Tag: sin

Posted in Exposition

Psalm 32: The Joy of Sins Forgiven

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 32

Psalm 32 could qualify as both a Wisdom Psalm and a Song of Thanksgiving but for at least 1500 years Christian liturgical tradition has viewed it as a Penitential Psalm; the second of seven in the Psalter (see also 6, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143). Its theme is the relief that comes from repentance, confession of sin to God, forgiveness and restoration. It seems to have been written soon after the psalmist recovered from a debilitating illness brought on by failure to acknowledge his sin.

THE TITLE OF PSALM 32

A Psalm of David, Maschil.

The meaning of Maschil is unknown but the word is thought to be a musical term. Some commentators, noting that it has the same root as the verb to teach (v.8), take the word to mean a didactic or contemplative poem. Thirteen psalms have Maschil in their title (see also 42, 44, 45, 52, 53, 54, 55, 74, 78, 88, 89, 142).

Since the title links Psalm 32 with David many scholars connect it with Psalm 51. They therefore speculate that the background to Psalm 32 is the tragic story of David’s sin with Bathsheba and the arranged ‘murder’ of her husband Uriah the Hittite and those who perished with him (2 Samuel chapters 11-12). The prophet Nathan confronted David using the parable of the little ewe-lamb (2 Samuel 12:1-4) after which, it is thought, David composed Psalm 51 in which he acknowledges his sin and requests forgiveness. As David himself discovered, sin is destructive; ruining one’s joy, peace, love and fellowship with the Lord. In Psalm 32 he recites the misery of his own experience of living with sin unconfessed as well as the spiritual and emotional relief obtained when he eventually confessed and received God’s forgiveness.

THE STRUCTURE OF PSALM 32

1-2 – REMISSION

3-4 – CONVICTION

5 – CONFESSION

6-7 – PRESERVATION

8-9 – INSTRUCTION

10-11 – CONCLUSION

EXPLANATION OF PSALM 32

(1-2) REMISSION

1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Verses 1 and 2 are proverbial sayings in the form of beatitudes which declare that the forgiveness of sin brings great joy. How happy (or fortunate) is the one whose rebellion is taken away. . . etc! The verses contain six metaphorical words or expressions that relate to various aspects of sin in the Old Testament.

TRANSGRESSION – revolt, open rebellion, deliberately doing what is forbidden.

SIN – miss the mark, err, fail to measure up to God’s standard.

INIQUITY – wrongdoing – idea of something twisted or distorted.

FORGIVEN – lifted away

COVERED – concealed, put out of sight, not exposed, treated as no longer causing guilt.

(NOT) IMPUTED – (not) reckoned, credited, computed – there is no record of it.

TRANSGRESSION, SIN and INIQUITY occur together in Leviticus 16:21 and occur throughout Psalm 25 (vv. 7, 8, 11, 18).

And in whose spirit there is no guile. Remission of sin requires true and honest confession. One cannot say one thing publicly and think something else inwardly – in order to receive forgiveness the sinner must be sincere.

In the New Testament vv.1-2 are quoted by the apostle Paul in Romans 4:7-8.

(3-4) CONVICTION

3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long.
4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

The psalmist David now relates his own experience of the misery caused by refusing to face up to his sin. We do not know for how long David tried to hide his sin but it was long enough for a child to be conceived and born (2 Samuel 11:27). He did not get right with the Lord quickly.

‘When’ gives the reason for what follows. It was because David ‘kept silence’ (i.e. refused to confess his sin) that he felt the power of God’s chastening which he describes in vv. 3b-4. He uses an anthropomorphic image of God’s hand striking him with heavy blows. This image is also used in 1 Samuel 5:6, 11 and there is a similar one in Ezekiel 3:14. The chastening, probably in the form of a troubled conscience, affected him physically. It made him ill. He was in constant pain, howling all day long. He began to waste away (his bones ‘wore out’) and his vitality was drained. The word meaning vitality (KJV, ‘moisture) is used in Num 11:8 of olive oil or olive juice moistening a cake. His sin brought only despair and drought. Verse 4 ends with the first of three Selahs – stop and think!

