Forgiveness. We’ve all been there and have wrestled with this single task. Except, it isn’t a single task is it? Forgiveness happens over and over and over again. Forgiveness can be a hard concept to grasp. It is human nature to want to fall into our sinful desire to repay evil with evil, turn a blind eye to those who hurt us, or to decide that one is simply not deserving of our forgiveness. Luke 17:4 states, “Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent’ you must forgive them.” I find the next verse to be so interesting as the apostles reply back to Jesus as he’s teaching and call out, “Increase our faith!” How easy is it to feel like we do not have the kind of faith that is capable of believing in the teachings we’ve learned, to feel like we simply can’t trust God in every circumstance, or that we don’t have the strength to obey God’s commandments? We are not perfect by any means, but we are able to serve the Lord and fulfill our duty even with the smallest amount of faith.
In this chapter we are encouraged to do many things: to teach little ones, not causing them to stumble or cause a hindrance to their faith, to forgive anytime you can, and to serve with all that you have so that when you return to your master you can tell them that your duty has been fulfilled. Can you imagine the great and mighty things that can be done if we take our faith, no matter how small it may be, and place it into an all powerful, all knowing God? We as humans are not strong enough to bear the stumbling blocks of this world alone. May we rely on the strength that comes from God to overcome such things to live a life that is pleasing according to God’s perfect will.
Romans 12:2
“Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is– his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
– Kayla Elwell
Reflection Questions
Is there currently somebody you need to forgive? Do you feel like you need an increase in faith to do what Jesus has told you to do? What would Jesus say? (Check Luke 17.)
As today is Christmas Eve, consider the faith of those in Luke 1 & 2. Whose faith is an example for you to follow? Whose faith fell short for a time?
There are so many layers to these three parables of Jesus, but today I want us to think about whom we most relate to in these short stories. Probably we all want to cross off the Pharisees. You know, those guys who stand on the sidelines, quick to distant themselves from the sinful people in the world. “And the Pharisees and scribes grumbled, saying ’This man receives sinners and eats with them’.”( v.2) None of us is like them, right? We are anxious to see all the sinners repent and enter the kingdom when Jesus returns. Most importantly, we are not quick to criticize people who reach out to sinners, as they did. They even thought it was their righteous duty to criticize Jesus because He ate with sinners. Surely, we cannot relate to them.
Parable One—The Lost Sheep
Jesus narrows in on the Pharisees’ pride in these three short stories. It seems as though he specifically chose the first two parables to increase the ire of the Pharisees. Jesus’ first words, “What man of YOU, having a hundred sheep…”(v3) stung. How dare He compare THEM to a shepherd? They were, after all, much above a lowly disgusting shepherd. Their beautiful robes and position in religious society proclaimed their superiority. Yes, really, the Pharisees thought they were much better than a shepherd was, and undoubtedly disliked Jesus’ comparison of them to a poor sheepherder.
Maybe, however, you relate most to the shepherd. Of course, you would rush out to find that one lost sheep, even though you have more than enough other sheep (who by the way, are safely gathered together). Think of a father, who rushes back into his burning home to save his one child who is still inside, even though his other children are safely outside. Just like Jesus, you would pick up that child and carry him with great joy to safety.
Parable Two–The Lost Coin
The second parable serves to further increase the ire and grumbling of the Pharisees. Once again, their beautiful flowing robes and position got in the way of doing God’s work. How dare He compare them to a woman, and, an obviously poor, careless woman at that! But this woman, like the shepherd, has lost something extremely important to her. Perhaps you relate most to this woman who would not stop or sleep until her valuable lost coin was found.
When Jesus uses this poor woman and shepherd as examples of God’s forgiveness, He is telling these Pharisees (and US), that this woman and shepherd represent God’s desire to seek lost sinners. To end these two parables, Jesus shares a wonderful scene of great rejoicing in heaven among the angels when the lost sinners are found. However, the Pharisees probably found it offensive to envision such rejoicing in heaven with sinners. Heaven forbid.
Parable Three—The Lost Sons
Traditionally, we think of this final parable as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. You know, the son who considered his father “as dead” and asked for his inheritance from him before the father had even died. He wanted to go out and live the good life, away from his father. Things did not turn out so well for him, and the prodigal son soon realizes that he made a huge mistake and decided to return home and beg for forgiveness.
