Father, Forgive Them
-B. Thomas Clark

A day has passed, long enough for both of you to cool down. Long enough for both of you to see the errors you both made. You've talked it out and made amends. Those same feelings you had felt, the same pain that you felt for hurting the person sitting across from you, were also experienced by that person when they realized they hurt you. Neither one of you is alone, which is good, because what happens next is difficult for both of you. You both have to forgive yourselves for how you wronged the other person.

The best advice the person you hurt can give you is, "I forgive you, and Jesus forgives you." But that doesn't seem to help. Look closer at that statement though... Forgiveness is the ultimate act of love. For your friend to forgive you, they have set whatever was done aside, seen through it, and forgotten about it making it as if it never happened. Now what about the second part? Jesus forgives you. Here is where you will find out exactly what is meant by "the ultimate act of love." People will tell you all the time that Jesus forgives you, and you've heard it so much that it's commonplace and you brush it off. Look further.

Picture a man living a sinless life so that he may one day save a sinful people from the transgressions that they are held captive by. Think of how many times that man has been let down by the people he came to protect. Imagine the thoughts that enter that Man's mind when the people He came to save, sign His death warrant, flog Him, and execute Him. Visualize a spike being driven into the hand that protects everyone from the power of the Evil One. See the tears rolling down from the very eyes that watch over every human soul. Observe the Man who breathed life into His creation gasping for air that is just beyond His reach. Feel the pain as the pressure of Man’s sin crushes the heart that loves unconditionally. Hear the words of the Savior as He takes those sins and pleads "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Do you think for a moment that Jesus was asking the forgiveness of the people who were killing Him? Indeed He was, but His words went deeper than that. Jesus Christ, as He hung on that cross, was being hit from all sides with every man, woman, and child's sin that lived, had ever lived, and would ever live. At that moment, when Jesus felt all the sins of the world converging upon Him, when He felt the guilt and shame that is a byproduct of sin; when He felt this for every human soul, it was at that moment that He begged with the Father to forgive your sins, my sins, and everybody's sins. It wasn't a statement that was limited to the people that were mocking Him and killing Him, it was at that moment that Jesus Christ took sin out of the world on His back and felt all of the pain associated with sin. He felt the pain, the guilt, and the sorrow. "It is finished." Meant that He had done what He came here to do and that all was forgiven. He paid the price.

Watch as the immortal Creator of all existence dies an undignified death at the hands of mortal men. That is true forgiveness. That is what Jesus Christ went through to forgive you. It was the ultimate act of love. Now let's go back to the statement "I forgive you," which is what your friend told you earlier. To use the word "forgive" means to forgive exactly as Christ forgave. Forgiveness is the ultimate act of love. You have been forgiven. The only thing holding you to your sinful past, is you. Forgive yourself, and you will be truly free.

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