. 7nd we *now what we are doing. O 6ather, 4orgiDe us. 7nd there are so many more reasons we could giDe why we *now what we are doing N especially we Christians with all GodHs precious special reDelation li*e Psalm %21!%2 ?CFou QO GodR 4ormed my inward partsE you *nitted me together in my motherHs wom).CA 7s we dream toward Planting a Passion N planting a strong, God(centered, Christ(eJalting, Bi)le saturated, missions( mo)iliLing, soul(winning, Mustice(pursuing church, let us remem)er that Jesus Christ indicts and 4orgiDes in one and the same act o4 death. 9e died to show us the greatness o4 our sin, and he died to 4orgiDe the greatness o4 our sin. 7nd, we add, he died ?according to 8itus 2!%$A Cto puri4y 4or 9imsel4 a people 4or 9is own possession, Lealous 4or good deeds.C O may God raise up coronary, =il)er4orce(li*e, neDer(giDe(up Christians in the )attle 4or racial Mustice and Mustice 4or the un)orn, mingled with mercy 4or eDeryone inDolDed, )ecause we liDe )y mercy.