December 22, 2025
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Reading along with us in our Lenten readings from “The Life of Jesus”? Here’s today’s reading:
Advent 2025 – Day 22 in the Book: “The Life of Jesus“
The Year of Growing Opposition
Read Sections 4.25 through 4.28 (pages 88-92)
This book is an account of Jesus’ life and teachings told through in chronological order from the four Gospels to create one continuous story.
*If you do not have a copy of the book please contact the church at (401)667-0775 and we can get you a copy.
Forgiveness is so much more about us letting go of hurt and anger than it is about letting someone “off the hook”. Living with pain, anger, and hurt only distract us from the peace God offers. When we forgive others, we are following the example of His forgiveness extended to us even though we are so undeserving. The Pharisees could not get past their own pride and selfishness to even listen to Jesus, they were ready to kill Him showing the state of their hearts and yet He would still forgive them if they just realized what they were doing and repented. Like the forgiven servant demanding the debt owed to him be paid back, they couldn’t extend grace to Jesus because they were only focused on themselves and what they wanted. A sad way to live and why it is so important to live a life that extends grace to others in gratitude for the grace He gives us and the peace we find there.
Advent 2025 – Day 22
Advent days 21 and 22
It makes no sense not to forgive others when we ourselves have been forgiven and Jesus illustrates this perfectly in the story He shares. Forgiveness is about releasing someone from punishment in the same way God has released us. And what an interesting interaction between Jesus and his brothers as if Jesus says it’s easy for them to say. It is sad that they did not believe in Him at this point but would after He was raised. And Jesus once again tells them the source of His teachings is God and not Himself and they are hypocritical to call Him out on doing something good on the sabbath when they also do good things on the Sabbath. And with the Jewish leaders opposed to Jesus and yet Jesus doing miracles and teaching so powerfully, it was hard for people to decide who Jesus was. But Jesus always made it clear who He was and what people would receive by accepting His message. We should do the same and realize if people didn’t believe in Jesus when He was right in front of them, we shouldn’t be thrown off if they do not believe our message. And yet we share the message just the same.
When I find myself acting all self-righteous, wishing ill will upon a person for hurting me in some way, I can break the cycle by remembering verses like Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you”. Upon reflection, I can throw down my stone and walk away knowing that God has extended mercy to me so I can do the same to others.
In this section we see ancient versions of “gaslighting” and “fake news”. Jesus says, “if you obey the law of Moses, why are you trying to kill me?” They say “You are crazy, we are not trying to kill you.” Then the very next section the people In Jerusalem say, “this is the man they are trying to kill.”
Later on they say “when Messiah comes no one will know where he is from.” Then later they say, “the messiah will not come from Galilee, he will be from the family of David and Bethlehem.” Jesus was from David and Bethlehem. I suppose with some investigation they would know this.