February 26, 2006
“Christ’s Excellent Forgiveness”
Luke 23:34

When we observe the Lord’s Supper, we do this intentionally; we proclaim our Lord’s death until He comes again! We observe the Lord’s Supper to remember what He did for us, dying for us and a big part of that was His purchasing our forgiveness with His own blood. Yet, while we remember it, we are not merely bringing it to mind which is important but applying that death to our hearts and lives, let us consider Christ’s excellent forgiveness:

I. Christ’s forgiveness is excellent because it forgives great sin – Psalm 25:11 this is a popular excuse for not forgiving sin, yet the sins committed against Christ are great because they are committed:
1. Against an innocent / righteous man -
A. Pilate declared this three times – John 18:38, 19:4 and 19:6
B. Judas said, “I have betrayed innocent blood” before he killed himself – Matthew 27:4
C. Pilate’s wife called him a righteous man because of bad dreams she had about him – Matthew 27:19
D. According to Herod “nothing worthy of death is done by him” – Luke 23:13-15
E. The thief on the cross said Jesus did “nothing wrong” – Luke 23:41
2. Against the Son of God –

A. This is a great sin - a`marti,a – means missing the mark
B. This sin shows hatred toward God – John 15:23
C. This sin shows ignorance of God – Hebrews 1:1-3; John 14:7-9; Isaiah 55:7-9

3. Against multiplied acts of love -
A. To be crucified was the cruelest of all deaths, reserved for the worst criminals, yet they yelled for it – John 19:6 & 15; they had as we do, hearts full of sin & hate – Matthew 15:19;
B. It is perpetrated against the most loving good man Who ever walked the earth – Acts 10:38; John 2:1-12; John 6:1-14; John 8:1-12; John 11

II. Christ’s forgiveness is excellent because it forgives MANY SINS, even our sins! Matthew 18:21-35; Luke 17:3-4; 1 John 2:1-2
1. He forgives each of us more than we could ever forgive someone else – Matthew 18:21-35
2. He forgives each of us graciously, repetitively and completely – Luke 17:3-4; Psalm 103:8-14
3. He requires only we forgive others in this EXCELLENT way – Luke 17:3-4; Matthew 6:12 & 14; Matthew 18:32-35
4. This EXCELLENT forgiveness is the mark of true Christianity – Colossians 3:12-14

To be morose, implacable, inexorable, revengeful, is one of the greatest degeneracies of human nature. To remember injuries, to retain a sense of wrongs, to watch for opportunities for revenge, to hate and be maliciously perverse, is to represent the image of the devil to the world in its proper colors; he is the great enemy and self-avenger. On the other hand, no grace, no duty, no ornament of the mind is in itself so lovely, so praiseworthy, or so useful to mankind, as are meekness and readiness to forgive. This is that principally, which renders a man a good man, for whom one would even dare to die. And I am sorry to add that this grace or duty is recommended by its rarity."

From The Forgiveness of Sin: A Practical Exposition of Psalm 130 By John Owen, page 209.

Let us, as we observe our Lord’s Supper remember the excellent forgiveness He displayed for us as He hung on the cross, and let us seek to be like Christ in this great and godly grace!

NKJ Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Pastor Arnold Brevick