(5) CONFESSION

I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

When David frankly confessed his sin to the Lord he was forgiven immediately. In this verse we have acknowledgement, accountability, assertion and assurance.

acknowledge – to make known. David’s sin was no longer hidden; he did not conceal his iniquity.

confess – tell the complete truth about, own up to, admit. He did not try to rationalise or minimise his behaviour.

as for you, you forgave the iniquity of my sin – David had assurance that upon his confession of sin to the Lord he was forgiven (2 Samuel 12:13). God removed the effects of his sin by lifting the iniquity (the guilt and/or punishment for it). It was to God, not a human mediator, that he directly confessed and it is emphatically stated that it was God (and thou, as for you) who forgave him. In the context of the psalm this forgiveness would have involved the removal of the illness (v.3) that had resulted from his failure to confess his wrongdoing. That confession of sins to God is the pathway to forgiveness is also stated in the New Testament: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9.

Selah – pause and ponder!

6-7 PRESERVATION

6 For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.
7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

For – therefore. This refers back to all that has already been said in the psalm, i.e. about happiness, guilt, God’s discipline, confession and forgiveness. The psalmist invites the faithful to turn to God in prayer now, while he may be found (Isa 55:6; 2 Cor 6:2; Heb 3:12-15). They will not be able to do so when under God’s discipline. ‘Floods of mighty waters’ represents the danger and distress that are a result of God’s wrath (Job 20:28; Psa 8:15; Isa 8:7-8).

The faithful, because God punishes the wicked and rewards the good, will receive divine protection and care in times of trouble and trial. God is his shelter. The psalmist, who earlier howled in distress (v.3), is now surrounded by songs celebrating deliverance.

Selah – stop and think!

(8-9) INSTRUCTION

8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.
9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

Who is speaking here? Many take it that these words are spoken by the Lord to David. However, since David has been the speaker thus far I see nothing that would suggest a change and therefore consider that the speaker here is David, passing on advice to others. He is, in effect, saying: ‘Don’t conceal your sin as I did but rather confess it and receive forgiveness.’

Just as in Psalm 51:12-15, where David moves from thoughts of confession, forgiveness and the joy of restoration to the idea of teaching, he now draws upon his own experience of forgiveness and advises the devout person who has fallen into sin not to stubbornly continue but repent and live a life of submission to God.

instruct – give understanding. David wants to make others understand.

teach – show someone the way. David wants to teach others how to find and keep to the right way.

guide – counsel, give advice. David does not want to coerce but to gently (with my eye upon you) guide others how to live well.

Using two similes, as the horse and as the mule, he advises others to follow the Lord and not be stubborn. These are irrational animals that must be controlled and forced to go in the right direction. They can also be wilful and bad-tempered (lest they come near unto thee).

A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool’s back. Proverbs 26:3

An horse not broken becometh headstrong: and a child left to himself will be wilful. Sirach 30:8

(10-11) CONCLUSION

10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.
11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Alluding to his own experience of concealing sin (vv.3-4) David utters a truism – a self-evident truth. Verse 10 gives the basis for his counsel in v.9. ‘Many sorrows (pain and suffering) shall be to the ungodly’ – in this context he probably means those who refuse or ignore his instruction (vv.8-9) but continue to pursue their wicked ways, resist the Lord and remain exposed to the consequences of their sin. The ‘many sorrows’ may be inflicted either as divine punishment or to compel the sinner to repent. David contrasts the ‘ungodly’ with the ‘trustful’ and ‘many sorrows’ with ‘mercy’ (loving-kindness, covenant love). Sin brings sorrows and robs the sinner of peace and joy.

The psalm ends as it began – with happiness – a call to the righteous to rejoice. David uses three expressions of joy: be glad – rejoice – sing joyfully, The righteous and upright in heart are those who confess their sin to the Lord, receive forgiveness and experience the true joy that comes from forgiveness. Scroggie (1948, p.188) comments: ‘The psalm ends with a summons to holy hilarity (11). Our joy should be demonstrative, without degenerating into boisterous fanaticism. The safeguard is “in the Lord.” Thought: The pardoned should praise.’

