Good Morning My Friends! The whole purpose for Jesus’ suffering was for the forgiveness of sin. He knew He was the only One who could take away the sin of the world. Jesus knew His purpose, and He fulfilled His purpose. Now He wants us to do the same.
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15).
On the Cross
On the cross, Jesus only spoke seven times. Today, I want to focus on the primary words and the whole reason for His suffering: Forgiveness of our sins.
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
“Forgive them!”
As we learned yesterday those who were present and participated in Jesus suffering and crucifixion were brutal to Him. Yet, He remained faithful to His calling. He forgave them. He forgave all mankind on the cross. He petitioned His Father in Heaven to forgive them too.
He petitions us to do the same. If we truly want to live intentionally for God, we have to choose to intentionally forgive other people no matter how brutal they are to us and to those we love.
The Darkness of Unforgiveness
As I was reading about the crucifixion in the Gospels this morning, I noticed something that I hadn’t before and a particular meaning regarding the darkness of unforgiveness.
After Jesus asked the Father to forgive the sins of humans, darkness came and the sun stopped shining.
“Darkness came” (Luke 23:44).
“The sun stopped shining” (Luke 23:45).
For three hours it was pitch black when normally it would be daylight. Can you imagine the blackness of those three hours? How frightening. There was no electricity back then. Pure blackness. Pure darkness.
Do you know why? Because that is what sin is.
Darkness fell upon the earth because Jesus became sin and the Father rejected Him because He rejects sin. He is a holy God. He cannot accept sin.
As I pondered the words, “Darkness came” and “The sun stopped shining,” I realized this is what happens to us when we don’t forgive. Unforgiveness is sin. When we choose to not forgive, the “Son” stops shining in and through us and then darkness comes into us.
As God’s children we are commanded to forgive. We are to forgive others so that we can be forgiven by the Father. Reread the main Scripture at the beginning of this devotion. Jesus commands us to forgive, and notice He doesn’t establish any reason not to forgive others.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
In Matthew 18 Jesus tells the story about a servant whose debt was forgiven by the king. This servant owed the king a lot of money. At first the king ordered the servant to sell everything he owed to repay his debt, but the servant fell on his knees and begged him to be patient with him. So the king had mercy on his servant and decided to just cancel the debt completely.
No more had this servant been forgiven his debt when he himself found one of his own servants who owed him money, and he demanded to be repaid. Like he begged for mercy, so did his servant beg for mercy, but he refused and actually had the man thrown into prison.
When the king found this out, he was furious! He was so disappointed and so angry at the servant’s behavior and lack of mercy that not only did he change his mind and make the servant pay him back every cent, but he threw him into prison where he was tortured.
Jesus says, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:35).
Ultimate Proof of Total Forgiveness
Besides the Bible, the book that has had the greatest impact on me regarding forgiveness is Total Forgiveness by R. T. Kendall. This book shed light into my understanding about forgiveness.
I don’t need someone to apologize to me for me to forgive them. Apologies can help soften my heart and make it easier to choose forgiveness, but they are not a requirement.
Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples asked him specifically how many times we are to forgive someone. Listen to Jesus’ answer:
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’” (Matthew 18:2122).
God says we are to forgive not just once, not seven times, but seventy-seven times or basically unlimited times.
Even if someone sins against us seven times in a day, we are to forgive. (Luke 17:4).
I believe this means that if someone keeps doing the same sin toward you repeatedly, you must forgive. Let me explain because I think this is where many of us struggle.
Say you have a parent, spouse, or other family member call you an unpleasant name. You forgive them. Okay, once is easy. But this person repeats this same behavior again and again and again and again. Over and over day after day, you are on the receiving end of nasty name calling. Now forgiveness becomes difficult.
You may say, “I can’t forgive a person. It’s too many times. They keep sinning against me, degrading me day after day. It’s too much.”
Here’s something God wants you to know. You can, but you won’t. You choose to not forgive.
What I learned from Kendall’s book is that we can choose to forgive and more than that, we know we have forgiven when we let go and then ask God to forgive them too.
[callout]“The ultimate proof of total forgiveness takes place when we sincerely petition the Father to let those who have hurt us off the hook—even if they have hurt not only us, but also those close to us” (p.4).[/callout]
That’s total forgiveness.
Not that they have apologized, but that you are obeying Jesus’ command to forgive others like He forgave yours on the cross.
Personal Response
My heart hurts and cries when I think of how Jesus suffered on His journey to the cross. My soul hurts intensely knowing how His body so torn apart, nailed to a cross, hung straight upright where He struggled to breathe. The blood poured out of His body for me. He suffered. He hurt. The Heavenly Father rejected Jesus because He took my place. He did that for me.
My heart mourns this morning over all the ways I have personally sinned. I have decided that I will not let Jesus’ suffering be for nothing. I accept I am a sinner. I accept I need His mercy. I repent of my sin. I accept that I can’t do this life of forgiving others without Him.
I refuse to not forgive others. No matter what they do to me or to others I have personal relationships with whom I dearly love. I refuse to not forgive those in this world who strike with such evil. I will not not forgive.
I have to show Jesus’ love to others and petition my Heavenly Father to forgive them too. Sometimes people really do not know they are sinning. Many times they do. Either way, Jesus says, forgive them so that I may forgive you.
Practical Application
Part of the Lord’s Prayer says, “Forgive us our sins as we for forgive those who sin against us.”
Jesus paid the ultimate price so that we wouldn’t have to.
He conquered sin. He forgave us our sins.
Are you repenting of your sins? Think about all the things we have needed to refrain from during Lent season. Are you struggling with some of those sins? Have you sinned against others and against God Himself?
Are you seeking forgiveness?
Are you forgiving others when they sin against you or are you like the servant to wants to be forgiven, but is unwilling to do the same for his fellow man?
I want you all to know, I have had to forgive for some really difficult things too. I can’t go into those stories today, but I’m sure some time in the future, God will ask me to share with you.
Please listen. No matter what others do to you or to those you love. Jesus’ command to us is to forgive. Let Him deal with justice. Let us show our love to Jesus and to others and forgive one another.
Don’t be like the servant who begged for mercy and received it and then went out didn’t show the same forgiveness to his servant.
Forgive other people when they sin against you or against those you love so that your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Just for Today
Refrain from Unforgiveness. Embrace Forgiveness!
(All Scripture came from the NIV today.)
Leave a Reply