Forgiving Old Grievances

There is a sense in which our Savior holds grudges. It’s always confused me why certain people groups hold grudges from previous generations, sometimes hundreds of years. It’s not just Asia or Eastern Europe or Ireland; it’s West Virginia for Pete’s sake. What’s wrong with us?

In Deuteronomy, we have this directive from Yahweh to the people through Moses:

No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD; to the tenth generation none of their descendants shall ever do so, for they did not meet you with food and water on the way as you came from Egypt, and furthermore, they hired Balaam son of Beor of Pethor in Aram Naharaim to curse you. But the LORD your God refused to listen to Balaam and changed the curse to a blessing, for the LORD your God loves you. You must not seek peace and prosperity for them through all the ages to come. 

Deuteronomy 23:3-6 NET

The story of this offense is in Numbers 22 and 25. It’s a long story, but there’s a talking donkey, so I highly recommend it, although it’s kind of confusing. Anyway, Moab=bad in Yahweh’s eyes, so don’t go there, befriend them, or help them in any way…

During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land of Judah. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah went to live as a resident foreigner in the region of Moab, along with his wife and two sons. (Now the man’s name was Elimelech, his wife was Naomi, and his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were of the clan of Ephrath from Bethlehem in Judah.) They entered the region of Moab and settled there. Sometime later Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, so she and her two sons were left alone. Both her sons married Moabite women. (One was named Orpah and the other Ruth.) And they continued to live there about ten years. Then Naomi’s two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, also died. So the woman was left all alone—bereaved of her two children as well as her husband! 

Ruth 1:1-5 NET

Well, clearly, this cannot end well. Yahweh cannot possibly accept this, in fact isn’t obvious that He’s punishing this family for going to Moab? What did they think would happen? And yet, this sets up one of the most beautiful stories in Scripture. 

Our Creator makes rules. He seems so stern and harsh at times. And yet, after making such a thoroughly imprecatory rule, we have an entire book, one of the most elegant, named for a Moabite woman…MOABITE and a WOMAN! Rahab got a good story, a few chapters of Joshua, but Ruth get’s a whole book. Actually, Ruth gets much more than a whole book.

So Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law is returning to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law back home!” But Ruth replied,

“Stop urging me to abandon you!

For wherever you go, I will go.

Wherever you live, I will live.

Your people will become my people,

and your God will become my God.

Wherever you die, I will die—and there I will be buried.

May the LORD punish me severely if I do not keep my promise!

Only death will be able to separate me from you!”

When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to dissuade her. 

Ruth 1:15-18 NET

This is read at weddings to describe the devotion and commitment between spouses. Yet it is actually the devotion of a woman to her mother-in-law through a deceased husband. By any law of any culture, any obligation between Ruth and Naomi is over. And yet it’s not.

Long, beautiful story, short; girl meets boy, boy falls in love with girl, family inheritance problems arise, boy overcomes them with a sandal, and marries the girl.

But here’s the kicker:

So Boaz married Ruth and slept with her. The LORD enabled her to conceive and she gave birth to a son. 

Ruth 4:13 NET

Naomi took the child and placed him on her lap; she became his caregiver. The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. Now he became the father of Jesse—David’s father. 

Ruth 4:16-17 NET

But wait, there’s more!

This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Matthew 1:1 NET

Salmon the father of Boaz (by Rahab), Boaz the father of Obed (by Ruth), Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king. 

Matthew 1:5-6 NET

So, Yahweh broke His own rules on the pathway to save His human creatures through Jesus. For Jesus, forgiveness was literally in His genes.

Thursday Devotional – Jesus is Worthy to Offer Hope this Advent (12/4/25)

As we enter the Advent season, which literally means "coming," we're reminded that this time of year is all about preparing to celebrate Jesus's arrival on earth. Our church is focusing on passages from Isaiah that speak to both Jesus's first coming and His second coming. This week, with Hope as our theme, we reflected on the hope that Jesus's first coming brought, particularly through His death on the cross, which paid the price for our sins.

This hope not only brings forgiveness but also gives us Jesus's righteousness, allowing us to join Him in Heaven for eternity when He returns.

On Sunday evening, as we enjoyed dinner together, we delved deeper into the concept of Jesus's Hope and lit our own Advent candle (part of a wreath my Mom gave us years ago to help us worship). We read passages from Matthew and Isaiah, including:

Isaiah 9:2    The people walking in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
    a light has dawned.

