Foregiveness
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Are you forgiven?
Are you forgiven?
Have you ever struggled with forgiveness? Earlier this week, I was struggling with a relationship in my life. My friend had told me some difficult things and I was hurt. I was really down for a couple days struggling with what they told me. I could help but think of the verse.
Proverbs 27:6 (ESV)
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
And as I was meditating on this passage, I was blown away about verse 34 lets look at it together
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
So Jesus was sinless and perfect. He was on trial on trumpeted up charges because the Pharisees and saducess wanted to get rid of Him. Why Let’s look at Matthew 27 for our answer.
So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up.
The people envied the attention Jesus was taking from them and the power and the prestige, so they had Jesus tortured and killed. And as Jesus hang on the cross
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
He says Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing. Do you see the depth of forgiveness Of God? And as I thought about the depth of His forgiveness. I compared it to our level of forgiveness. And I scoffed to myself, wow you look at the depth of God’s forgiveness and we struggle to forgive people when they hurt our pride. And then it happened. The little light bulb went of in my head and I realized that is what I had been doing to my friend. My friend wasn’t trying to hurt me with their comments, but they did hurt me. They hurt my pride. They told me I wan’t as good as I thought I was. But that is the beauty of the Gospel isn’t it?
What else does our passage tell us about God?
It shows how serious God the Father takes our sin doesn’t it? Jesus was perfect. Stop and think about that can you really conceive of that? He never had a bad day, He always controlled His tongue. Quick poll the audience question, Have you ever said anything you regretted? Jesus never did Not. That is hard for me to imagine. I struggle to go 10 minutes without saying something i regret. He was the perfect spotless lamb of God.
It shows the level of obedience and humbleness of Jesus. Another audience question, Have you ever failed to obey God because it was difficult or you feared looking stupid? Jesus’ obedience is jaw dropping isn’t it? Look at Philippians 2:8 with me.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
What does the passage say about us?
By default we are blind to sin aren’t we?
The pharisees thought they were serving God - They had developed their own ideas of who the Messiah would be and they missed him.
They thought they were preserving the nation
50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”
2. By nature people lack compassion. We get so driven by hate.
And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”
When we stop and consider the fact that Jesus was sinless, It is unbelievable how blinded by hate the Religous leaders where. Isn’t it? I like what Jesus had to say when a group of them prior to this event were going to stone Him. Looks at what Jesus said.
Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”
Jesus was sinless. He came and healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, opened the ears of the deaf. He raised the dead. Why would anyone hate Him? That is how powerful envy is. That is how sick our human hearts are. That is why we all need a Savior! Amen?
What hope does the passage give us? The hope I want you to leave here today with is that no one is beyond Salvation. You can not sin to greatly. There is no sin to bad for Jesus to forgive. He prayed for the men who falsely accused Him. Who spit upon Him and whipped Him and beat Him beyond recognition and then nailed Him to across out of hate and envy. What can you or someone else do to top that? But Jesus prayed for them and asked God to forgive them for they know not what they do. So the hope you can leave here with is it is never to late to turn, talk about death bed conversions the thief was on the cross within minutes to hours before death. Never give up on your friends, neighbors and loved ones they are not beyond the forgiveness of God.