TEACHING NOTES ‌ Introduction Last week we learned about sacrifice and atonement and how the Bible describes and defines those words. Sacrifice is about offering a gift or gifts to God and the result was atonement, which is about relational reconciliation. Forgiveness was also mentioned in passing, but we didn’t have enough time to discuss it fully. Today, we’re going to learn how the Bible defines forgiveness and how we should, and should not, apply forgiveness in our lives. ‌ Forgiveness = In OT Heb. נָשָׂא (nā·śā) - to lift up, carry away, exalt, maintain. In NT Greek ἀφίημι (aphiēmi) - leave behind, pardon, send away, release. ‌ Two Directions of Forgiveness: ‌1. Vertical: How God Forgives ‌2. Horizontal: How We Forgive ‌ Vertical: How God Forgives ‌ Genesis 4:6–7 ESV 6 The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” ‌ Accepted = Heb. שְׂאֵת (śeʾēṯ) - This is a variation of the root word נָשָׂא (nā·śā), which means “to lift up.” If Cain would have repented of his anger and desire to murder Abel, he would have been “lifted up” or forgiven. ‌ Forgiveness follows repentance. ‌ If we fast-forward to Exodus, we find the most detailed revelation of God’s character. Moses asked to see God’s glory, but God decides to reveal His nature and character instead. God’s characteristics reveal who He is and how He deals with His creation. Ex. 34:6-7 is so important that it is quoted repeatedly in the rest of the Old Testament. This was clearly a foundational passage for Israel. ‌ Exodus 34:6–7 ESV 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” ‌ The LORD, the LORD = When you see “the LORD” in all caps, it indicates God’s name, which is YHWH (pronounced Yah-weh). Yahweh literally translates to “I AM” but means “I AM who brings to be” indicating that He is the Creator. ‌ Steadfast love = Heb. חֶסֶד ḥě·sěḏ - loyal/faithful love. ‌ The basis for God’s character is His faithful love. ‌God’s faithful love drives His desire to forgive. ‌It is God’s desire to love and forgive, rather than to punish. ‌Forgiveness is God’s decision not to retaliate, but to reconcile and lift up. ‌ David tells us the benefit or result of being forgiven by God. ‌ Psalm 32:1–2 ESV 1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. ‌ Blessed = Heb. ashre - a state of joyful mind, happy. Those who repent and find forgiveness have joy that surpasses understanding. Forgiven people should be the happiest people in the world! ‌ Sin is covered = The Hebrew word for “covered” here is kisah, which is related to kippur — the word for atonement. Those who are forgiven have their sins atoned or wiped clean or covered. ‌ The LORD counts no iniquity = To be forgiven means that our sins are not being counted and kept on record. This idea of not counting will come up again at the end of the sermon in Matt. 18:21-22. ‌ In whose spirit there is no deceit = This indicates that the forgiven person has truly repented from the heart. Forgiveness follows repentance. There is no forgiveness without repentance (turning away from sin). ‌ Forgiveness = In OT Heb. נָשָׂא (nā·śā) - to lift up, carry away, exalt, maintain. In NT Greek ἀφίημι (aphiēmi) - leave behind, pardon, send away, release. ‌ So, the Hebrew word for “forgive” means to be “lifted up.” ‌ Jesus described His sacrifice as being “lifted up.” ‌ John 3:14–15 ESV 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ‌ John 8:28 ESV 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me. ‌ John 12:31–32 ESV 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” ‌‌ Jesus was lifted up so we could be lifted up. ‌ So, God forgives us and chooses not to retaliate against our sins. And God is not keeping count of our sins. God’s forgiveness is the example for how He expects us to forgive others. ‌ Two Directions of Forgiveness: ‌1. Vertical: How God Forgives ‌2. Horizontal: How We Forgive ‌ Horizontal: How We Forgive ‌ Matthew 18:21–22 ESV 21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. ‌ How many times must I forgive? = This is such a valid and relevant question for us today. How many times do I have to forgive the same person? Usually, that question is based on a false assumption about what it means to forgive. If we think that forgiveness means that we let the person continue to hurt us, then we’d naturally want to know how long we have to keep doing that. ‌ Seven times or seventy-seven times? = Peter thinks he is being very generous by saying seven times. But Jesus responds with an outrageous number. Greek scholars debate whether Jesus meant “seventy-seven times” or “seventy times seven” which would be 490 times. Either way, Jesus is not doing math but telling Peter to stop keeping count and just keep forgiving. ‌ Context is Key: Jesus does not mean that we should let people continue to harm us and just let it go or ignore it. The context of this conversation is vital. Peter’s question is in response to what Jesus just taught in Matt. 18:15-17. In that passage, Jesus is clear that we should confront those who sin against us directly. If they refuse to repent, we follow a process of including others. If they still refuse to repent, we end the relationship. But we must still forgive them, even if we are not able to reconcile. Forgiveness is not equal to reconciliation. Forgiveness is choosing not to retaliate. ‌ Forgiveness is choosing to put down your stone. ‌ Now Jesus will tell a parable to explain that forgiveness is refusal to retaliate. ‌ Matthew 18:23–24 ESV 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ‌ A king = In this parable, the king is God the Father. ‌ 10,000 Talents = A talent was 20 years of wages. So, this servant owed the king 200,000 years worth of wages. It would be like saying “a gazillion dollars.” ‌ Matthew 18:25–26 ESV 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ ‌ Matthew 18:27 ESV 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. ‌ Out of pity for him = A better translation would be “moved with compassion for him.” Pity is often associated with feeling sorry or even thinking less of someone. Jesus used a word that communicates love and assigns great value to the person. ‌ Released and forgave = While many modern theologians teach that God cannot forgive without making someone pay, Jesus is clearly saying that God can forgive without requiring any payment. In this parable, no one paid the servants debt. The king simply forgave the debt and released the servant from punishment. ‌ God is not required to play by our rules. God can forgive without any payment or punishment. God has the right to do whatever He wants. ‌ Matthew 18:28 ESV 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ ‌ He found a fellow servant = Notice that these men are equal in social status. ‌ 100 denarii = This was 100 days of wages. ‌ Matthew 18:29–30 ESV 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. ‌ Matthew 18:31–32 ESV 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‌ Matthew 18:33–34 ESV 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. ‌ Matthew 18:35 ESV 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” ‌ We forgive because we have been forgiven. ‌ Conclusion ‌Today we celebrate God’s forgiveness with repentance, worship, and Communion. For some of us, we need to repent of sins we have committed against God. For others, we need to repent of our refusal to forgive those who have sinned against us. Forgiveness follows repentance. If we repent, we will be lifted up.