God Forgave Us

Matthew 18:21–27 NLT

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

Forgiveness: The pillar/ foundation of the Kingdom of God

In the Jewish 1st Century ten thousand talents was an unpayable amount. At that time it would be an practical infinite debt.

$12 billion to $47 billion

The Year of Jubilee in the Bible, commanded in Leviticus 25, was a special 50th year after seven sabbatical cycles (7x7 years) for the Israelites, meant for rest, freedom, and restoration, where land returned to original owners, Israelite slaves were freed, and debts were forgiven, aiming to reset economic disparities and provide a fresh start for families. Announced with a shofar (ram's horn), it was a "holy year" of liberty and a prophetic foreshadowing of Jesus' mission of spiritual liberation.  

“Imagine living in a world where debt never crushed a person’s dignity—where mercy wasn’t just an idea but a rhythm woven into the fabric of life. That was God’s vision for His people. Jewish law didn’t just regulate money; it reflected covenant love. It called for interest-free loans to the needy, protected debtors from harsh treatment, and even built in seasons of release—Sabbatical and Jubilee years—so communities could breathe again. These practices weren’t random; they mirrored God’s merciful heart (hesed) and stood in stark contrast to the exploitative systems around them. Today, as we explore forgiveness, we’ll see that this same heartbeat of mercy is what Jesus calls us to live out—not just in economics, but in every relationship.”

What is the first point here. Peter starts with the question.

Point I - Christ's Call to Limitless Forgiveness

Matthew 18:21–22 NLT

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!NL

Matthew 18:21–22 reminds us that forgiveness is not about keeping score. When Peter asked if forgiving seven times was enough, Jesus replied, “seventy times seven.” He wasn’t giving us a number—He was giving us a principle: forgiveness should never run out. Just as God’s grace toward us is limitless, our mercy toward others must reflect that same abundance. Forgiveness is more than an act; it’s a lifestyle. It means letting go of grudges, releasing bitterness, and living in the freedom of grace. When we forgive, we mirror Christ—the One who forgave us completely.

Story in band - Chocolate Fundraiser

Peter’s Question: Peter thought forgiving seven times was generous, reflecting the tradition of his day.

Jesus’ Response: “Seventy times seven” wasn’t about math—it was about mindset. Jesus taught that forgiveness should have no limits.

Core Message: Followers of Christ are called to forgive freely and repeatedly, letting go of resentment and bitterness, just as God forgives us without measure.

Context: This teaching leads into the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23–35), reminding us that if God cancels our immense debt, we must extend grace to others for their smaller offenses.

Point II - Understand the Immeasurable Debt of Sin

Matthew 18:23–25 NLT

“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.

Illustrate the vastness of the debt in the parable, which the servant could never repay. This symbolizes our own unpayable sin debt. Perhaps consider how understanding the enormity of what we've been forgiven by God is crucial in inspiring a heart of forgiveness towards others. It points to the foundational understanding that our identity in Christ is rooted in receiving forgiveness and extending it.

Colossians 2:14 NLT

He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

Colossians 2:14 declares that when Jesus died on the cross, He completely wiped out the debt of our sin. Every charge against us—every failure, every condemnation—was erased. Paul paints a vivid picture: it’s as if our spiritual IOU was nailed to the cross and destroyed forever. In that moment, Christ disarmed the powers of darkness and secured our forgiveness. Because of His sacrifice, we are free—free from guilt, free from shame, and free to live in the fullness of His grace.

Point III - God Forgave Us

Matthew 18:26–27 NLT

“But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

Matthew 18:26–27 gives us a vivid picture of grace. A servant, crushed under an impossible debt, begs his king for more time. But the king does something far greater—he doesn’t just grant an extension; he wipes the debt away completely and sets the servant free. That’s what God has done for us through Christ. Our sin was a debt we could never repay, yet God canceled it entirely. And Jesus calls us to reflect that same mercy—to forgive others freely, just as we have been forgiven. Forgiveness isn’t optional; it’s the heartbeat of the Kingdom.

Our Spiritual Debt was forgiven by God.

Forgiveness is not an occasional art, it is a permanent attitude.

Martin Luther (Founder of the German Reformation)