Forgiving

This week, as we continue our Attributes of Jesus series, Tsion Bird shares one of the attributes he appreciates most about the Son of God: forgiveness. Tsion is the son of Erin & LeAnn, and he will begin pursuing a degree in Biblical and Theological Studies at Dordt University this upcoming Fall Semester.

One really important part of parenting is teaching children how to forgive each other. This is usually done by teaching siblings to say, “I’m sorry” and “I forgive you.” While this is a great start for young children, it doesn’t encompass the kind of forgiveness Jesus shows us. Of course, we cannot expect kids to forgive exactly as Jesus did. No one can perfectly show the love and forgiveness that Jesus displayed through the cross. But the way that Jesus forgives us is truly extraordinary.

In Matthew 26, we read the story of Peter denying Jesus. In fact, Jesus knew ahead of time that Peter would deny Him.

“Jesus said to him, 'Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.'" (Matthew 26:34).

Peter was convinced he would never deny his Lord, but just as Jesus had predicted, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. Messing up like that absolutely crushed Peter. The guilt of denying the man to whom he had given his life to serve was nearly unbearable. After Peter denied Jesus for a third time, “he went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75).

The Light of Forgiveness

I cannot imagine what Peter went through during the next couple of days after Jesus’ death. He must have been at his lowest point. Jesus had been crucified, and Peter felt he had no hope of finding forgiveness. In this dark time, Peter went back to what he knew best—the job he had before becoming a disciple: fishing.

As we can read in John 21, while Peter was in the boat after an unsuccessful night of fishing, a man on the shore called out, telling Peter and his companions to throw their fishing net on the other side of the boat. When the net came up full of fish, Peter immediately knew it was the resurrected Jesus. He jumped off the boat and swam to shore, hoping to find forgiveness. On the shore, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. Three times Peter replied he did. Jesus’ response? “Feed my sheep.”

The amazing thing about Jesus’ forgiveness is that He didn’t just forgive Peter's denials, He called Peter to something more. He set up Peter, the one who denied Him, to be a key leader of His church. In other words, Jesus shined the light of forgiveness into the darkness of Peter's sin and raised him to something even greater.

When we mess up, God doesn’t begrudgingly set aside our sin against Him. Rather, He shows His forgiveness by calling us to greater things and having a better plan for our lives. How can you let the forgiveness of Jesus, given to you through the cross, call you to something of even more significance?