The Character of Christ: Acting Like JesusSample

The Forgiveness of Christ

If you’ve read or watched one of the film adaptations of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, you’ve seen one of the most powerful pictures of forgiveness. The story begins with Jean Valjean being released after spending almost twenty years in prison for stealing bread for his starving family. While no one else will take in an ex-convict, Bishop Myriel does. But in the middle of the night, Valjean runs off with the bishop’s silverware. When Valjean is arrested and the police bring him before Myriel, the bishop pretends as if he had given Valjean the silverware and rebukes him for “forgetting” to take the two silver candlesticks also.

That moment of kind forgiveness sets the direction of the rest of Valjean’s life. It was, quite literally, life changing. But while Hugo gave us one of the most powerful examples of forgiveness, it’s far from being the most powerful. Christ gave us that one. We know Jesus came to provide forgiveness of sin by laying down his life on our behalf. But Jesus expressed amazing forgiveness in how he did that too. He was forgiving in attitude toward those who condemned him, beat him, mocked him, and crucified him. And while we were not there that day to do any of those things literally, we have figuratively because our sin is what pinned Jesus to the cross.

Like Valjean, but even more so, our kids who have trusted in Jesus have received stunningly magnificent forgiveness. Their sins—all of them—have been forgiven and swept away. And like Valjean’s life, that act of forgiveness by God in Christ should change the trajectory of their lives. One of the greatest ways our kids can live that change is by imitating Christ’s forgiveness. To forgive doesn’t mean there will never be consequences for wrongs done to them. But it does mean they will want good ultimately for those who have wronged them. From forgiving a friend for breaking a favorite toy, to forgiving a classmate for spreading an ugly rumor, to forgiving us—their parents—for when we mess up, our kids have ample opportunity to demonstrate this family trait. It’s not always easy, but it’s always powerful.

1. What draws you to the forgiveness of Christ?
2. How might you help your kid(s) imitate Christ’s forgiveness today?