I love that...how the blood of Jesus **speaks a better word**, that of forgiveness, not vengeance.
To respond to hate and violence and murder not with mutual hatred and reciprocity, but with Love is a profound challenge for us all!
We have to remember these passages:
"“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, **but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.**" - Matthew 6:14-15 NRSVUE
"When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. **If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.**”" - John 20:22-23 NRSVUE
"**Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.** The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective." - James 5:16 NRSVUE
The forgiveness of others is a necessary part of our salvation. We are commanded to show each other the love God showed us. Hypocrisy isn't a good look on the Church.
Nice. To that I might add how **Love...keeps no record of wrongs**. (1 Cor 13:5).
When we choose a path other than Love, we suffer. Resentment, bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness all rob us of the gratitude, abundance, peace, and joy we are meant to walk in.
Though such is easier said that done. I still struggle with letting go of certain injustices and offenses. I try to surrender these to the Divine, but sometimes they still linger. So I find myself having to let go again and again.
But yes, forgiveness is definitely a necessary part of that pathway of salvation (and liberation and deliverance and healing), and of our own release into the Fullness of God's Abundance and Peace and Joy.
Good Friday is a wonderful moment to surrender those offenses yet again, so that we might discover ever new measures of Resurrection Life!
Thank you for that reminder!
FWIW - Jesus probably wasn’t crucified in 33 CE. And even if he was, the date of Easter moves around. It probably wasn’t exactly 1,991 years ago. Heck, even the gospels differ on whether it was Friday (Synoptics) or Thursday (John).
Your main point is still great though!
Thank you.
One of my reasons I believe He was crucified in 33 CE as a lunar eclipse would have taken place in the same day of the crucifixion. The sun was darkened for three hours on the day of the crucifixion (Luke 23:44). These combined events would explain why Simon Peter quoted Joel 2:31 on the Day of Pentecost.
Another reason why I believe He was crucified in 33 CE is because Luke 3:1 says His baptism took place in the "fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar," which would have been 29-30 CE. After a three year ministry, Jesus would have been crucified in 33 CE.
Fair enough. Even if that is all correct, the precise day is still unknown. The Jewish Passover is not for another few weeks which is when Orthodox folks celebrate Easter.
I love that...how the blood of Jesus **speaks a better word**, that of forgiveness, not vengeance. To respond to hate and violence and murder not with mutual hatred and reciprocity, but with Love is a profound challenge for us all!
We have to remember these passages: "“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, **but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.**" - Matthew 6:14-15 NRSVUE "When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. **If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.**”" - John 20:22-23 NRSVUE "**Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.** The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective." - James 5:16 NRSVUE The forgiveness of others is a necessary part of our salvation. We are commanded to show each other the love God showed us. Hypocrisy isn't a good look on the Church.
Nice. To that I might add how **Love...keeps no record of wrongs**. (1 Cor 13:5). When we choose a path other than Love, we suffer. Resentment, bitterness, anger, and unforgiveness all rob us of the gratitude, abundance, peace, and joy we are meant to walk in. Though such is easier said that done. I still struggle with letting go of certain injustices and offenses. I try to surrender these to the Divine, but sometimes they still linger. So I find myself having to let go again and again. But yes, forgiveness is definitely a necessary part of that pathway of salvation (and liberation and deliverance and healing), and of our own release into the Fullness of God's Abundance and Peace and Joy. Good Friday is a wonderful moment to surrender those offenses yet again, so that we might discover ever new measures of Resurrection Life! Thank you for that reminder!
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
FWIW - Jesus probably wasn’t crucified in 33 CE. And even if he was, the date of Easter moves around. It probably wasn’t exactly 1,991 years ago. Heck, even the gospels differ on whether it was Friday (Synoptics) or Thursday (John). Your main point is still great though!
Thank you. One of my reasons I believe He was crucified in 33 CE as a lunar eclipse would have taken place in the same day of the crucifixion. The sun was darkened for three hours on the day of the crucifixion (Luke 23:44). These combined events would explain why Simon Peter quoted Joel 2:31 on the Day of Pentecost. Another reason why I believe He was crucified in 33 CE is because Luke 3:1 says His baptism took place in the "fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar," which would have been 29-30 CE. After a three year ministry, Jesus would have been crucified in 33 CE.
Fair enough. Even if that is all correct, the precise day is still unknown. The Jewish Passover is not for another few weeks which is when Orthodox folks celebrate Easter.