As we discussed ways to share the light of Jesus with others and offer them hope, Alexis suggested that we could share the gospel with those around us. In God’s perfect timing, my niece and nephew were having a similar conversation about the gospel with their mom (my sister) on the other side of town. They blurted out that they needed to pray and ask Jesus to come into their lives. So, they made the decision to receive Him as their Lord and Savior!!! We all praised God when we heard the wonderful news!

The kids’ Bible study memory verse for this week was:

I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

My niece and nephew’s decision to confess their sins and invite Jesus into their hearts is a powerful reminder of the gift of Hope Jesus offers. They can now look forward to the day when they will be completely purified in Heaven.

Who do you know that needs the Hope of Jesus this Advent Season? Will you pray for opportunities to share Jesus with them?

Thursday Devotional - God is With Us to Forgive Others 2/17/22

 It’s difficult to forgive others, especially when they do the same sin over and over again (like a kid that keeps lying to try to get out of trouble).

Matthew 18:21-35 ²¹ 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?”

²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

²³ “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Sadly, I can relate to the wicked servant, especially when it comes to certain sins or repeated sins that my kids commit. However, if I’m honest with myself, I’ve committed sin(s) over and over against God and He’s forgiven me!!! I need to remember that everyday so I’m quicker to forgive my kids. It doesn’t mean I will naively trust them going forward, but I can genuinely forgive and not hold a grudge. I can rely on God to be with me and help me when it isn’t natural. Where do you need to do the same?

Alice

More Than Enough

 And forgive us our debts, 

As we forgive our debtors.  Matthew 6:12 

What is the most difficult thing to forgive?  Is it betrayal?  Perhaps it is the transgressions of a close friend who turns out to not be a friend at all.  Maybe it is dishonesty.  Or it could be someone who either fails a loyalty test or does not follow through on their solemn obligations.  There is a list of many things that we could spend an entire devotion talking about.  However, I want to share my greatest challenge.  I read something that reminded me of this, and the more I thought about it, the more I find it to be true.  A marriage is a perfect union made perfect by God between two imperfect people.  Well I must admit that my wife is far closer to perfection than I am.  But here is the thing.  She would tell you that I am a wonderful husband and father.  I’m humbled that she thinks so highly of me.  It is not because I do not try hard, and I don’t know saying I am not good to her.  But to me, being good to her is not enough.  Not because she or anyone else says so.  But I do.  You see the most difficult thing for me to forgive is myself.  When I fail, I do not fail just me.  I fail her.  My family.  My loved ones.  When I did, it was the guilt I carried, and until being born again, I was convinced would define me down until my death.  Then I learned that we all fall short of God’s glory, and if I confessed my sins, I could be born again.  We all know that story.  But for some, the pain remains, and it never has gone away.  This is because we have not truly accepted God’s second greatest gift; His grace. 

God wants us to forgive ourselves as well.  An easy way to connect the dots would be to look to the Greatest Commandment, where Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39b) This to me is truly the Greatest commandment because it forces us to focus not only on God and others but also ourselves.  We our only capable of loving others as far as we love ourselves.  In today’s verse, the focus is on the portion of the Lord’s Prayer asking God for forgiveness of our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  We must love our neighbor and God, and to do so we must certainly love ourselves.  Thus, it makes perfect sense that in order for us to have the ability to forgive we too must fully embrace God’s grace given to us.  To do so, we must agree that indeed His grace is sufficient.  Then, we must forgive ourselves.  Before we go over the deep end of ‘that’s easy enough,’ one must truly repent, and that is indeed painful.  In reading 2 Corinthians 7, we get a full feel for what a true repentant heart sounds like.  Paul wrote addressing the sins of the young church saying: 

 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while.  Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.  For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.  2 Corinthians 7:8-10 

Note the last verse where Paul spoke of ‘worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance.’ As I wrote about my inability to forgive myself, it is a pain that is never forgotten.  But the pain God wishes for us to have is the kind that reminds us to not go back to our old ways but to also accept the gift of His grace which leads to eternal salvation.  Thus, we are not to be consumed by this pain.  It is but a wound that will heal, and we are free from it.  It is that which we are given forgiveness, which allows us to forgive both others and equally as important ourselves. 

 

We must always remember that God is simply enough.  His provisions are infinite, and His love is limitless.  His knowledge is without limit, and His presences is all around us.  With a God so awesome, why in the world would we ever tell Him, “No.  I’m sorry, but that is not enough.”  If God gives us the amazing gift of His grace, how can we continue life as if we still have the burden of that which He forgave us for?  Let us focus our attention on releasing the guilt of our old sinful ways and embrace the New Life provided for us through His mercy.  What in your past holds you from committing fully to God today?  Will you surrender it to Him?  My prayer is that we simply remember God’s grace is more than enough for all of us.  Amen. 