Note: Some suggest that verse 11 does not belong with Psalm 32 but ought to be the first verse of Psalm 33.

SUMMATION

Psalm 32 is a penitential psalm attributed to King David that explores the profound relief and joy found in forgiveness of sin. After declaring the blessedness of those whose transgressions are forgiven and sin covered the psalmist goes on to describe his own painful experience of trying to conceal his sin and withhold confession to the Lord. His physical strength dried up and he was in constant anguish. He also felt the spiritual weight of divine discipline. The turning point comes in v.5 when he finally acknowledges and confesses his sin to God, receiving immediate forgiveness and relief from his illness.

Drawing upon his own experience he issues practical advice to believers. He urges them not to remain stubborn but to respond and submit to God’s guidance. God will then be their shelter and protector in times of trouble and trial and will surround them with his loving-kindness and songs of deliverance. The psalm ends with a call to the righteous – those who have confessed their sin and received forgiveness – to rejoice.

Notice the triplets of words and expressions in Psalm 32.

vv. 1, 2, 5 Transgression(s), sin, iniquity.

vv.1, 2, 5 Forgiven, covered, [not] imputed.

v.8 Instruct, teach, guide.

v.11 Be glad, rejoice, sing joyfully.

The main point of the psalm is that true and lasting joy comes from forgiveness of sins and from a life lived in submission to the Lord. If, like David, we are hiding our sin and tormented by guilt we can come to God in prayer, confess our sins to him, receive forgiveness and leave rejoicing in salvation.

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverbs 28:13

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Clarke, A. G. (1949). Analytical Studies in the Psalms. John Ritchie Ltd., Kilmarnock

Perowne, S. (1898). The Book of Psalms : a New Translation, with Introduction and Notes Explanatory and Critical. Andover, W. F. Draper.

Scroggie, W. G. (1948). The Psalms , Volume 1, Psalms I-L, Introduction and Notes by W. Graham Scroggie. Pickering & Inglis Ltd., London

Posted in Exposition

Understanding Ezekiel 14:12-23: Judgment and Righteousness

Posted on by writtenexposition

INTRODUCTION

Ezekiel 14:12-23 records a new oracle from YHWH to Ezekiel about impending judgment upon Jerusalem. These verses highlight the severity and certainty of the punishment and show that it is inevitable because of Jerusalem’s sin and unfaithfulness.

The passage addresses a significant theoretical question that that must have been raised at the time: ‘Would YHWH really destroy Jerusalem when there are still some righteous people living in the city?’ In the oracle YHWH rejects the notion that the righteousness of a few can atone for the sins of the many and instead insists on individual personal responsibility. Even if the righteous should intercede the disaster cannot be averted. YHWH’s retributive justice cannot overlook sin just because of a connection with a righteous individual.

FAMINE

(13-14) This new oracle is introduced by the prophetic word formula ‘the word of the Lord came…to me, saying.’ As usual, YHWH addresses Ezekiel as ‘son of Adam’ and refers to a hypothetical country (‘a land’) that sins against him by trespassing grievously. Note the use of the two closely related terms ‘sin’ and ‘trespass.’ Sin is a general term encompassing all forms of disobedience against God’s will, whether intentional or unintentional. Trespass is more specific and involves deliberately violating a known law. All trespasses are sins but not all sins are trespasses. In this connection Greenberg (1983, p. 257) observes : ‘Inasmuch as the hypothetical land of vss.13-20 is not specifically that of Israel, this will be the only passage in Hebrew Scripture in which “trespass (against Yahweh)” is predicated of a non-Israelite subject.’

