Why Is It So Hard to Forgive?预览

Peter’s Denial of Jesus

The first time Jesus said, “Come, follow me” was to a man named Peter. His resume wasn’t lengthy, for he was just a simple fisherman. However, Peter would come to be one of the most, if not the most valued disciple of Jesus. He was a clear leader, almost always mentioned first when they were listed, and was a part of Jesus’s “inner circle.” 

Peter was very outspoken, so much so that he declared in Matthew 26:33, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” Yet, when the time came for Peter to speak up and claim his friendship with the Savior of the world, he froze. And he wasn’t just silent, he completely denied Jesus and disassociated himself from knowing or following him. 

Now, that’s something that can’t be forgiven, right? To sin by lying or cheating or stealing is bad, but to deny Jesus Christ feels like something you can’t come back from. You can’t pull those words back into your mouth after they’ve disappeared into thin air. And after the rooster crowed, Peter became keenly aware at what he’d just done, and he wept profusely. 

But Jesus—being fully God and fully man—knew what Peter would do before He called him to be a disciple. Jesus knew the depth of anguish Peter would feel once the deafening realization of his actions became clear to him. Jesus knew this incredible misstep in Peter’s life would be the catalyst to push him toward being a world changer and carrying the gospel to the ends of the earth. Jesus knew, and yet, He still chose him. And later, He not only forgave Peter, but reinstated him.

Maybe you’ve done something in your life that you feel you can’t come back from. Something you said or did had such bleak and disheartening consequences that you have no idea how the God of the universe could ever forgive you. Well, good news—that’s why He sent Jesus. 

The sin of the entire world, everyone who would ever live, was placed upon our Savior as He hung despairingly on the cross. Every awful thought, repulsive action, or hateful word that goes against the perfection of God’s standard is covered by the blood that ran down our Savior’s body. And as He took his final breath and departed from this earth, every one of those sins went with Him. 

As you process through your own sin and poor choices that have not only affected your life but also the lives of others, consider Jesus. He knew we’d be steeped in our sin and even with that understanding, He still died for us. 

And if the perfect Son of God can forgive us, shouldn’t we find a way to forgive others?