Sunday Shorts: Restored by Love

Luke 24:47 Repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. (NRSV)

When Jesus came back from the dead, His first message to the disciples was similar to what He initially expressed as He began His ministry. At that original point, He urged people to repent and believe the good news because the Kingdom of God was near (Mark 1:15). After being resurrected, the message that His disciples were now given to proclaim was simple: people were being urged to repent and their forgiveness of sins was to be declared. 

This meant that when Jesus died on the Cross things were changed for all of humanity. Whatever debt we owed to God because of our sinful ways was cancelled completely. Before the Cross, people needed to appease God with sacrifices; after the resurrection, we were urged to sacrifice our pride and humbly confess our mistakes in order to be given total forgiveness of our sins. 

I don’t know about you, but that divine transaction of my debt being imposed on Jesus when He was nailed to the Cross gives me hope. I’ve done some really bad things in my life that I truly regret and wish never happened. I would be as miserable as sin if I didn’t know Jesus as my Savior, so when He offers me true forgiveness in return for my repentance, I’m ready to take that gift.

Perhaps you’ve been carrying some guilt in your heart and it keeps you awake at night. Maybe you’ve done something foolish that you regret and it torments your mind. Whatever it is, it can be rectified; whatever you’ve done, you can be restored to God’s favor and love. Jesus has completed what was necessary to reconnect all of us to our gracious God – all we simply have to do is repent.

Find a quiet place today and have a quiet time with God. Unburden your soul and let the tears of regret fall from your eyes. There is nothing that you have done that God cannot forgive through Jesus. God already knows what it is, so just allow yourself to be relieved by simply whispering it to God. Repentance will restore you and Jesus will embrace you. Let His power to forgive, renew you; let His ability to love, release you.

Prayer: Lord, You know us completely. You’ve seen all of our mistakes and are totally aware of all the things that bother our consciences. Help us to find some quiet time to be with You alone, to confess our faults, address our sins, and unburden all that we are sinfully and selfishly carrying. Allow us to take the opportunity of the forgiveness, peace, and love that You offer. In Your Holy Name, we humbly confess and pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Small Group Bible study: Praying with Jesus

My latest eBook is live on Amazon. It's called "Praying with Jesus." The book is a short series of seven studies on the Lord's Prayer. It would make an ideal summer series for small groups, Sunday school classes, or even individuals.

Each lesson has background notes on the prayer, including some important Hebrew and Greek words. There are also questions to ponder in each section, as well as a short devotion at the end to close the study. Additionally, I've added special prayers at the end of the book for a worship service which focuses on the Lord's Prayer. There is also an added section at the end taken from the Shorter Catechism's reflections on the Lord's Prayer. As usual, my artwork is also included in each lesson.

The eBook is now available for 99 cents on Kindle - the reading app is free to download for any device. The eBook is now published electronically all over the world. Some links are given below. Enjoy!

US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1C53GR

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CW1C53GR

Canada https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CW1C53GR

Australia https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CW1C53GR

Sunday Shorts: The One Who Waited

Sunday Shorts: The One Who Waited

John 20:27      Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

I think most of us love the story of Doubting Thomas because we can identify with him. He missed out on being with the disciples when Jesus was resurrected and suddenly appeared in the upper room. Thomas must have been in hiding somewhere else and didn’t feel safe in the company of the others; after all, one of them had already betrayed Jesus, so who was to say that another of the twelve wouldn’t do the same?

            Eventually, Thomas felt it was safe to go back to the band of followers, but when he got there, instead of being relieved, he is perplexed with the other disciples because they all seem deluded and keep talking about Jesus being alive again. Thomas cannot accept this and even if it was true, he’s probably angry with himself for not being there when Jesus appeared. He also declares that if Jesus was standing in front of him, Thomas would still not believe it unless he could touch Christ’s nail pierced hands, as well as fingering His side where a spear had been thrust.

            A week later, Jesus reappears just for the sake of canceling Thomas’ doubts and enabling him to believe again. Christ is determined to get the doubter back on the right path. It’s a wonderful moment, not just of resurrection, but of restoration, too. Jesus restores Thomas’ faith, as well as his rightful place among the Chosen Eleven.

            But here’s the thing: Thomas remained with the other disciples for several days before Jesus reappeared. He could have gone away again and stayed angry with the others, believing that they were deluded because Christ had definitely died. Despite having all of those doubts, he remained connected to the family of faith that he had known for three years. He may have given up hope about Jesus, but he did not let go of the friendship and fellowship he had known with the others.

            I think this is why Jesus came back – to bless Thomas’ loyalty to the others, just as much to show him that Christ was alive. Perhaps instead of calling Thomas ‘the One Who Doubted’, we should remember him as Thomas ‘the One Who Waited.’ And maybe this is also why we relate so much with him – we all have our doubts about our faith, but we still are waiting for Jesus to either return among us, or to eternally restore us to God’s favor, love, and kingdom.

Point to ponder: What doubts do I have about Jesus? What keeps me waiting for Him?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, like Thomas, we find Your resurrection unbelievable and mysterious, and yet we remain hopeful of Your return and await being restored to You forever. Consolidate our faith; when we are weak, please be our strength; when we have doubts, please remain with us. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish Presbyterian pastor now living in Knoxville, Tennessee.