For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. (NIV)

Without reservation and without sin, the God of the universe became like us in every way. Our God became us, to prove his merciful character and faithfully fulfill his promises. God became us to make atonement, to make the payment on our behalf. Jesus went out of his way, coming to a world full of people who rarely go out of theirs. He came close, eager to be restored in relationship with us.

‍

The long waiting was over, and the provisional system of sacrifice, laws and ceremonies which all pointed to this day, found their fulfillment in Jesus. At last, we were restored. The long-distance relationship we had experienced since Eden, the burden of our sins under the law and the barriers between the holy presence of God and his people were removed. At last we were forgiven, not by some disinterested, far-off deity, or by some priest simply performing his duties, but by a God who came close, by Jesus, the self-sacrificing lamb of God.

‍
I’m reminded of the story of the prodigal son, told by this same Jesus (Luke 15:11-32). I think of the father, who runs to his son while he was still far away. The father, eager to come close, runs to say, "All is forgiven, I'm so glad you're back." I find it significant that the son’s prepared confession goes almost unacknowledged. The father sees his repentant son who is willing to accept justice for his actions, a penitent life of servitude and low status. He quickly covers his filthy son with love and his best clothing, immediately blotting out the offense.

‍

Likewise, God goes out of his way to cover over our sins. He sees our repentant heart, even before our repentance is fully spoken, and he is there blotting them out by his atoning self-sacrifice. By this, we are forgiven.  

‍

“Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases... as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:2-3,12).

When I look back on my life and assess the offenses I've had to forgive, a few stand out. Abuse of my property, stolen guns, my wife being mistreated, or that time we laugh about now when my dear wife threw away a cheese I had been making, meticulously laboring over for two years because it had (unbeknownst to her) beneficial mold on it. One incident in particular stands out: I met an oncoming truck on the single lane dirt road where I grew up. When we spotted each other, the other truck was at the end of a driveway, so I waited, expecting him to pull over. Instead, he continued driving toward me, stopping a couple feet away. He angrily came to my window, asking, didn't I know that when two cars meet on this road the one closest to a wide spot pulls over.  

‍

I didn't know what to say, though I wanted to say many things. He was clearly in the wrong, and I couldn't have done anything different. “Well, what you need to do,” he huffed at me, “is just wait here till I back up, then you get on past.” It was so irritating, so petty. I sat in my truck for the next two and a half hours, determined to forgive. I thought, prayed, and finally came to peace after it occurred to me that I may have unknowingly done something similar to another.

‍

You’ll notice, as I have in writing this, I’ve kept a list of offenses, a list of wrongs yet un-righted. Though I have forgiven these things, it's only in the sense that I've chosen to overlook them for mutual benefit or personal sanity; the list of wrongs remains. Praise God that he does not keep such a list against his children, that through Jesus's self-sacrifice we have all been offered atonement. The list is gone, and our forgiveness is truly justified. If those people who wronged me place their faith in Jesus, he remembers their sin no longer, just as he remembers my many sins no longer.  

‍

If they have the atonement of Jesus applied to them, what basis for a grudge do I have? If I hold unforgiveness toward someone who has the blood of Jesus on offer to them, what am I really holding on to, but my own self-centered sense of entitlement? I can at least mimic the true substantive forgiveness of Jesus by going out of my way, meeting them where they're at, and dying to myself. Praise God, that all of us as prodigal sons and daughters can turn to him to have all our wrongs blotted out and be truly forgiven - welcomed back to a right relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Thank you, Jesus, for your forgiveness that is real. Thank you for your atonement that has justified our forgiveness, and thank you for going out of your way to secure it. Thank you for that example and the empowerment though your Spirit to forgive others. Help us to show your love to everyone by forgiving them like you forgave us, to go out of our way for those around us. Amen.