When a nation sins against YHWH he will ‘stretch out his hand upon it.’ This biblical image signifies divine intervention in judgment. The specific punishment mentioned here is famine. Cutting off the food supply of both human beings and animals would be a reminder of humanity’s dependence upon YHWH. Would he, however, act against a sinful nation if righteous individuals live there and (presumably) intercede on behalf of the sinful population? The remainder of the oracle deals with the limitations of personal righteousness and intercession in a situation where sin is widespread.

Although the background to this oracle is idolatry in Judah YHWH indicates that what he says has a much wider application by referring to a hypothetical country and also by holding up two non-Israelite men along with the Israelite Daniel as iconic examples of righteousness. Even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in such a country they could not avert disaster. They would only be able to save themselves because of their righteous characters, no-one else.

At that time these three men were legendary throughout the Ancient Near East for their righteousness. Through it they had also been able to save the lives of others.

Noah – because of his righteousness (Gen 6:9) the primaeval hero Noah was able to save himself, his family and the animals from the Flood (Gen 6:9-8:22).

Daniel – This likely refers to Ezekiel’s older contemporary the Daniel of the Babylonian exile who, though still a young man (possibly late twenties) at this time, had already gained a reputation for righteousness. Has he saved lives through intercession?  Some would point to Daniel 2:17-18.

Modern scholars tend to argue that this is not the Daniel of the book of Daniel but the righteous Ugaritic Daniel (Dn’il) of The Tale of Aqhat. Their arguments centre on the fact that the spelling of ‘Daniel’ in the book of Ezekiel differs from that in the book of Daniel, that Dn’il was a figure of antiquity as were Noah and Job but not the contemporary Daniel and the chronological argument that the Daniel of the book of Daniel was too young to have achieved fame at the time this oracle was given.

Arguments for Dn’il in the article by ‘Day, J. (1980). The Daniel of Ugarit and Ezekiel and the Hero of the Book of Daniel. Vetus Testamentum, 30(2), pp. 174–184′ may be read online free of charge by logging into JSTOR. ‘The Tale of Aqhat’ may be read in J. B. Pritchard’s ‘Ancient Near Eastern Texts’ at archive.org.

Job – Through intercession the righteous sufferer Job was able to save the lives of his three friends who had been wrong about the reasons for his affliction (Job 42:7-10).

That the presence of its most righteous inhabitants could not save a sinful nation underscores the seriousness of sin. Salvation is an individual affair, righteousness is non-transferable. That Noah, Job and Daniel are recognised by the Lord as examples of personal righteousness encourages us to maintain personal righteousness during times of trial and in circumstances where all around is marked by corruption.

(15-16) RAVENING ANIMALS

Here the imagery of wild beasts roaming the land attacking and killing the populace is used to describe another form of punishment. Travel throughout the country would be impossible. Society would break down and the land be uninhabitable. The repetition of the three righteous men again emphasises the fact that righteousness is non-transferable. Even their children would not be spared.

(17-18) WAR

The third scenario of judgment is war and conflict as symbolised by the sword. YHWH would subject a sinful nation to punishment by violence and invasion. Again it is stated that even if these three men were in it they could not save even their closest family members.

(19-20) BLEEDING PESTILENCE

The fourth scenario in this escalating progression of judgment is that of plague which will affect humans and animals (famine – ravening animals – war -bleeding pestilence). YHWH will pour out his fury upon the land ‘in blood.’ Pestilence and bloodshed are not two separate judgments but a hendiadys which specifies the type of plague – bleeding pestilence – i.e. the plague results in an outpouring of blood. (For a short technical discussion of this see: Tooman, W. A. (2010). On the Meaning of דבר ודם in Ezekiel (5:17, 14:19, 28:23, 38:22). Vetus Testamentum, 60(4), pp. 666–668.)

Once again swearing by his own life (‘as I live saith the Lord God’) in v.20 as in vv.16 and 18 YHWH repeats the point about the three righteous men. They could only deliver themselves by their righteousness, not their family members. The repetition reinforces YHWH’s point that no human being, however righteous, can turn back the Lord’s punishment of a sinful and unrepentant people.

