Forgiveness Just because

I am thinking about the concept of forgiveness.  

How difficult it is to forgive other or ourselves.

How extremely difficult, to believe that the forgiveness offered, by another, is true.

Yet it is so very important for us to realize how easily God forgive.  And yet we just can’t believe it is true.

So I want you to think about what Jesus said as he hung dying on the cross:   

“Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Before anyone even thought about being forgiven; Jesus makes a blanket offer of forgiveness.

                 No request.

                    No repentance.

                        Not even regret.

                                                

Just: 

         "Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

In the 21st chapter of John Jesus shows this unconditional way of forgiving.  The word is never mentioned nor asked for.  Instead Jesus simply asked Peter: “Peter do you love me?”

Jesus ask Peter the same question three time.  After the third time Peter gets a bit testy:

⁷He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ 

Now I want you to think back a week-or-so to the night Jesus was arrested.  Peter was in the courtyard of the high priest.  Do you remember that scene?  

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They asked him, ‘You are not also one of his disciples, are you?’ He denied it and said, ‘I am not.’ ²⁶One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, ‘Did I not see you in the garden with him?’ ²⁷Again Peter denied it, and at that moment the cock crowed.(Jn. 19)

Three times Peter denied Jesus!

Three times Jesus asks: ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’

 

Peter never asked Jesus to forgive him.

Jesus just did. 

Tomorrow we I will talk about what Jesus told Peter. 

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ ¹⁶A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ ¹⁷He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. ¹⁸Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ ¹⁹(He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.  20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; he was the one who had reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had said, ‘Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?’ ²¹When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, what about him?’ ²²Jesus said to him, ‘If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow me!’ (John 21)