January 19, 2016
Scripture Reading: 1 John 2:1-2
1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Questions for Reflection:
What is one of the goals of John’s letter according to verse 1? Does John believe that every Christian will live sinless lives? Based upon the text above, how would you support that answer? If we sin, what is the hope that we have?
The passage above gives us insights into the character and work of Jesus. John gives us glimpses into the roles that Jesus Christ fulfills. First, in verse 1, he is pictured as our advocate. What is the role of an advocate? What does an advocate do? I remember coaching high school debate. There were certain arguments that were easier to win than others. The evidence aligned and the expert’s support was stronger. There were other arguments that were often just losing arguments. No matter, how you argued it, you would rarely win it. When I think of my life, I feel like Jesus Christ has been assigned a losing argument. The good news is that he doesn’t make his case based upon my work and performance but rather his.
John goes on to define clearly who this advocate is: “Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” We studied in December how Jesus ended up with that name. The name Jesus literally means “God saves.” Jesus was a historical figure that lived on earth. He was John’s rabbi. But he was more than just that. He was the Christ. He was the promised one, the Messiah. He was the deliverer of the people of Israel (and all people as we see in verse 2). Of these two titles/names, which is it easier for you to embrace: the historical figure who lived in Israel or the promised one, the deliverer of people?
There are more to Jesus Christ’s role than just those titles. He is “atoning sacrifice for our sins.” The theological term for this concept is propitiation. What is propitiation? We asked small kids from one of our Growth Groups at One Life that question, here are their responses:
Did you catch the definition provided at the end of the video? Propitiation is the turning away of wrath or anger through an offering or sacrifice. Jesus Christ through his death on the cross makes us right with God. He is the righteous one, without fault or sin. He died in our place so that we may be made right with God. He died for our sins, but not just our sins. Who’s sin does John say that Jesus died for?
Have you recognized Jesus Christ sacrifice on your behalf? Have you accepted the gift of grace that He has offered to you? If so, how has that changed your life? If not, why not? What’s keeping you from you trusting him? If you’re in that boat, we’d love to have more conversation with you about that. Feel free to email me ([email protected]) to talk more about that.