Let It Go!

 And forgive us our debts, 

As we forgive our debtors. 

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  Matthew 6:12, 14-15 (NKJV) 

I was at a Leadership Conference this past week.  It taught me several things such as how to better manage my time and building trust in challenging time.  Later in the conference, I listened to a conversation about forgiveness.  It was very humbling.  Strangely, it was not something I thought that I needed work on.  It’s not that I am prideful when I say such a thing. Instead, it was to note that I have dealt with a lot in my life that I too have struggled to forgive.  At times, it comes up when my daughter does something where I find myself battling to find the ability to trust her.  But I have received many lessons on my forgiving others.  A relative who betrayed a trust, a parent who wrongfully accused me, and a friend who stole from me are all situations where I once failed to forgive.  However, I found the strength later to do so.  Yet, it was when I was wrong and forgiven where forgiveness had its greatest impact on me.  When my wife forgave me for doing something hurtful, it was a reminder of my role as a husband to love, honor, and cherish her.  It showed something I could not learn on my own; how God’s forgiveness is so great.  It was an Elsa moment for me.  I ‘let it go.’ 

Forgiveness is an essential part of spiritual growth.  In the Lord’s prayer, it spoke of forgiving as we are forgiven.  It’s but a small piece of the Lord’s Prayer but note one thing about it.  It is the one part that requires our own action.  We ask for God’s forgiveness, but we are to forgive others.  This is not one of those ‘well it would be nice if’ comments.  It is a clear expectation by God that we too are to forgive.  Not as in the future. But in the now.  We cannot have any expectation of His forgiveness if we ourselves cannot model His example.  I was reminded of the sins of David in 2 Samuel 24 where he asked God for forgiveness because of his wrongdoings to help ease the pain of Israel’s plague.  But God’s forgiveness of him was not taken haphazardly.  It was a precious commodity that had immense value, and as a result, David grew closer to God and God to him.  Jesus understood this in teaching the Lord’s Prayer.  Yes, it covers our sinful nature, which needs forgiveness.  But it’s our awareness of the need for forgiveness and heartfelt regret that makes it so much more valuable, and if we understand that value, how great is it to forgive others. 

Additionally, when we forgive, we also give ourselves permission to let it all go.  All the pain, hurt, and resentment that has taken up space in our minds and hearts become open to things that God wants to place there; love, peace, and joy.  Those two sets of things cannot co-exist in the same space.  As such, if we forgive, we also gain greater room for those things that matter most not only to God but also ourselves. 

God’s love for us is multidimensional.  Peace, joy, and abundance are attributes that are gained from it.  None of this is possible had Jesus not paid the ultimate price for our sins.  Yet by claiming Him as Lord of our lives, we are forgiven.  If we truly understand the weight of this, we should understand the impact of forgiving others.  It can not only bring them to the realization of their err of their ways, but more importantly, it frees us from the bondage of our own suffering and pain.  Let us appreciate both God’s gift of forgiveness as well as the freedom of forgiving.  What pain are you holding in today that needs forgiveness?  Who can you show grace in the spirit of forgiveness?  My prayer is we recognize the strength and power of not only God’s forgiveness but also our own, and simply, let it go!  Amen. 

For Forgiveness Sake

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 8-9

Sometimes, it is better to forgive than to forget.  Those were words that haunted me the other day.  I got into a debate where I was falsely accused of something that I did not say.  The discussion was spirted, and my answers were both pointed and direct.  However, one person did not accuse me, but I added them to the debate as if they did.  It was wrong.  I was wrong.  After thinking about it, God just kept wearing on me that I had left something open that needed to be closed.  The next day, I gave in, and apologized.  I admitted that I needed to set a better example as a Christian, and that was on me.  It was amazing how gracious others were in my asking for forgiveness, and it was more uplifting than the previous discussion we had had.  It reminded me of a key part of the Lord’s Prayer, which simply says, “and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.”  It was a stunning how the simple act of asking for forgiveness can be a greater act of love than we realize.

God’s grace is one of His greatest acts of love.  In these times of strife and conflict, one of the things that I have noticed is that we often fail to for lack of better term ‘stand down.’  Our need to be right has become paramount, and there is no room for backing down.  This can be destructive when we are so willing to stand on what we believe that we do not see when we say something that is truly harmful and wrong.  Just this past weekend, a well renowned pastor made a controversial statement about slavery putting it into the context of something positive.  His heart was in the right place, and it made for an interesting point.  But it failed by ignoring the greater evil of it.  He followed up by giving a heartfelt apology that was readily accepted by many black people who understood the love he had shown for others previously.  That along with my own experience revealed a couple of things.  First if we love Christ, we are given an opportunity to ask for forgiveness.  A forgiving heart is one that is honest, sincere easily noticeable either through a person’s history or the words used.  In either case, it reveals a level of God’s heart within them.  Second, we are shown love if we are brave enough to right our wrongs.  The verse today is a reminder of God’s mercy on us should we be vulnerable to simply own up to wrongdoings.  It ends up being more rewarding for it often mends our own brokenness.

