Rev. David Holwick ZO
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
December 4, 2016
John 20:19-23
WHO CAN FORGIVE?
I. Special forgiveness.
A. The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy.
Catholics have just concluded a special season of forgiveness.
Every 25 years they have a Jubilee and the previous one was
inaugurated in 2000 by Pope John Paul II.
This one was called by Pope Francis and is labeled extraordinary
because it came after only 15 years instead of 25.
A Jubilee is a period for remission of sins and universal pardon
and focuses particularly on God's forgiveness and mercy.
A special feature of this one was that the sin of abortion could
be forgiven by a regular priest.
It usually requires a bishop or a specially appointed priest.
The doors of all the cathedrals are opened during the Jubilee
to signify the special time of access to God's grace.
On November 20 this year the doors of St. Peter's basilica in
Rome were closed to mark the end of the Jubilee.
B. Some of the grace has been extended.
This week Pope Francis announced that ordinary priests could
continue to forgive the sin of abortion.
It is a big deal because Catholics believe the sin of abortion
automatically excommunicates a woman from the church and
salvation. [1]
As a Baptist, I had not been aware that different sins required
different confessors for Catholics.
We have a different understanding of God's forgiveness.
Catholics believe that God's grace is channeled through the
Church by means of the leadership - the priests and bishops
and Pope - as they dispense the sacraments.
Only a priest can assure you that you are forgiven by God.
Protestants like us believe any person can go to God directly,
through Jesus.
You don't need a priest or preacher to approach God.
C. Who is right?
Since God's forgiveness and our salvation are at stake, we
need to understand these important matters.
II. Forgiveness is always of God.
A. All Christians, Catholic and Protestant alike, believe this.
1) Only God has the power to wipe away our sins.
2) Even Jews believed this.
In Luke 5, which I preached on a few months ago, Jesus
sees a man lowered by his friends through the roof.
Instead of saying, "Be healed!", Jesus says, "Your sins
are forgiven.
The Jews react, "Who is this fellow who speaks
blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?"
They are correct - Jesus was revealing to them that he
is divine.
B. There is a personal side to forgiveness.
1) God is the ultimate forgiver, but we can forgive also.
a) Jesus even says we must forgive, if we want God to
forgive us.
b) Forgiving others can help us personally to heal, and
it can repair broken human relationships.
c) The shooting at the black Baptist church Bible study
in Charleston has been in the news again.
1> The shooter has been found competent to stand trial.
2> Many of the survivors have already forgiven him.
A relative of one victim said, "I forgive him and
my family forgives him."
Another said, There are a lot of broken heart, ...
and a lot of healing to be done.
If we get bitter and angry, we just make a bad
situation worse." #64858
2) Does my forgiving someone require God to forgive them also?
a) This is more complicated.
b) Any sin a human commits is ultimately against God,
not against us.
1> When King David committed adultery with Bathsheba
and had her husband Uriah murdered, he confessed
to God in Psalm 51:
"Against you, you only, have I sinned."
c) God requires a condition for forgiveness: repentance.
1> If people do not repent, he has no obligation to
forgive them.
2> "I will not acquit the guilty," God says in
Exodus 23:7.
III. Is a priest's forgiveness personal or divine?
A. Catholics believe Jesus passed his authority on to the apostles.
1) And their authority has passed on to the leadership of the
church today.
a) When a priest says you are forgiven, then Jesus is
saying you are forgiven.
2) They have Bible support for their view.
a) It happened on Easter night.
In John 20:19, the resurrected Jesus appears to his
disciples on Easter night.
He showed them his wounded hands and feet.
He pronounced his peace on them, and commissioned them
to go out as he had.
Then he gives them his Holy Spirit.
b) What comes next is very significant.
In verse 23 he says if they forgive anyone their sins,
they are forgiven.
If they do not forgive someone, they are not forgiven.
1> Catholics say Jesus gave their priests the power to
forgive in Jesus' name.
2> They also have the power to not forgive - to expel
people from God's kingdom.
3> This is the power of God's forgiveness, not just
person-to-person forgiveness.
B. Protestants take issue with this.
1) Who is in the room with Jesus?
a) Not all the apostles were there.
1> Judas is missing, of course.
2> But Thomas is not there either.
b) Extra people were there, however. Luke 24:33 says the
room contained the Eleven "and those with them."
2) Jesus is giving his authority to the whole church, not
just the leadership.
a) Later on, in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul tells a church to
discipline a sinful member.
