December 26, 2018
From the start, Jesus walked with God. Together they walked the streets of Nazareth, Capernaum, and Cana and the roads to Gerasa, Samaria, Bethany, and Jerusalem. Together they walked beside the seaside of Lake Galilee and along the River Jordan. The Son and the Father walked the dusty, sun-baked paths of Judea, and Samaria and ended up walking together to the cross.
But, on the cross, as Jesus bore the sins of the world, His Father had to walk away. Jesus expressed the pain of the parting, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?” The sin that Jesus took upon Himself—the sin of the world—separated their walk. Though God still loved Jesus, He did not condone the sin that His Son had to shoulder. Though Jesus bore the sin—He knew no sin—- He still experienced separation from His Father, for a time.
This sin/separation principle remains valid today. When we sin, it breaks the fellowship. Sin separates us from our walk with God. He doesn’t go far. But His holiness will not allow Him to walk a path littered with sin. He wants us to rejoin Him but, only after we acknowledge the sin and we ask forgiveness are we able to accept His invitation to renew our walk.
It is through confession and repentance we died to our sins and resurrected to a new walk with our Heavenly Father. Jesus rose to walk again with His Father. So can we.