Grace is a wonderful thing!  In reading the book of Romans, Paul spoke frequently and lovingly of it writing, “Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:15-16).  Finally, there is no better example of the power of His grace than that of the adulterer brought before Jesus.  When no one cast a stone, the exchange between Him and her is often the part of our narrative when faced with our own sinful nature:

Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”  John 8:10-11

Let us kneel before Jesus like she did willing to accept guilt for our wrongs and be both reinvigorated and inspired by His grace.  What sin is wearing on your mind and heart today?  How can assurance of God’s grace uplift you?  My prayer is that we acknowledge our own imperfections and simply ask for forgiveness sake.  Amen.

Thursday Devotional - Imperfect Picture

The Old Testament tabernacle, temple and sacrificial system were all put in place as a representation of Heaven and foreshadow of what Christ would do to give us access to Heaven. It was a picture of what was to come. It wasn’t a perfect picture, because the sacrifices didn’t really pay for our sins and the priests couldn’t forgive.

Hebrews 9:1-3, 7-9 Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. ² A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. ³ Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place… But only the high priest entered the inner room, and that only once a year, and never without blood, which he offered for himself and for the sins the people had committed in ignorance. ⁸ The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning. ⁹ This is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.

God’s specific details, long-term plans, and creativity never ceases to amaze me!!! He had His plan of redemption planned out well before giving Moses the Law, before calling Abraham, and before flooding the world. He even gave hints of His plan to Adam and Eve after they sinned (Genesis 3). He knew we couldn’t do anything to pay for our own sins. He knew we couldn’t do anything to earn forgiveness and bring about restoration. He had to do it all, and do it all He did!  

Have you ever gone on a trip and been blown away by the beauty you saw? It was far better than the pictures you saw online ahead of time. The pictures didn’t do it justice. Similarly, let’s experience and appreciate the benefits of the new covenant with direct access to God and true forgiveness!     

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Faith and Forgiveness

The other day I got angry with James for throwing snow in Sarah’s face soon after I asked him not to do that. In my anger, I went back to vigorously shoveling. A few minutes later James came up to me and asked “Mom, do you know about forgiveness?” “Yes,” I said, “do you know about forgiveness? You could ask Sarah to forgive you.” I overheard him walk back to Sarah and ask for her forgiveness. Later that night he also asked for my forgiveness and said he had prayed and asked God to forgive him. I had to ask God and James for forgiveness, too… 

As we talked last week, we show our love for God by obeying Him and His laws. Just like children don’t always follow their parents’ rules, we don’t always obey our Heavenly Father. What do we do with our sin? What will God do with our sin?

God is holy, so He must punish sin. He can either punish us for our own sin or we can accept His punishment of Jesus.

Romans 3:25-26                   God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Do you still stand guilty in your own sin or has God justified you? Have you accepted His punishment of your sin on Jesus? If so, then you have been forgiven and justified!

Alice

Who We Thought He Is

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.  When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?  Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?  But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”  Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God.  Luke 5:18-25

I am a huge football fan.  At the end of each the game, there is always a post-game press conference where the winning and losing coaches of the teams explain their reasoning for the result of the game.  While at times rather subdued, some of them can be very animated and occasionally reach as kids nowadays say ‘epic’ levels.  One such press conference was by a man named Dennis Green.  When asked about how their team lost in spite of a multitude of errors and opportunities from the other team (the Chicago Bears), he simply answered, “The Bears were who we thought they were.”  He was referring to the fact there was nothing that surprised them about the other team, and in spite of that, they still somehow lost.  It was pretty funny stuff.  I share this story to remind us of a story about Jesus and who He is.

We have certainty that Jesus Christ is our Lord and savior.  Our relationship with Him should be an ever evolving and growing one filled with discovery and understanding.  Failure to acknowledge His authority or embrace it could result in the stunting of our spiritual growth.  The story in Luke noting how Jesus healed a paralyzed man sounds like a feel good story and rightfully so.  However if we look closer, some might miss the true point of this story.  In the chaos of the miracle, the Pharisees miss this main point.  They are hung up on the miracle itself stating, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy,” and then ironically, they answer their own question with a question saying, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?’  We too often fall into this trap of focusing on what is believable over what does it mean.  Perhaps something miraculous has happened to you, or on the flip side, maybe you are dealing with storms.  No matter which side of the coin you fall, be careful not to lose the perspective of what is happening beyond just the moment.  Be encouraged that Jesus always with you, and is the same God who loves and believes in you and died on the cross for your sins and mine.  If you remain focused on these facts, you will gain greater assurance in your blessings and strength through your struggles.

