“But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay. Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you”. (Acts 13:37,38. NIV)
Unless you live in Northern Ireland it is easy to forget the sad events surrounding the Remembrance Day bombing in Enniskillen in 1987. Gordon Wilson lay in the rubble holding his beloved daughter’s hand as she slipped away and died. He was subsequently interviewed and said that he held no grudges against the bombers and that he was able to forgive them despite the terrible atrocity they had caused.
What caused him to be able to come to that startling and costly conclusion? Gordon was clear it was his Christian faith that enabled him to take this brave step in stopping the escalating circle of violence, and show a different way to respond. He pleaded with the Loyalists not to take revenge. His courage and example became a beacon of light and helped the province take a significant step towards peace. His example so impressed people far and wide that he was made an honorary senator in the parliament of the neighbouring country south of the border, the Republic of Ireland.
Two things are very clear from that moving story.
Forgiveness in relation to serious issues is costly and never cheap, and granting forgiveness is contrary to our natural sinful inclinations which want revenge.
Rico Tice is reported as saying recently that forgiveness is missing in our contemporary world and that is surely a fair assessment. We live in a fallen, suffering and hurting world where many have been very badly treated in one way or another, and they rightly want justice and procedures improved so that what happened to them might not happen to others again. Every effort needs to be made to make our world a safer place where justice and mercy prevail. But sadly, the legitimate concern for justice and accountability, and the understandable desire for heads to roll can sometimes tip into revenge, and that simply causes more victims and damages the one who pursues it. We need to remember that this world will never see perfect justice until the Day of Judgement when the secrets of all hearts will be opened before Almighty God.
Forgiveness is costly but is thankfully at the heart of the Easter message, as Paul proclaims in the verse at the top of this article. I have been writing a little book about the meaning of Easter called ‘In His Words’ looking at John’s account of what happened on the first Easter weekend, as he records it in his Gospel (chapters 18-21). Several things have struck me powerfully. The first is how costly is was for the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to gain for us the forgiveness we need by the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus on the Cross paying the penalty for our sins. Sin is serious for it not only hurts others and spoils our world, it is an offence against God and therefore fundamentally needs his forgiveness. That forgiveness does not come cheaply, but at the great cost of the death of God’s Son who could have stayed in heaven without blame. He saw our plight, and in fulfilment of the Father’s plan to bring us that forgiveness and a restored relationship with our Creator and Redeemer which we need, came among us and died in our place. The Cross is where justice and forgiveness meet.
Not only was that forgiveness costly but it was voluntarily gained. When you read the accounts of the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus, it is perfectly clear that He went voluntarily to the Cross. All the way through he is in charge despite the circumstances. Jesus exemplified forgiveness when he said on the Cross “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”. Further, his love for his disappointing disciples who forsook him and fled is never in doubt. Nor is his forgiveness absent when dealing with Peter’s betrayal! He goes on loving his disciples for whom he died, reinstates them, and gives them a job to tell the world where they can find forgiveness with God and consequently a motivation to begin to forgive others.
The physical bodily resurrection was God’s seal of acceptance and approval on all the Jesus achieved by his life and death for us. There is great joy in facing our sins, repenting of them and finding God’s forgiveness and a welcome into his family under his care as a result! In a world short of forgiveness here is a joy inexpressible, and here is a reason to seek to live as a forgiven sinner showing forgiveness and kindness to others, as we have ourselves been treated by God! Easter brings a counter cultural message of joy and hope, which needs to be grasped with both hands, and proclaimed to a needy world!
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