“But the father said to his servant, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” vs. 22-24
This is a wonderful story of forgiveness, and probably the Pharisees think this story is tolerable because, after all, it is about a rich family, a beautiful robe, and a big party with music and dancing. But hold on, the rest of the story was about to be told.
The other brother, the good other brother, was in the field working for his father when he approaches and hears the dancing and music. He inquires and finds out the ugly truth. His brother has returned to his father, and the party is for him. Instead of going in and being happy that his brother was back home, the pity party began. He reminded his father how good he had been; always served the father, never disobeyed, and certainly was not a son who wasted his father’s wealth on prostitutes. He made it clear that in his mind his brother is a sinner. Once a sinner, always a sinner. How could his father receive his brother back and eat with him? He could not let it go.
“He was angry and refused to go in.”(v.28) Can you relate?
-Kayla Elwell
Questions for reflection:
Whom did the other good son represent in this last story?
Can you relate to the resentment and anger the good son felt? Why or why not.
Have you ever felt cheated, angry, upset, jealous, revengeful, or disappointed that you were not properly rewarded when others got recognition for lesser good works, or when others got forgiveness for messing up royally? Where do you believe that those feeling come from? A false sense of pride? A desire to get what is rightfully yours? Wanting to be better than others? Perhaps someone has hurt you deeply. How do those feelings apply in this last parable?
Looking outward rather than inward is a common tendency among mankind. I cannot stress the importance of making the decision to accept our downfalls and repent instead of continuing on in a faux form of oblivious happiness. It’s difficult in our fast-paced, always moving lives to make enough time to stop and reflect on some of the crucial lessons given to us on this topic throughout Jesus’ ministry, and Luke 5 has so many of them.
In verses 1-11 we see Jesus go before Simon Peter and his fishers who had no luck with catching fish all night. Jesus commands them to cast their nets again and a miracle occurs where every net is filled so heavy the boats began to sink. While this is an extraordinary story and example of Jesus’s ability to perform miracles and convert crowds, there’s a powerful underlying message within the conversation between Simon Peter and Jesus. When Simon sees the miracle, his first reaction wasn’t to shout in joy or surprise at the amount of fish he was just blessed with. It was to repent. Simon Peter acknowledged at that moment the truth of God and the fact that Jesus was the Messiah, and found himself unworthy. Jesus, however, does not judge or criticize Simon Peter, but instead gives him a purpose and a promise; the promise of the kingdom as long as he followed him and made fishers of men. Many times we come to expect blessings from God without realizing the greatest reward is already promised. In the same way, Simon Peter understood how he was not worthy of the miracle granted to him, and repented.
We too must come to understand the price of our sins and how we are unworthy of God’s grace. Without repentance of our sins, we can never truly come to accept why we’re unworthy of this reward, and why Jesus died on the cross for our sins, forming a New Covenant under which all our sins are freely forgiven. So in all that we do, repent and show thanks to God for the sacrifice of Jesus and the promise bestowed upon us.
-Isabella Osborn
Reflection Questions
What can you learn from Peter in Luke 5:1-11? What can you learn from Jesus in this passage? Which message did you most need to hear today?
What do you see when you look inward? How does it make you feel? What does it make you want to do? Pray about it?
What purpose and promise do you think Jesus sets before you?
A couple years ago in a class at our youth event FUEL, I was in a class that focused on the idea of forgiveness. In the class we were watching a video by Bob Goff, a Christian author and lawyer, recounting his case against a witch doctor preying on the children of a few tribes in Africa. To make a long story short, Bob was able to assist in getting a witch doctor named Kabi jailed for the mutilation of a child. Unfortunately this crime was nothing new, but this time the child lived! This is definitely a story that is worth looking into after this, but let’s pick it back up in a little bit.
I want to turn to the life of Jonah the prophet. Despite the fun story many of us heard as kids I don’t think Jonah was a good prophet! He disobeyed directly what God had told him to do and expected God to simply vanquish his enemies. When he arrived at Nineveh, Jonah gave a half hearted message “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” And that’s all he said yet, it worked. When the people of Nineveh heard this they repented and mourned and decided to serve God, including their king.