1> It is an action carried out by the assembled church,
not just the leadership.
b) In James 5:16, which specifically deals with confession
of sin, we are told to do it to "one another."
1> Any Christian can receive a confession.
C. The church's mission is to proclaim the good news about Jesus.
1) Those who accept it will find forgiveness from God.
a) Those who reject it will not.
2) Any of you can proclaim this.
a) We cannot forgive them, but we can lead them to the
one who can.
b) It should be noted that some of those who confidently
announce God's forgiveness may be wrong.
Last year a lavish funeral was held in Rome.
Vittorio Casamonica's coffin was in an ornate hearse
pulled by six black-plumed horses.
A helicopter flew overhead dropping rose pedals on
the hundreds of mourners.
Banners on the church's entrance proclaimed him the
"King of Rome" and said "You conquered Rome, now
you'll conquer paradise."
As the coffin entered the church, the theme from
"The Godfather" movies played.
Vittorio has been identified as one of the leaders of
the Casamonica clan.
They have been accused of racketeering, extortion,
drug trafficking and loansharking.
Their net worth is north of $109 million. [2]
The priest said he could not control what happened
outside the church.
But what happened inside?
The gangster was given a traditional Catholic funeral.
The forgiveness of his sins would have been announced.
Is this what actually happened in God's eyes?
In the long history of the church, the power to give
and withhold forgiveness has been a savage weapon.
Tens of thousands have been tortured, killed, and
denied heaven.
Often this was because the people defied the church
rather than God.
IV. Only One can forgive you.
A. There is only one mediator.
1) Catholics put a human priest in your path to God.
a) Confession is not just possible to a priest, it is
required.
2) The Bible gives a more streamlined path:
1 Timothy 2:5 says:
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and
mankind, the man Christ Jesus."
a) There are no other go-betweens.
b) You can pray directly to God through Jesus.
B. Jesus makes a better priest than any human.
1) Hebrews 4:14 tells us he is a great high priest for us.
2) He is sinless, yet able to identify with our weaknesses.
3) Verse 16 says we can go directly to him - we can approach
the throne of grace with confidence that we will receive
mercy and grace in our time of need.
C. Does Jesus need sub-priests?
1) The New Testament church did not have the office of priest.
a) The Old Testament had priests because they were the
ones who offered sacrifices.
b) Jesus is our only priest, and he sacrificed himself.
c) In the lists of church leadership in the New Testament,
"priest" does not appear.
2) There is a form of priesthood today, however.
a) 1 Peter 2:5 says all Christians are being made a holy
priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices.
1> Those sacrifices are symbolic - our praise, our
service, our devotion to him.
2> In the Reformation, Protestants called this the
"Priesthood of all Believers."
b) All of us can serve God, not just special leaders.
V. What do you need to be forgiven of?
A. Everyone is a sinner.
1) Some of your sins may be public knowledge.
a) (Googling some people who approach the church for help.)
1> Arrest records, mug shots....
2> Even their Facebook pages can be pretty revealing.
b) Once it is out there, it is never really erased.
2) Other sins we manage to keep to ourselves.
a) What would your worst sin be? God already knows.
b) Even that, God can forgive.
B. Have your sins been cleared?
1) Today is the funeral of the neighbor of one of our members.
a) He was a good man but had a non-Christian background.
b) His wife is a sincere Christian.
2) Where is he now? Have his sins been forgiven by God?
a) She does not know - indeed, none of us knows for him.
b) But you can have confidence in your own status with God.
3) God's requirements for forgiveness are straightforward.
a) Acknowledge that you have sinned.
1 John 1:9 --
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness."
b) Ask God to forgive you.
1> Jesus' blood will cleanse you.
c) Believe in him, and follow him.
C. God's door is never shut for us.
1) The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy had a puzzling image.
a) St. Peter's open door for the Jubilee is normally shut.
b) But God's door has been open for 2,000 years.
1> On the day Jesus died on the cross, the curtain
in the Temple split in two. Matt 27:51
2> We are no longer separated from God, but can
approach him with confidence.
2) His mercy and grace is always available to you.
a) It doesn't require a special year.
b) No human can get in your way.
c) Do you believe in him?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
1. “Pope clashes with biblical teaching, Baptists say,” by Tom Strode,
Baptist Press, November 29, 2016.
2. “Italy anger at 'Godfather' funeral for alleged Rome mafia boss,”
BBC News, August 21, 2015; <link>.
#64858 “Forgiveness In Charleston: Light Shining In Darkness,” by John
Stonestreet, BreakPoint Commentary, June 23, 2015.
These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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