Read: Acts 13:26-43
Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. (v. 38)
My wife, Nancy, and I have a Christmas tradition of rewatching the 1984 film version of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol. There are so many memorable scenes that I never tire of seeing and hearing again. One of them is the spectral vision of old Ebenezer Scrooge being visited by the ghost of his business partner in life, Jacob Marley. He is shrouded in snow and wrapped in chains. Scrooge is frightened as he listens to his former partner explain the meaning of his chains (as quoted from the original): “I wear the chain I forged in life. I made it link by link, and yard by yard; I girded it on of my free will, and of my own free will I wore it.” Marley and Scrooge both desperately needed to hear the promise of Peter’s sermon in our reading today: “by [Jesus] everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses” (v. 39).
Think of it, the blessing of this passage is that our sins are forgiven. We no longer need to carry them. We are forgiven. Jesus Christ says to us what he said to the women caught in adultery as described in John 8: “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more” (v. 9).
Friends, all I can say to you in closing today is: “You are forgiven!”
As you pray, confess your sin to God and receive his forgiveness.
Dr. Timothy Brown is the Henry Bast Professor of Preaching and President Emeritus at Western Theological Seminary where he served from 1995-2021. Tim continues to actively coach and encourage former students and pastors who seek help in their preaching life and he has become a certified public school substitute teacher so that he can continue investing in the lives of young people. He is married to Nancy and together they have three children and ten grandchildren.
