Sermon: Praying For Forgiveness

“We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. Today, we come face to face with the sinful, broken and evil hearts that are common to humanity. We look upon Jesus, the only truly good, innocent, and loving man that has ever been known. Then we look at what everyone does to him. Yet, even in all of our hate and evil, Jesus only responds with grace and mercy. Jesus even prays while he is dying: “forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing”. We too should be praying for forgiveness for ourselves, those closest to us and even those who make us their enemies.

Look at the sin of the disciples. They fall asleep when Jesus tells them this is the worst night of their lives. They betray him. They abandon him. They reject him. They fail to speak up. They stand a way off. And this is just those that are closest to Jesus - his disciples and family. We are now his disciples and family. What does this tell us about ourselves? What does this tell us about what comes all too naturally or too easy to us? It might be easy in this church or with other Christians, but how easily do we forget to stay conscious and present for Jesus? How easily do we create sets of values and ideas that are actually contrary to Jesus and his Kingdom? How easily do we run away from Jesus when things don’t seem to be in faith’s favour? How often do we reject him or deny his presence or ignore any closeness with Jesus everyday? How often do we fail to speak up for Jesus? How often do we create a distance from Jesus? I don’t think there is a single person in this church that is not guilty here.

Then there are the sins of those that are part of Jesus' own nation - the ones that have the Old Testament - the teachings of God - the ones Jesus came to save. They capture him in secret. They treat him like a criminal. They abuse him. They belittle prophecy. They Make fun of him. They reject scripture. They reject the truth. They lie outright. They manipulate the crowd. They choose a murderous rebel over their possible Messiah. They let fear and jealousy hold sway. Those that were literally waiting for a messiah are the ones to reject him most and Jesus takes it all willingly. We may think ourselves different from these Israelites, but it would seem to tell us that we aren’t able to see what we need when it's right in front of our eyes. We are too prone to let fear and greed control us. We too easily manipulate, lie, ignore, sneak and abuse to get our way. We can’t even live up to our own moral judgments, because we too often choose a known evil than the Jesus that is right in front of us.

Lastly, there is Pilate and the Romans. They put up with this sham of a trial knowing full well that it is a lie. They do their due diligence to investigate and yet they fail to uphold the truth. They instead willingly abuse Jesus and make fun of him. They have the power and authority and yet they are afraid to lose it, so when they are threatened, when a riot seems to be starting, they give in. They forego justice and truth and put an innocent man to death. We put up with so many lies in this world, especially lies about God’s creation and purpose. We give in because of fear. We try to hold onto our limited authority or position. We deform the innocent and good until no one can tell the difference.

As we look at the event that led up to the cross, God puts a mirror in front of us. We see ourselves for who we are. There are no more good people, because we can’t trick ourselves into believing that we are. No number of niceties can fix the brokenness and evil that is in our heart. Nothing can make up for the wrongs we have done against the truly loving and good Jesus Christ. Consistent and loyal friendship is the least Jesus deserves and yet we haven’t even been able to live into that.

What is Jesus’ response? It is mostly silence. He just watches and listens as everyone turns away or against him. He doesn’t join in our fear or our trying to fight. He doesn’t betray us like we have him. He doesn’t even belittle those that are belittling themselves through lies and manipulations. He continues to be faithful till the end. In fact, he goes farther. In the moments when Jesus shouldn’t have any power, he powerfully shows his ability to act. He heals the ear of one of those who is arresting him. He powerfully displays his understanding of those who are accusing him. He powerfully lifts up God. He even powerfully redeems the criminal who is dying with him - offering him a place in paradise (that he never deserved). This is the grace of Jesus Christ - his undeserved gift to those that are in the process of killing him.

When we compare what Jesus does with our own actions it becomes painfully clear that we don’t deserve anything. Any of this faith, this community, this family, this stuff, this hope and life, none of it is due to our worthiness. It is only due to the righteousness and grace of Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus told us this earlier. He says “it is more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah then it is for them that deny Jesus - through his disciples”. And we remember what God did in righteous judgement as he rained fire on Sodom and Gomorrah .