(21) In this passage YHWH has so far been speaking in general terms about a hypothetical sinful country. This verse now makes it clear that that he had Judah, represented by Jerusalem, in view. The phrase ”how much more’ suggests that the punishment of Judah will be particularly severe because of its privileges. All four judgments (the sword, famine, wild beasts, plague) will be visited upon the city and the cumulative effect will be total devastation. Although directed at Judah this oracle was given in Babylon and served to remind the exiles there that their notion that things would work out well in the end for Jerusalem was false.

(22-23) These verses introduce a note of hope that despite overwhelming punishment YHWH would preserve a remnant ‘who will come forth unto you’ i.e. to Ezekiel and the exiles in Babylon. It does not seem that these few people will survive because of their personal righteousness but rather that they are examples of sinful people who experience YHWH’s mercy in the midst of judgment. When this group of exiles comes to Babylon the exiles will see how wicked they really are and be consoled that the Lord has been just in executing well-deserved judgment upon Jerusalem and Judah. God’s justice will be vindicated.

An alternative interpretation is that Ezekiel and the exiles will see the changed behaviour of the remnant. The judgment will have had a purifying effect upon them, they will have repented and been transformed, Ezekiel and the exiles will then be comforted that God’s purposes have been accomplished.

SUMMATION

Ezekiel 14:12-23 is a solemn and sobering reminder of the seriousness of sin and the certainty of God’s judgment. Even the presence of righteous men in a country cannot avert this. Everyone is responsible for his own sin. The passage emphasises the severity of God’s punishment upon Judah which will be fourfold: famine, wild animals, the sword and plague. Despite this some individuals will survive the catastrophe and eventually reach the exiles in Babylon. Their bad (or good???) behaviour will cause the exiles to acknowledge God’s justice. That there will be a remnant is a faint glimmer of hope in an otherwise gloomy forecast for Judah’s future.

Posted in Exposition

WHY DOES GOD NEED A SACRIFICE TO FORGIVE?

Posted on by writtenexposition

‘The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ Jn 1.29


This quotation from the first chapter of the Fourth Gospel records the words of the austere early first century Jewish prophet John the Baptist addressing a crowd of people which included Jewish religious leaders (Jn 1.19). In those days many flocked to the desert locations which John preferred in order to hear him preach. On the day in question John saw Jesus approaching and pointed him out to the assembled crowd with these immortal words: ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’


It may be difficult for anyone brought up in the western world to grasp what John meant by this expression, but to someone living in a culture where the ritual slaughter of animals to placate a deity is commonplace, his words would be more obvious. Certainly the first century adherents of the Jewish religion, with its temple and offerings, would have immediately understood that this son of a priest (Lk 1.5-25; 57-80) was using the terminology of sacrifice.


New Testament writers describe the death of Jesus Christ in various ways. It is called, for example, a ‘ransom’ (Mk 10.45) and a ‘redemption’ from bondage (Eph 1.7; Col 1.14). Terms implying the payment of a price occur also in 1 Corinthians 6.20; 7.23 and in Galatians 3.13; 4.5. It is viewed as an ‘expiation’ or ‘propitiation’, which have the idea of appeasement (Heb 2.17; Rom 3.25; 1 Jn 2.2, 4.10), releasing one from guilt, delivering from the fear caused by a bad conscience and restoring peace with God. But the writers of the New Testament most commonly explain His death as a ‘sacrifice’ for sin (1 Cor 5.7; Eph 5.2; Heb 7.27; 8.3, 9.14, 26, 28; 10.10, 12, 14).