When Kabi was jailed it seemed like a win, but an interesting thing happened. The enemy of this story, Kabi, acted in the same way Nineveh did. Kabi wanted to repent and turn to God!
When God decided not to punish Nineveh, Jonah was angry. He went on a hill and built a lean-to shelter and God grew a plant to shade Jonah. God then sent a worm to kill that plant so that the hot sun and scorching winds would wear Jonah down. Jonah 4:9-11 reads “ ‘Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?’ ‘It is,’ he said. ‘And I’m so angry I wish I were dead.’ But the LORD said, ‘You have been concerned about this plant, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. And should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?’”
When I was told Kabi was allowed to repent of his sins I was actually furious. I thought the most evil thing imaginable had been done and now this man gets to repent! But let’s look at the parallels. That plant was God’s to give and God’s to take away, just like our own grace given to us by God. The message of Jonah four is to be a reflection on our own lives and ask, “Are you okay with serving a God that loves your enemies?” And if not? He loves them anyway. Considering we’re not always on God’s side doing what he asks of us, it might just be a good thing.
-John Evans
Reflection Questions
Are you okay with serving a God that loves your enemies?
What was God’s desire for Jonah? For Ninevah? What is God’s desire for you? For your enemies?
The opening verse of this chapter sets forth the premise of what is to follow: “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen” (v. 1). The author will go through no less than 10 explicit individuals, and mentioning a list of several more, who exhibited faith in their life. And then the chapter concludes by saying “All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us” (vv. 39-40).
The chapter’s conclusion draws together the litany of exemplary witnesses by tying it to the faith that they share with the audience. And while the exemplars of old had not received the promise, it was by no fault of their own, but it was determined beforehand by God that in his grace, he planned for “something better” to be available to the readers that was not available in the past to all those faithful witnesses that were mentioned. And that “something better” was “to be made perfect” (v. 40).
Now, to modern readers the idea of being made perfect might not be the same as the biblical idea of being made perfect. In Hebrews, the idea of “perfection” entails the definitive forgiveness and putting away of sin, purification and consecration to God, and glorification (i.e., resurrection). And so, to be “made perfect” refers ultimately to eschatological salvation that is bestowed on the worshiper through the high priestly ministry of Christ (cf. 10:14).
But let’s think for a moment, why does the author need to go to such a great length throughout the chapter to simply demonstrate that believers prior to the new covenant did not receive what was promised? Why make the emphasis so extravagant?
One reason for the author’s inclusion of such a long description of exemplars of the faith is to celebrate those who stood with faith looking forward to the promise, but yet not receiving it in their lifetime. The testimony of all these witnesses is that “Faith holds onto the promise, even when the evidence of harsh reality impugns its integrity, because the one who promised is himself faithful” (William Lane, Hebrews [WBC], 395).
I think we have all probably dealt with times when we are holding on to faith, but it doesn’t seem like anything is happening or changing, and we didn’t actually get to see the outcome of our faith. This is what it was like for the believers in the old covenant who looked forward to the coming Messiah and the fulfillment of God’s promise. But we don’t have to look forward since Messiah has already come and has begun to fulfill what God promised.
Therefore, while we have not been “made perfect” yet to the fullest extent of what God has planned for those who trust in him, in Christ we have the definitive sacrifice for sin, the cleansing of our conscience, and a taste of the powers of the age to come. Let us continue to hold fast to our faith in hope of what God has promised that is yet to come: resurrection and final victory over the power of death, so that those who stood by faith before us can also be made perfect with us in God’s coming kingdom.
-Jerry Wierwille
Questions
What encouragement do you gain from reading of the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11?
Which heroes of the faith are you most looking forward to being with when we together receive God’s promise and reward at the resurrection and coming Kingdom? Why?
Chapter 10 contains one of the five major warning passages in Hebrews, which makes up the second half of the chapter. It is this section that we will focus on as it functions in a very unique way in this context.
