Forgiveness
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” John 20:23
Many stories, good and hokey alike, end on something called a “cliffhanger.” That means that the story is done for now but will be continued soon. The story of salvation was completed on the cross and at the empty grave. But there was and is still much to be done. You, dear Christian, are part of the continued story!
This especially applies to the keys of the Church which Jesus has given to every believer. What are the keys? They are “the special power Christ gave to His Church on earth to forgive the sins of penitent sinners and to retain the sins of the impenitent as long as they do not repent” (Sydow Catechism, p. 178). A few days ago, we saw how the Pharisees were livid about Jesus forgiving sins. Why? Because only God could do that.
Now, God has called on you to do the same. The Spirit is at work in each of you through the means of grace. In your baptism, your old self was put to death so that the new man could emerge, free from the bondage of sin. When you commune, you take the body and blood of Jesus in, with, and under the bread and wine, both receiving the benefits and being reminded of Jesus’ work until He comes again. And of course, when the Gospel is shared, the Spirit works through it to build up your faith.
Do we hoard these blessings for ourselves? No. Jesus sent His disciples out with the commission to make more disciples of all the nations, to baptize them in the name of the Triune God, and to forgive and retain the sins of others. The work that He did and continues to do is done even now through you. Until that day when He returns again to call you home, He has given you the glorious task of letting others know of the forgiveness of sins in Him.
Dearest Jesus, remind us always of Your love so that we may share it continually. Amen.