The Truth of Forgiveness
Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz
Mark 12:28-37
28 One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 aAND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ 31 “The second is this, ‘aYOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that HE IS ONE, AND THERE IS NO ONE ELSE BESIDES HIM; 33 AND TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL THE HEART AND WITH ALL THE UNDERSTANDING AND WITH ALL THE STRENGTH, AND TO LOVE ONE’S NEIGHBOR AS HIMSELF, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions. 35 And Jesus began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 “David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET.” 37 “David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd enjoyed listening to Him.
Psalm 110:1 has been a misunderstood verse in the Scriptures for centuries. This occurred because the church broke away from its Hebraic roots and lost its true meaning.
The words “The LORD said to my Lord” is a phrase that is misunderstood today. The Targums on the Psalms clean up the verse by offering the verse with the rabbinic understanding of it. Since the Targums were written only slightly prior to Jesus’s life, we can use them as a resource. Jesus would have read the Targums and knew of the correct usage of Psalm 110. Psalm 110:1 tells us that King David, the Lord (a title for the King), was told by Yahweh, the LORD, that he needed to wait to assume the throne of Israel. The LORD needed to deal with King Saul before the change could occur. So, David waited. How long did King David have to wait? Psalm 110 does not tell us. However, the Scripture does tell us that David did indeed wait until the LORD removed King Saul from power. Then King David could assume the throne with the full power of the LORD behind him. In the same way, Jesus is telling us that it is the LORD who will inform us about His Son, the Messiah. When a person’s heart is prepared for the truth, the LORD sends the truth.
The question tossed back is a question that every person who claims to be a disciple or follower of Jesus Christ. This question is, “who is Jesus, and why do you follow Him?” There are so many Christians who really cannot answer that question beyond, “He is the Messiah,” or “He died for my sins.” So many Christians today cannot answer who Jesus is a question beyond the introductory statement of “he is the savior.”
What does it mean that Jesus is the savior of the world? How does Jesus save the world from its sins? This was a fundamental question that I asked. How can a man who died 2000 years ago on a cross save me from my sins? I never received an adequate answer from church folks. For me, the answer to this question has evolved over the years as I studied the Scriptures and traditions of the church. Perhaps a decline in church relevance in our society today revolves around how many people sitting in the pews on Sunday cannot answer the fundamental question about Jesus. If they could answer the question, their behaviors and attitudes would undoubtedly reflect it.
The idea that the church reveals is that Jesus died on a cross 2000 years ago, which satisfied the need for the overall forgiveness of sins. Then the question is if I sin today, is that OK? After all, Jesus died, so my sins are forgiven. Then why not sin all I want? This is not that difficult a question to answer. Let me offer you an explanation of forgiveness through Jesus’ death that works. This WILL BE DIFFERENT than what you have heard in church before. Please do not discount it out of hand.
Here we go. When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and the forgiveness of sin by His death on the cross, you accept a lot more. If you are baptized as a believer, but you go out and continue to sin, then you are showing the LORD by your actions that you do not believe. Why? Jesus Christ teaches us through His Gospels how to live a sin-free life. OK, as close as we can humanly live sin-free. To intentionally sin demonstrates that you are not a true believer.
Even Martin Luther admitted that if you intentionally go out and sin after you are baptized the your baptism was simply some water placed on your head. We are supposed to die to our old ways of sins and enter a rebirth with Jesus into the Kingdom of Heaven. In the Kingdom, we try as hard as possible to stay sin-free. We can only do that by not sinning.
Therefore, following Jesus Christ means living His way and not ours. It means avoiding sin whenever possible! Are you doing that? That is the first part of being forgiven for sin. The next part is that you need to make restitution for the sin if you sinned. A sin not repented is a sin that stays with us forever, and it can hinder our entrance into Heaven. Do you have any of these transgressions? If so, deal with it now.
I know that the church has professed for centuries that we humans do not have to do much to receive forgiveness. The church likes to say that it will get you forgiveness through Jesus’ death and that we have no responsibilities. That is not true. Each of us must live a pure as possible life. We are a significant step in finding and securing forgiveness of sin.
My life changed when I came to know the words and actions of Jesus of Nazareth. His death on the cross is proof that He believed in what He said and that He was the Messiah sent from the LORD. How many people would be ready to die for their beliefs?
Living a life that Jesus would approve of meant a change in attitude, actions, and words. Sinning is out of the question. When an unintentional sin is done, I apologize and, if necessary, make restitution. That is how Jesus forgives me from the cross. I am following his direction in my life.
A person accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior also accepts a different life. This new way is not acceptable to all areas of our current culture and society. It doesn’t matter what society thinks. The real question is, what are the LORD and Jesus thinking about us when we make this change? The easy answer is that the LORD and Jesus are happy that we have found the passage to eternal life in Heaven when our time on Earth is over.
The examples of how to live a life pleasing to the LORD have been set at our feet. Jesus died to bring us this important and essential message from the LORD. May you find your way to Heaven through the words and actions of Jesus Christ. When you do find your way, you can genuinely say, “I believe in the forgiving power of Jesus Christ.” His words and actions bring eternal life. His death on the cross is God’s proof that He is the truth, the resurrection, and the life.