Leading up to verse 26 where the warning begins, the author has now fully explained the perfect sacrifice and the forgiveness that is now possible which was not available under the old covenant. And so, as the author concludes, “where there is forgiveness of these sins, another sacrificial offering for sin is no longer required” (v. 18). This is valid so long as certain conditions are met as the author will go on to describe.
The warning passage begins: “For if we deliberately continue sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire that is about to consume the adversaries” (vv. 26-27).
For those who choose to continue willfully committing sin after coming to know the truth about Christ’s sacrifice, it says “there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.” What does it mean that there is “no longer” a sacrifice for sins? The author has just gone to great lengths to show the perfect sacrifice of Christ, and such an offering as Christ’s is the only one that is able to “perfect forever those who are sanctified” (v. 14).
If Christ’s sacrifice is the only sacrifice that is sufficient to take away sins forever, and since the author made it clear that the old covenant sacrifices could never “take away sins” (v. 11), then if a person disregards the cleansing and sanctification that is brought about through Christ by willfully continuing to sin, then they have no other recourse to fall back on for forgiveness. Christ’s sacrifice is the only offering that can remove the defilement of sin. Therefore, repudiating Christ and disregarding the knowledge of the truth leaves a person with nowhere else to turn. And that is why the author says that such a person only has to look forward to a “terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire.”
It is God’s will that we turn away from sin and embrace Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf so that we may be forgiven and cleansed from sin and have “our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience” (v. 22). The means by which we can have this purification in our hearts and minds has already been provided by God through Christ.
And this is why the author warns the reader that they must not fall away and turn aside from the knowledge of the sacrifice of Christ. At the end of the chapter, in one of the final exhortations, the author asserts, “So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised” (vv. 35-36).
In Christ, there is forgiveness from sin now and forevermore. But outside of Christ, we have no hope and no provision for sin. If we will endure in the faith, holding onto the perfect sacrifice of Christ, then we will have done the will of God and will receive the reward of what he promised—everlasting life.
-Jerry Wierwille
Questions
What 4 things are we told to do in Hebrews 10:22-25 (“Let us…” -in NIV – do what 4 things?). Which of these 4 do you think you do most regularly already (though, still with some room for improvement)? Which one would you like to concentrate on doing better this month? How?
Who has spurred you on to love and good deeds? How did they do it?
Who has been an encouragement to you? How did they do it?
Previously, in chapter 8, the author disclosed that Jesus has now obtained a superior ministry and is the mediator of a better covenant that is enacted on better promises (8:6). While the author has simply made this assertion, it now remains for him to explicate how Jesus’s ministry is “superior.” And it is in chapter 9 that the author takes up this very task.
In the 1st part of the chapter, the author recounts the old covenant ministry under the Mosaic Law. There was a tabernacle and sacred items and a place where atonement was made by priests. Yet, it says that “this is a symbol for the present time…until the time of restoration” (vv. 9-10).
All the institutions of the old covenant were limited because they “cannot perfect the worshiper’s conscience” (v. 9). They mandated various sacrifices and rituals which by their nature were unable to bring the worshiper the true cleansing that was the intended goal of atonement and salvation.
But, in verse 11, the author now turns to present the superior ministry of the Messiah in the new covenant. Throughout the rest of the chapter, the author goes into great detail about how Jesus as our high priest in the new covenant has accomplished everything that the former covenant and regulations could never achieve. Everything from the cleansing of the tabernacle to the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifice was done by Jesus, not in the earthly tabernacle, which was a copy of the heavenly reality, but in the heavenly tabernacle by offering himself as the “better sacrifice.”
Jesus’ sacrifice was “better” in at least two regards. First, the author says that Jesus did not offer a sacrifice many times as the high priest in the former covenant had to because he entered the tabernacle every year. Jesus entered the sanctuary in the presence of God only once. Second, Jesus did not offer the “blood of another” by bringing an animal sacrifice like the high priest of the previous covenant but rather offered his own blood as the sacrifice for sin.
As verses 13-14 say, “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow, sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of the Messiah, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to serve the living God?” What the author is comparing is that if under the old covenant the animal sacrifice was sufficient to sanctify the worshiper for the purification of the flesh, then the blood of Jesus must be able to do more than that.
