The most precious gift and the most powerful help there is in all the world is Jesus Christ. He just waiting for us to turn to Him and ask for His help. Yet we so often just ignore Him, or forget Him or live as if He does not exist. Often Jesus is rejected because people know that they can not have their sinful pleasures if they get close to Him and His
At our death, whether we like it or not, it will all be taken away. Even at this very minute, I could loose every created thing, everyone I love and my life as well. But when I put my love and faith in Jesus Christ, who can never be taken away, He can restore, so easily all that I may lose, as long as it will be for my eternal benefit.
Jesus died alone, in circumstances beyond our full accounting. But those words do provide us with tiny windows, glimpses of His final thoughts. Despite the atrocities and horror of His crucifixion, the first word of His mouth was a prayer—a prayer to His Heavenly Father. “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).
Jesus’ word of forgiveness is a sweet, divine melody played against our sinful dissonance. It’s His new song sung against the devil’s lie and the old song of our sin. It sings in your ear in the Absolution at the start of the service. It soothes your conscience when a brother or sister in Christ speaks Christ’s forgiveness to you.
Jesus’ word on the cross is His pardoning prayer that brings peace with God, making you whole again, restoring you with God. His forgiveness touches you with mystery, far beyond your knowing. What an abyss of wrong had once separated, Jesus has restored in His deed of perfect love. Indeed, God and man ARE reconciled. “Father, forgive them.” Such a joy, for it is true—even for you and me!
