The True Forgiveness
This month we celebrated God’s salvation for humankind which we called Easter. For this occasion, our chairman Ps. Jimmy Oentoro delivered a message for IFGF Church through an Easter service. On the Good Friday service, Ps. Jimmy’s message emphasized on forgiveness. In ancient Rome, the Romans knew god as an avenger while the Israelites believed in “an eye for an eye”. Therefore the concept of Jesus as a son of God who was willing to die on the cross to save humans from their sins was a revolutionary idea of forgiveness.
On the cross, Jesus asked God the Father to forgive humans’ sins so we could get eternal life. Up on the cross, Jesus died for you and He forgave you. Isaiah 53:12 said, “Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
Our sin might overcome us but Jesus is stronger than our sins. We know that the wage of sin is death but Jesus has paid our sins, praise God. Good Friday is a remembrance that God has opened a new page for our story through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. Jesus did it for you! Your Father in heaven forgave you! In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:7).
On Sunday as we celebrated Easter, Ps. Jimmy preached about “The Last Word”. When Jesus’ tomb was closed, death was on everyone’s mind
- Disciples thought that our hope and hero is dead
- Pontius Pilate thought that the source of chaos is dead
- Pharisees and Sadducees thought that our enemy is finally dead
However death is a pre-requirement for resurrection and new life as God has planned. 1 Peter 3:18 said, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.”
Jesus’ death on the cross symbolizes few things;
- On the cross there was Aphiemi / forgiveness (Luke 23:34)
- On the cross Jesus said “It is finished” (John 19:30)
Tetelestai (Greek) means paid in full / completely and forever. - He is risen
Egerthe means to awake, the power to awake His Son from death.
On the cross Jesus asked for forgiveness so we could live an eternal life. Forgiveness cannot undo our past but it can patch up the holes of our past and we can open a clean perfect slate in front of God and humans.
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 18:21-22 –
Next: CARING FOR OTHERS