And this is exactly his point: Jesus’s sacrifice is able to do what the old covenant sacrifices never could, and that is to cleanse our conscience from “dead works,” which are the sinful deeds that lead to death and require forgiveness and healing. The old covenant had no power to cleanse the worshiper’s heart from their sinful deeds.
But praise be to God that through Jesus and his sacrifice our minds and hearts can be washed clean of our sin and that we may with a pure conscience “serve the living God.”
-Jerry Wierwille
Application Questions
Compare the conscience of a sinner under the old covenant to your conscience under the blood of Jesus. What makes the difference?
How will you use your pure conscience to serve the living God today?
We can’t jump right into chapter 7 without revisiting the last few verses in 6. In the end of the previous chapter we are discussing Jesus being regarded as a high priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. (Gesundheit!)
The beginning of chapter 7 explains who Melchizedek was for the readers and, in a way, giving Jesus some street cred. The author clearly wants to stress the place of power and importance this King was in (vs. 4) and why it was important that Jesus came from his order. Verse 15 and 16 explain a little more on why Jesus was to come from his order- it’s because his ancestry doesn’t exactly lead to priesthood! Coming from a carpenter and a seemingly average woman isn’t a common start for someone so deserving of our praise and worship. I think the author here was trying to give Jesus some more credibility for the Hebrews he was writing to.
Verse 18 and 19 has some of my favorite language in it! “The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.” Why do we need Jesus? Because the old law was weak, useless, and made nothing perfect! Couldn’t be more clear than that. With our new hope (Jesus), we are able to draw near to God and have a close personal relationship with Him. Before Jesus, the law required sacrifice and prevented people from having that personal relationship with God that we all know and love. After Jesus, or rather after Jesus’ death and resurrection and ascension, we are saved completely and always have a connection to God through Jesus’ intercession (vs. 25). How amazing is that?
In the last few verses of chapter 7 the author again is explaining how lucky we are to have Jesus and why we should come to him! He is not only perfect and blameless, but he also sacrificed himself once for the forgiveness of all sins (vs. 26-27). Past, present, and future. He took care of them all! As someone who has grown up in the church it’s easy for me to unconsciously be aware of this fact. I know Jesus died for all of my sins. Big and little, from when I was born to where I am now, and where I’ll be tomorrow. But I’m guilty of forgetting, or at least not recognizing how important that is for my life. If I try and place myself in the shoes of the people who were reading this letter for the first time in that setting, how overwhelmed with grace and love would I be? I no longer have to sacrifice by the old law, because there is a new oath that has been appointed by a forever-perfect Savior. Can you imagine the relief, love, and astonishment you might have as someone hearing that for the first time? Why is it different for us today, simply because we already know?
Today and throughout this week I encourage you to pause and consciously reflect on the gift of Jesus Christ. Recognize his sacrifice and thank him for the relationship he allows us to have with our Heavenly Father!
-Sarah (Blanchard) Johnson
(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on February 11, 2018)
Application Questions
What does it mean to you to have Jesus acting as high priest, not from the line of Levi but from the order of Melchizedek?
Is Jesus the only way to draw near to God? Why?
What are some things “we” in general hope for? How does Jesus offer a better hope? Who do you know who needs to know about this better hope?
It is easy to make mistakes when you don’t know you are making them. My job is GIS mapping, and I create maps of construction permits, plans, and various other things. These maps usually take between 9-18 hours of work to complete and they are needed in order for us to move to another project. The other day I finished a project and went to start another one and accidentally switched the new project for the old one and rewrote and saved over my completed project! Before I could realize my mistake I had completed the next project in the same file, therefore losing my project all together. This is a big mistake that can delay a project by 1-2 days. Fortunately for me I am new and it was my first time doing this, so with that I was given a lot of grace, and was just asked to do the project again. A lot of mistakes come from doing something new and not knowing what we are doing.