Jesus Christ’s message of Good News is meant for the heart, mind, and spirit.  There is no sin that He cannot forgive, and there is no situation that one cannot overcome with Him.  That is why we can trust in Him.  Don’t worry or fear.  You must, “Get up, take your mat and go home,” as He said to paralyzed man.  What situation do you doubt that He can handle?  How can you trust more in your forgiveness and less in your current state?  My prayer is that we remember Jesus is “who we thought He is.”  Amen.

Thursday Devotional - Final Passover

Jesus paid our debt in full when He died on the cross. In fact, the Greek for “it is finished” is “paid in full.” Last week we saw how Jesus persevered to the end, declaring “it is finished,” to fulfill God’s plan. Even the timing of when He died and what happened after His death continued to fulfill God’s plan.

John 19:31-37         ³¹ Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. ³² The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. ³³ But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴ Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. ³⁵ The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. ³⁶ These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” ³⁷ and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.”

The Jewish leaders were so concerned about being outwardly clean in order to celebrate the Passover. Crucified before them, though, was the only truly clean and perfect Righteous One. All their previous Passover celebrations pointed to this final Passover sacrifice.

As God had commanded Moses and the Israelites not to break the bones of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:46), so God made sure His ultimate Passover Lamb’s bones weren’t broken.

As God had commanded Moses and the Israelites to spill the Passover lamb’s blood and take shelter under it (Exodus 12:6-7, & 13), so God made sure His ultimate Passover Lamb’s blood was spilt so you and I could take shelter under it.

Jesus was the perfect and final Passover Lamb. Have you accepted Him as your Passover Lamb who died in your place, taking the judgment you deserve? If so, you and I have shelter under His blood for forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and His robe of righteousness!  

Alice

No Matter Your Title Or Clothes

Then they said to Him, “Who are You?” 

And Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him.” 

They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father. 

Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. 

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  John 8:25-32 

I was in a discussion with a group of people that included a Jesuit priest.  The priest made a statement about being a Christian.  He said, “There’s no need to tell everyone how Christian you are.  Just act like one: love, forgive, be merciful, help the poor.  They’ll get it.”  Someone replied, “I agree with you father.  But it’s kind of funny that you said that with your collar and credentials.”  Having gone to Catholic school but not being a Catholic, I knew where the gentleman was going with his response.  “It’s easy to say that as a priest.  As for the rest of us, we will just go on with our lives, thank you very much.”  I just could not let that go.  So I chimed in saying, “Truth is truth no matter your title or clothes.”  When the multitudes chimed in agreement, I knew I hit the right cord, and the discussion had ended because even the gentleman opposing could not argue the point further. 

Following Christ's truth is an act.  Not a statement.  In today’s verses, Jesus tells a crowd who He is, and there is clearly a decent among the group if Jesus is or is not the Messiah.  Like in the aforementioned discussion with the priest, Jesus spoke truth of being the Messiah, and many believed.  However, many does not constitute as ‘most’ or ‘all,’ and thus, there were those who had other thoughts.  “It’s easy to say that, Jesus, but anyone can say they are the Messiah,” had to be the thoughts of the dissenting portion of the crowd.  Notice Jesus did not focus on the ones who had already dismissed Him.  He focused on the ones that understood the truth.  He thus solidified the relationship with them saying to abide in His word to become disciples and know He has liberated those who believe in Him from sin.  When you hear Jesus’ truth, one cannot respond just in word.  It is selfless acts of commitment to Him, and this is the truth that both Jesus and the Jesuit are making.  As a line from one of my favorite movies said, “These are the facts of the case, and they are indisputable.” 

Embracing Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior is an act of love, and it is that love that defines who we are as Disciples of Christ.  Whether we forgive, show mercy, or help others, it is for love that all these things connect.  In the closing of Ephesians, Paul, talking about wearing the armor of God, said, “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.” (Ephesians 6:14a)  Let us stand boldly in the truth that Jesus is indeed our savior, who frees us from sin and died so we may have eternal life.  How can Jesus Christ’s truth inspire you today?  What falsehood must you replace with God’s truth?  My prayer is that we acknowledge truth is truth no matter our title or clothes.  Amen.