Thus, when John cried out ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ he may have reminded his hearers of the lamb slain at the time of the Exodus from Egypt (Ex 12.1-14, 1 Cor 5.7) and commemorated annually in the Jewish Festival of Passover. Or he may have been thinking of countless animals offered over the centuries as Jewish offerings (Lev 1-7). More likely, however, he had in mind the haunting words of the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah’s prophecy, which proclaimed the Suffering Servant of the Lord who gave His life for many:


‘He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.’ (Is 53.7)

The Christian faith is based on the doctrine that the death of Jesus Christ was a sacrifice that paid the penalty for the sins of mankind. So why was it necessary that one should be offered on behalf of others? In our search for an answer we must go back to the beginning, to the Book of Genesis. There we see that sacrifice was instituted by the one living creator God of the universe. We read about the first sacrifice, although it is not specifically so described, in the book of Genesis chapter three. The first human couple, Adam and Eve, warned by God not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, disobeyed, with the result that sin entered the world. This is often referred to as ‘the fall’.


The basic meaning of ‘sin’ is to ‘fall short’ of a target. For example, in Judg 20.16 the Hebrew word is used in its ordinary sense describing elite troops who could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss. To sin is therefore to ‘miss the mark’, to ‘fall short’ of God’s standard of holiness and righteousness (Rom 3.23). The first sin was no isolated act of disobedience to the will of God, but rather set in motion a host of disastrous consequences for humanity. Since then every one of us has been born with a fallen nature and has the disposition to disobey God (Gal 5.17).

In addition to this inherent sin nature, we have Adam’s sin imputed (credited) to us as members of the human race. Because he is head of the human race we are reckoned to have sinned in him, and are therefore liable to the same judgment (Rom 5.12). In addition we all habitually make wrong choices which the Bible refers to as ‘sins’. These are evident in our thoughts, words and actions. The only exception to this universal guilt is the Lord Jesus Christ who could not, would not and did not sin (2 Cor 5.21; Heb 4.15, 7.26; 1 Pet 1.19, 2.22; 1 Jn 3.5).


Not only are we all sinners (Rom 3.23), our sins result in alienation from God who is just and holy (Isa 59.2). He cannot overlook sin and requires that a penalty be paid. That penalty is death (Ezek 18.20; Rom 6.23). God must punish sinners and we are unable to save ourselves. How can we therefore escape the righteous judgment of God? That is only possible by a sinless sacrifice that satisfies God’s justice!


After the fall, Adam and Eve had a sense of their nakedness and tried to make coverings out of the leafy material available to them in the Garden of Eden. Their own efforts to conceal their shame were unsuccessful, leaving them exposed to God’s judgment. God, however, in His kindness and mercy provided them with coats of skins (Gen 3.21). This teaches us that our own efforts to deal with the effects of sin are useless; only God can meet our need. In the case of Adam and Eve the provision of the skins had a cost. For them to live animals had to die. This principle of the sacrifice of a life is set out in Leviticus chapter 17.11:


‘For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’


The death of these animals, and others subsequently killed in Jewish worship rituals, pointed forward to the one great, perfect sacrifice provided by God. That was the Lord Jesus Christ who is God manifest in flesh. He is both human and divine and on earth lived a life of perfect obedience to the will of God, even to the extent of death by crucifixion (Phil 2.8). His offering was a once and for all infinite sacrifice (Heb 10.12), acceptable to God – as proved by his resurrection from the dead (Acts 2.24-26) – and able to reconcile us to God, making amends for our offences.

Thus, drawing upon the rich Old Testament background of substitutionary sacrifice, John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as the ‘Lamb of God’. Those who heard him that day were privileged to have the Lamb of God among them, already on his way to the cross to bear the burden of sin and guilt. The accumulated transgressions, past, present and future, of God’s children in every tribe and nation worldwide, was summed up by John in that simple expression: ‘the sin of the world’.


When John the Baptist declared, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ he was acknowledging that God demands a sacrifice in order to forgive sins, and was directing attention away from himself to the One who would be that all-sufficient sacrifice. Christ offered ‘one sacrifice for sins forever’ (Heb 10.12). The work of salvation has been completed. Neither you nor I can do anything to merit or to improve it; instead, we must accept salvation by faith in Jesus Christ (Eph 2.8-9). Such loving sacrifice demands a response (Jn 15.13-14). May ours be that of the two disciples of John who heard his second proclamation the following day and ‘followed Jesus’ (Jn 1.35-37).