Yet as much as we don’t deserve it, it was Jesus who saved us by his righteousness. It was only Jesus that showed himself to truly deserve everything we have and more. It is only because of Jesus that we can be released from our sin and approach the grace, bounty and majesty of God himself.

You remember how Abraham, in conversation with God (kind of like prayer), asked God if he would save Sodom and Gomorrah for 50 righteous people, then 45, then 40, then 30, then 20, then 10. Abraham could have kept going. What he would have gotten is God saying, “I will not just save this city on behalf of one truly righteous person, but I will save the world and time itself”, because that is what we see in Jesus’ death. There as every evil and consequence of evil is being layered upon Jesus Christ, there as Jesus (both God and man) witnesses it all, there as our righteous God is dying for our sins, he forgives us and sets us free.

And that is the last word of Jesus as he dies “forgive them for they know not what they do”. Jesus is putting into practice a profound forgiveness. He is not just saying I forgive them, he is praying God forgive them, release them from the consequences, from the godly judgment, from the condemnation that they deserve at God’s hand.

We need this forgiveness. Or else we are just trapped in that same fear, anger, greed, jealousy, loss, separation and so much more. Without God seeing our brokenness, even the stuff we so easily ignore, we cannot expect him to set it right. Without asking God to enter into that evil and infect it with his good, we cannot expect healing or a setting right. Without turning to the death of Jesus Christ, there is no righteousness that makes up for our wrongs. We need to be turning to God in prayer and asking for the forgiveness, the redemption, the life that we don’t deserve on our own, but can only deserve through the righteous love of Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the greatest man ever and so of course he does more. He points us to ask God to forgive those in our lives, friends and enemies alike. We ask this through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Abraham actually is doing the same thing when he is asking God to save the city on behalf of 10 righteous people. Moses does the same thing too when he asks God to save Israel on behalf of God’s righteous name. We know that others need this forgiveness too.

This can be hard to pray for. We might have the faith and courage to forgive those in our lives, but we can easily hold onto God’s judgment. He will judge them for this wrong. He will make them feel my hurt. That may be true. That may be needed. That may be justice. But we are to live like Jesus forgiving and asking God to forgive others from their wrong, so that the consequences don’t fall on them, so that they don’t live in their fear, pride, greed or whatever.

This might not be easy, but this is actually what the world needs. We can’t keep living in the sins of our fathers’ and mothers’. We can’t keep experiencing the endless consequences of our actions. We can’t be the proud trapped in the imagination of our hearts or the rich that are empty. We, all of humanity, need to be restored and brought back into the fullness of a rich and meaningful relationship with God and all of our neighbors. As Jesus shows us on the cross. He is the only one capable of doing that. We need to be praying for forgiveness for ourselves, for friends and enemies, for everyone we meet.

Jesus Christ, our sacrificial king, anointed in blood, arms pinned open in love, silently watching and listening, righteous by his lack of action and his action - he is the only one that can set right our brokenness. He is the only one that can bring about true forgiveness. He is the only one that can redeem this world. “By his blood we are healed”. Let us all turn to him in prayer seeking the forgiveness earned on that cross that is still changing everything. AMEN

Look at our sinfulness - especially as visible in the gospel

Look at Jesus’ actions and response

Healing

Quiet

Understanding

Redemption

Forgiveness (later)

Comparing these realities we deserve nothing good

Jesus tells us this, when he told his disciples - it would be more bearable for Sodom and Gamorah in the day of judgment then for a town that rejected Jesus through his disciples.

And remember what happened to Sodom and Gamorah.

Yet, it was Jesus, that saved us by his righteousness. Abraham didn’t go on after 10 righteous people, but what we find out today is that God would save everyone on behalf of one righteous person.

And that is the last word of Jesus as he dies “forgive them for they know not what they do”. Jesus is putting into practice a profound forgiveness. He is not just saying I forgive them, he is saying God forgive them, release them from the consequences, from the godly judgment, from the condemnation that they deserve at God’s hand.

Abraham is doing the same thing

So should we.