Paul in 1 Timothy 1:12-14 admits that he had acted in ignorance when persecuting the Christians. He had no idea that he was in the wrong and kept going, similar to a botched project. He admits his fault and God gives him grace by placing him in charge of all those who he was persecuting. Paul says in verse 13 “. . . yet I was shown mercy because I acted in unbelief”. When he was persecuting the Christians he had no idea of God’s plan, he refused to admit he was wrong, but God shows him mercy through recognizing he may not understand what is going on. Many of us make mistakes without knowing they are mistakes until it is too late. This is true especially with God, God gives us mercy everyday when we are making mistakes. Even the big ones and even if we repeat the mistake God still is good and forgives us.
-Jesse Allen
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
What spiritual truths or expectations were you once ignorant of?
How did God get through to you – and show you grace for your past mistakes?
It’s a story we’ve heard a thousand times – Mark chapter 14. Jesus predicts that one of his disciples will betray him, one will deny him, and they feast for one last supper. He’s arrested and, in the face of threat of death, commits to remaining non-violent; even going as far as to heal those who oppose him. The archetype of betrayal, prophecy, and endurance coming together in one of the final chapters of Jesus’s time on earth. So, what more could we take away from these things after hearing it repeated our entire lives? There is always something new to be learned or applied if you’re willing to try to find it.
Starting at the beginning of the passage, a woman approaches Jesus with an exorbitantly expensive container of perfume. She takes this jar of perfume and dumps it all over Jesus, to which she receives backlash. Those in the company ridicule her for not utilizing the perfume for something better, like helping the poor. Admittedly, this would be a very honorable thing to do. But surprisingly, Jesus stands up for her and tells them to not shame her for doing a good thing to him. “The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.” Mark 14:7.
This is an interesting thing for Jesus to say, as I would imagine him having the mindset of ‘do everything to help those in need,’ but this circumstance seems to be different. There will always be the poor and needy, there will always be the hurt and the wicked. Jesus is the light in darkness, as darkness is the default state, only interrupted by the presence of light, not vice versa. If we spend all of our energy trying to eliminate the darkness, we will lose sight of the light that sustains us incipiently.
Jesus is well aware of this, as the light that sustains and empowers him is God. He cries out “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36. Jesus is crying out in the most passionate and sincerely affectionate way imaginable to his father, begging that his death be made unnecessary, that this burden will be taken from him. However, he takes the proper mindset of being able to accept that what he wants may not be what God wants. When you pray to God for an answer, are you able to accept what He responds with in the same faith Jesus could? It’s no mere feat, but then again Jesus is no mere man.
Not only does he accept what needs to happen, but he also stands firm on what he teaches. If you remember from yesterday, Jesus specifically said to not be afraid when we are brought before the court for our faith, but to answer as the Spirit guides you to, as it is the voice of the Spirit that will talk for you. When they had arrested him and grilled him with questions, “… Jesus remained silent and gave no answer.” Mark 14:61. He needed not respond to their trickery but waited until he knew what he was saying to tell them the truth. For this, they killed him. Could you stand for truth until the end? Could you stand with what you believe and know to be true even if every person would hate you for it? If so, you would be stronger than Peter. He lacked this ability, and defied Jesus 3 times—to which end it destroyed him.
“Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.” Mark 14:72. Have you ever gotten to the point in your sin where you don’t even recognize who you are anymore? For Peter, he had been spending the past couple years of his life devoted to following Jesus to the end. And yet, when it mattered most, he denied even knowing him. He had become so distraught by his sin that he had nothing else to do than weep at what he’d done.
Sometimes, when we recognize that we’ve fallen so far from the righteous path laid before us, and become so wrapped up in our sin, all we can do is weep and pray that God can forgive us. In fact, it’s often in these moments that we convince ourselves that there’s no way God could possibly forgive us for what we’ve done… but that would be missing the whole point of the story! Jesus died so that even in the midst of our most egregious pain from sin, we have the opportunity to be forgiven. Even Paul, who was a Christian-slaying murderer found salvation! Do not waste this opportunity that Christ has given to you, but rather repent for your sins and devote your life toward serving his purpose. Amen.
-Mason Kiel
Application Questions
Even if you’ve read Mark 14 many times before – what stands out to you today?
How can you extravagantly love and honor Jesus?
What does it mean to pray, “Not my will but yours be done”? What do you need to surrender and give up to God?
In the past, how have you deserted or denied Jesus? Have you accepted Jesus’ forgiveness?
Seek Grow Love 